ChatGPT Pro 200 grandfathering ends October 29, 2026

Eligible Pro 200 subscribers keep a higher included allowance until Oct 29. After that, the plan stays $200/mo with a lower allowance. What OpenAI published, and how Pro 100 / 200 / 500 compare.

Data verified 2026-10-19 from official pricing pages.

What OpenAI says (help article, updated recently)

Grandfathering window: you qualify if you had an active Pro 200 subscription at any point from September 22, 2026 through 10 a.m. Pacific Time on September 29, 2026.
Through October 29, 2026: eligible customers can keep the previous (higher) included allowance while Pro 200 stays active.
After October 29, 2026: the subscription moves to the lower included usage allowance. The monthly price stays $200.
New Pro 200: OpenAI reopened Pro 200 for new subscriptions; new subscriptions that are not eligible for grandfathering get the lower allowance from the start.
Not Pro 500: keeping the grandfathered allowance does not upgrade you to Pro 500 or add Ultrafast.
Only affected users get an email with extra details, per the help center.

OpenAI does not publish exact message counts for the old vs new Pro 200 allowance, so we do not invent any.

Pro tiers side by side (from data.json)

Verified 2026-10-19 from learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing and About ChatGPT Pro tiers:

Plan	Price	Notes
Pro 100	$100/mo	No 5-hour limit
Pro 200	$200/mo	More usage than Pro 100. Grandfathered higher allowance (if eligible Sep 22–29 2026) ends 2026-10-29; after that, new/renewed Pro 200 uses a lower included allowance at the same $200/mo (help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128)
Pro 500	$500/mo	Highest usage; Ultrafast mode

Full Codex / ChatGPT plan table:

Plan	Price (monthly)	Notes	Status
Free	$0	Limited Codex access; GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app (subject to rollout)	verified
Go	$8/mo	GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app (subject to rollout)	verified
Plus	$20/mo	Codex on web, CLI, IDE, iOS	verified
Pro 100	$100/mo	No 5-hour limit	verified
Pro 200	$200/mo	More usage than Pro 100. Grandfathered higher allowance (if eligible Sep 22–29 2026) ends 2026-10-29; after that, new/renewed Pro 200 uses a lower included allowance at the same $200/mo (help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128)	verified
Pro 500	$500/mo	Highest usage; Ultrafast mode	verified
Business (Standard seat)	$25/mo	$20/mo annual; source openai.com/api/pricing (business page)	verified

Source: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing · Last verified 2026-10-19

Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit (weekly limits may apply), per OpenAI's Codex pricing docs. Ultrafast is only on Pro 500 among Pro plans (8× included usage / 6× credits for GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol).

What to do before Oct 29

If you are grandfathered and still need the higher allowance, use it through Oct 29 — it does not convert into Pro 500 features.
If the lower Pro 200 allowance will be too small, OpenAI's published options are Pro 500 ($500/mo, Ultrafast included) or buying credits after the included allowance, or switching models / modes (Fast burns included limits at 2.5×; see Codex Fast mode).
Compare other tools at the same budget: every plan ranked · Codex pricing.

Sources

OpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiers (checked Oct 19, 2026)
OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT pricing docs (verified 2026-10-19)
OpenAI: Speed (Fast and Ultrafast modes) (cross-check Oct 19, 2026)

FAQ

When does Pro 200 grandfathering end?

OpenAI says eligible customers can use the previous included allowance through October 29, 2026 while their Pro 200 subscription is active. After that date, the subscription moves to the lower included usage allowance at the same $200/month.

Who is eligible for grandfathering?

People who had an active Pro 200 subscription at any point from September 22, 2026 through 10 a.m. Pacific Time on September 29, 2026.

Does grandfathering give me Pro 500 or Ultrafast?

No. Your subscription remains Pro 200. Keeping the higher allowance does not upgrade the plan or add Ultrafast. Among Pro plans, Ultrafast is only on Pro 500.

Can I still buy Pro 200?

Yes. OpenAI says new Pro 200 subscriptions are available again. New subscriptions that are not eligible for grandfathering get the lower usage allowance; the price remains $200/month.