"Which plan do I need for Codex?" has a short answer and a longer one. The short one: Codex is included in every ChatGPT plan, Free and Go too, and the plans differ in how much you can use it. The longer one depends on how your Codex is signed in, which features you use, and what you do when the allowance runs out.
Everything below was checked against OpenAI's Help Center on November 15, 2026.
First: is Codex even using your plan?
Codex can authenticate two ways, and they bill differently.
- Sign in with ChatGPT. Codex runs on your ChatGPT plan's allowance. This is what
codexasks for on first run, and what the desktop app and IDE extension use. - API key. Codex calls the OpenAI API and every token is billed to your API account on platform.openai.com. Your ChatGPT plan doesn't matter here, and neither do Codex credits.
If you've ever pointed Codex at a relay or used a provider switcher, check before you buy anything:
codex login status It should say you're logged in with ChatGPT. If it doesn't, look for leftovers that force the API path:
# ~/.codex/config.toml — any of these mean you're not on your ChatGPT plan forced_login_method = "api" model_provider = "some-relay" openai_base_url = "https://..." [model_providers.some-relay] # ... And in your shell profile or system environment: OPENAI_API_KEY, OPENAI_BASE_URL, CODEX_API_KEY. Remove them, run codex logout, then codex login and pick ChatGPT.
What each plan gets you
| Free / Go | Plus | Pro 100 / 200 / 500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codex CLI, IDE extension, desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Codex Cloud (tasks on OpenAI-managed machines) | No | Yes, eligible accounts | Yes |
| Included usage | Lower | More | More on each tier up |
| Ultrafast | No | No | Pro 500 only |
| Can add Codex credits | Not through Pay2GPT | Yes | Yes |
A few things that surprise people:
- The allowance is shared. On Plus and Pro, Codex, ChatGPT Work, Excel and PowerPoint draw from the same agentic allowance. A long Work session eats into your Codex budget.
- Speed modes cost allowance. OpenAI lists Fast mode at 2.5 times the Standard rate and Ultrafast at 8 times. If you leave Fast on by default, you're spending your week faster.
- Auto-review is free. When you're signed in with ChatGPT, auto-review safety checks don't count toward plan limits.
Know where you stand
In an active CLI session:
/status It shows which allowance is used and the reset time. Outside the CLI: ChatGPT → Settings → Usage, or Usage & Billing in the Codex app. OpenAI support can't reset limits for you, so the reset time shown there is the one that counts.
When you hit the limit
You have three options.
1. Wait for the reset. Free, and fine if the deadline isn't today.
2. Add Codex credits. On Plus and Pro, credits are a pay-as-you-go layer under your plan. Included usage goes first, then the balance. Two details from OpenAI's credits article are worth knowing if you run tasks in parallel:
- A task that starts while your balance is positive can finish after other tasks have drained it, so the balance can go negative. The next purchase pays that off first.
- A saved instruction like "ask me before using credits" isn't a billing control. Once the allowance is gone, Codex uses available credits automatically.
Credits are not API credits. They do nothing for a Codex signed in with an API key.
3. Move up to Pro. If you hit the limit most weeks, a bigger monthly allowance usually fits better than buying credits again and again.
A rough way to decide
- Weekend projects, the occasional script: Free or Go may be enough. You won't get Codex Cloud.
- Daily coding, a few hours of Codex a day: Plus, with credits for crunch weeks.
- Codex or agents running in parallel for hours, most days: Pro 100, or Pro 200 if 100 still runs out.
- You need Ultrafast: Pro 500.
Paying when your card isn't accepted
chatgpt.com only takes cards issued in OpenAI's supported countries, plus a few local methods. If yours isn't one of them, Pay2GPT activates plans and adds Codex credits on your own ChatGPT account, paid by card, Alipay or USDT. No password; you paste the login details from a browser where you're signed in.
| What | Card or Alipay | USDT / USDC |
|---|---|---|
| Plus, one month | $25.10 | $23.90 |
| Pro 100, one month | $131.15 | $124.90 |
| Codex credits, 250 | $15.65 | $14.90 |
| Codex credits, 1000 | $52.40 | $49.90 |
Credits bought there go onto an active Plus or Pro personal plan, don't change the plan or renewal date, and are valid for 12 months. Free, Go and Business workspace accounts can't take them. Pay2GPT is independent and not affiliated with OpenAI.
