OpenAI reinstates five-hour usage cap for standard ChatGPT plus subscribers

OpenAI has reinstated the five-hour usage limit for standard ChatGPT Plus subscribers, marking the end of a six-week period without daily usage restrictions. The change, confirmed by Thibault Sottiaux, the head of OpenAI Codex and ChatGPT engineering, took effect on August 25. This measure was initially lifted in mid-July when OpenAI introduced the more efficient GPT-5.6 Sol model. During this period, users were subject to a weekly usage cap, and OpenAI occasionally reset these caps to celebrate user milestones, including when the active user count surpassed 1 million. The decision to restore the five-hour limit was based on two main factors. First, it helps distribute computational demand across different time windows, preventing server overload during peak usage. Second, it protects new and infrequent users who might unintentionally exhaust their weekly quota during extended sessions. While standard users now face these restrictions, OpenAI has confirmed that higher-tier Pro subscriptions, including Pro 100 and Pro 200 plans, remain unaffected and continue to enjoy the absence of the five-hour limit. Enterprise and Edu accounts also remain unchanged, as they operate on independent, quota-based infrastructure. Standard users who reach the five-hour or weekly usage limit will have to wait for the standard reset cycle or purchase additional credits to continue using the service. OpenAI has fully reset the weekly usage quotas for all affected accounts, with the next reset scheduled for September 1.