In plain English
- What happened
- OpenAI has introduced Pro 500, a $500-a-month ChatGPT plan with the highest included usage among its Pro tiers and access to a faster response option called Astra Ultrafast in ChatGPT Work and Codex. Separately, Pro 200 subscriptions are open to new sign-ups again at $200 a month, but the included usage allowance attached to that plan is changing, and OpenAI says affected users will get an email with details.
- Why it matters to your business
- If a small business is paying for a ChatGPT Pro plan to run coding or heavy research work, the amount of usage included in that monthly price is shifting, not just the top-end option. Anyone on Pro 200 should expect an email about a changed allowance rather than assuming the plan works exactly as it did previously.
- Do this
- Check your OpenAI account's billing page to see which Pro tier you are on, and read the allowance-change email in full before deciding whether to switch tiers or buy credits.
Pro 500 sits above OpenAI's existing Pro 100 and Pro 200 plans. Selecting Ultrafast in the model picker gives GPT-6 Astra a faster service tier; it draws down the plan's included allowance first and then a purchased credit balance once that allowance runs out.
Ultrafast is restricted to Pro 500 specifically. Buying credits on Pro 100 or Pro 200 does not unlock the faster tier, so the only way to get it is the new $500 plan itself. Pro 500 is available through ChatGPT on the web at launch.
What changed for Pro 200
Pro 200 had been closed to new subscriptions and is now open again at the same $200-a-month price. The included usage allowance tied to that plan is changing, though OpenAI's release note does not spell out the new limit in the text available; it says users affected by the change will get an email with additional details.
| Plan | Monthly price | What's new |
|---|---|---|
| Pro 200 | $200/month | Reopened to new subscriptions; included usage allowance changing |
| Pro 500 | $500/month | New plan; highest included usage; only tier with Astra Ultrafast access |
Pro 500 is the only ChatGPT plan that unlocks Astra Ultrafast — credits on Pro 100 or Pro 200 do not turn it on.
Who actually needs the faster tier
Astra Ultrafast is aimed at agentic coding and heavy Codex work where response speed changes how the tool feels to use — the kind of workload a solo developer or an in-house technical hire runs, not a typical front-desk or scheduling use case.
Reality check
A $500-a-month plan is not something most small businesses need to add just because it exists. If ChatGPT is mainly handling emails, drafts, scheduling help or customer replies, the usage allowance on a lower tier is very likely to cover it, and the faster Astra tier will not be noticeable in that kind of work.
- 1
Find your current plan
Open ChatGPT settings and check whether your account is on Pro 100, Pro 200, or a Plus/Business plan, since the allowance change only affects Pro 200.
- 2
Read the allowance email in full
If your account is on Pro 200, look for OpenAI's email about the changed usage allowance rather than assuming the plan works the same as before.
- 3
Estimate your actual usage
Before upgrading to Pro 500, look at how close you already come to your current plan's included allowance in a typical month — that tells you whether the ceiling, not the speed, is your real constraint.
- 4
Check the Pro tiers page before switching
OpenAI's own Pro tiers page has the current allowance and pricing details for each plan, and it is the page to check before making a billing change.
Sources
