OpenAI adds card and device limits to paid ChatGPT plans
OpenAI is making ChatGPT a bit more restrictive by adding card and device limits, which it presents as part of its security measures. Users who link too many subscriptions to the same payment card or device won't be able to start new ones. ChatGPT also caps the number of paid accounts per device. A user who hits the limit sees the message "Device limit reached," and the affected account can no longer be used on that device.
The limits apply to ChatGPT Go, Plus, Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500. Free accounts and Business, Enterprise and Edu plans don't count toward them. According to OpenAI's support page, logging out of an account doesn't automatically free up a spot for another one.
The Decoder's reading is that the policy will likely hit users who have been switching between several paid accounts on one device to squeeze more usage out of cheap flat-rate subscriptions. OpenAI instead points those users to buying extra credits or usage resets, options that are generally more expensive than an additional subscription. The Decoder adds that OpenAI also appears to be slowly prioritizing revenue over growth, as its move to merge Chat and Work suggests.
The article does not give the actual limits, a start date, or prices.
Key facts
- ChatGPT now blocks users who link too many subscriptions to the same payment card or device from starting new ones.
- It also caps the number of paid accounts per device; a user at the limit sees "Device limit reached" and can no longer use the affected account on that device.
- The limits cover ChatGPT Go, Plus, Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500; Free, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts don't count.
- Per OpenAI's support page, logging out of an account does not automatically free a spot for another one.
- The Decoder expects the change to hit people who rotate several cheap paid accounts on one device, and says OpenAI points them to extra credits or usage resets, which are generally more expensive than another subscription.
Why it matters
Flat-rate ChatGPT plans have let some people stack several cheap subscriptions on one device to get more usage. The new limits close that route. The Decoder reads the move as a nudge toward paid usage that costs more, and as a sign that OpenAI is slowly prioritizing revenue over growth, as its move to merge Chat and Work suggests. OpenAI itself frames the limits as security measures; the revenue reading is the author's.
Who it affects
The limits apply to holders of ChatGPT Go, Plus, Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500. Free accounts and Business, Enterprise and Edu plans don't count toward them. The Decoder expects the heaviest impact on users who have been switching between several paid accounts on one device to get more usage out of cheap flat-rate subscriptions.
How to use it
A user who hits the limit sees "Device limit reached," and that account can no longer be used on that device. Logging out does not automatically free up a spot for another account, according to OpenAI's support page. For more usage, OpenAI points to buying extra credits or usage resets instead of adding another subscription.
How solid is it
The article rests on OpenAI's support page, paraphrased, plus the author's own interpretation. The limits themselves are reported as fact. The claims that the policy will likely hit account switchers and that OpenAI is slowly prioritizing revenue over growth are the author's assessment, hedged as such. No direct OpenAI statement is quoted, and the article does not say OpenAI itself described the aim as pushing users toward paid usage.
Risks and caveats
The article gives no actual limit values, such as how many subscriptions per card or how many paid accounts per device. It gives no effective date and no prices for plans, extra credits or usage resets. It also says nothing about how the planned merge of Chat and Work would work. The claim that extra credits or usage resets are generally more expensive than an additional subscription is The Decoder's, not backed by figures in the piece.
“Device limit reached”
— ChatGPT on-screen message, as reported by The Decoder