# OpenAI Pauses New $200 ChatGPT Pro Sign-Ups After Adding $100 Tier

By John Kim

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/23897
Published: 2026-09-24T20:52:14.000Z
Updated: 2026-09-24T20:52:14.000Z

OpenAI paused new sign-ups and upgrades for its $200 ChatGPT Pro plan on Sept. 10, 2026, narrowing access to its highest-priced tier while keeping existing subscriptions active.

The restriction applies to users moving from Free, Go, Plus or the $100 Pro plan. Current $200 subscribers can continue renewing their memberships, and the pause does not affect new or existing $100 subscriptions.

OpenAI introduced the $100 monthly Pro tier on April 9, 2026, placing it between the $20 monthly Plus plan and the $200 option. The lower-priced Pro tier includes unlimited access to GPT-5.4, access to GPT-5.4 Pro and, temporarily, up to 10 times more Codex usage than Plus.

The $100 plan provides five times the usage of Plus. The $200 Pro tier provides 20 times the usage and remains the highest-usage option in the lineup.

OpenAI has not publicly confirmed that infrastructure strain or demand for GPT-6 Astra caused the pause. Release notes dated Sept. 3, 2026, describe GPT-6 Astra as available to a limited set of organizations and not yet generally available.

The company launched the $200 Pro subscription on Dec. 5, 2024, with expanded access to advanced models and tools. The current pause has no announced end date.