ChatGPT and Codex will share one usage allowance starting in December

Starting in December, ChatGPT and Codex will draw from one shared, token-based allowance instead of two separate ones. Reports on October 31 say this applies to Plus, Pro and Business plans. Free users aren’t mentioned as affected.

Until now, heavy coding in Codex and everyday chatting counted against different limits. Under the new setup, a long Codex session could leave less room for regular ChatGPT use, and the reverse is true too. One report says OpenAI’s help page excludes Instant chat from the pool. Plus and Business plans have a five-hour limit, while Pro does not, though weekly caps may still apply.

What’s unclear:

• The exact December start date.
• How big each plan’s shared pool will be.
• Whether Plus and Business users will hit their five-hour limits sooner.

The catch: I could not open OpenAI’s own help page. Both sources above are secondary reports, and the first one does not name where its details come from. Treat specifics as provisional until OpenAI publishes numbers. It has changed its allowances several times this year.

What to do now

• Check the usage page in your ChatGPT account before starting a big Codex task. One report says combined usage will show under Settings, then Usage.
• Note how often you hit limits today, so you can compare after the change.
• If you rely on Codex for work, plan big jobs for when you don’t need chat the same day.
• Hold off on upgrading until OpenAI posts pool sizes for each plan.