OpenAI reveals how ChatGPT ads will be priced ahead of February rollout

OpenAI is officially moving from “ads are coming” to “here’s how we’re charging for them.”

After announcing last week that ads would begin rolling out inside ChatGPT in the coming weeks, we now have a clearer picture of what the pitch looks like behind the scenes. According to The Information, OpenAI has already reached out to dozens of advertisers and plans to charge based on ad views.

It’s a view-based model (not clicks… yet)

The big detail here is the pricing structure: advertisers will be charged based on ad views.

That’s important because it positions ChatGPT ads closer to traditional digital brand advertising (impressions) rather than pure performance marketing. In other words, OpenAI is selling attention first, not conversions.

This also makes sense as a first iteration, since they’re still testing how ads behave inside an AI conversation product.

Small checks, at least for now

OpenAI isn’t asking brands to back up the Brinks truck yet.

Per the report, OpenAI is requesting less than $1 million in ad spending from advertisers while it pilots the system. So this is more of a controlled test than a full-on ad flood.

For advertisers, it’s basically an early “get in the door” opportunity before pricing scales.

Who will see them and when

The initial rollout is expected to begin in February, but ads won’t be universal.

They’ll only show up for:

So paid tiers are still positioned as the clean, ad-free experience.OpenAI reveals how ChatGPT ads will be priced ahead of February rollout

OpenAI is officially moving from “ads are coming” to “here’s how we’re charging for them.”

After announcing last week that ads would begin rolling out inside ChatGPT in the coming weeks, we now have a clearer picture of what the pitch looks like behind the scenes. According to The Information, OpenAI has already reached out to dozens of advertisers and plans to charge based on ad views.

It’s a view-based model (not clicks… yet)

The big detail here is the pricing structure: advertisers will be charged based on ad views.

That’s important because it positions ChatGPT ads closer to traditional digital brand advertising (impressions) rather than pure performance marketing. In other words, OpenAI is selling attention first, not conversions.

This also makes sense as a first iteration, since they’re still testing how ads behave inside an AI conversation product.

Small checks, at least for now

OpenAI isn’t asking brands to back up the Brinks truck yet.

Per the report, OpenAI is requesting less than $1 million in ad spending from advertisers while it pilots the system. So this is more of a controlled test than a full-on ad flood.

For advertisers, it’s basically an early “get in the door” opportunity before pricing scales.

Who will see them and when

The initial rollout is expected to begin in February, but ads won’t be universal.

They’ll only show up for:

So paid tiers are still positioned as the clean, ad-free experience.