The short versionOn October 20, 2026, OpenAI head of product Tibo Sottiaux posted that about 40,000 accounts had usage limits that didn't match their selected plan. OpenAI says it corrected the issue, is reaching out to each affected user and will add credits. An OpenAI email to users whose allowance didn't increase when they upgraded from Pro 200 to Pro 500 says the error was fixed on October 16 and that OpenAI added "$1,000 worth of credits (25,000 credits)."
OpenAI got a billing-adjacent mistake wrong for tens of thousands of customers. Its fix is a decent template for any business that messes up an order.
What happened
On October 20, OpenAI head of product Tibo Sottiaux posted on X: "We've identified approximately 40,000 accounts that had an inconsistency on which usage limits where the actual usage that was applied did not correspond to their actual selected plan. We are reaching out individually to all these users and have corrected the issue. If this affected you, we'll add credits to your account. Sorry we got this wrong."
The details
The email. Users whose allowance didn't increase when they upgraded from Pro 200 to Pro 500 received an OpenAI email, shared on X, that says: "We corrected the error on October 16" and "We've added $1,000 worth of credits (25,000 credits) to your account." It adds: "These credits expire on January 20, 2027."
Not everyone got $1,000. The $1,000 figure comes from the email to Pro 200 to Pro 500 upgraders. OpenAI hasn't said all 40,000 accounts received the same amount, or published a total.
Who said it. Sottiaux is OpenAI's head of product, per TechCrunch.
Why brands should care
Customers forgive mistakes more easily than silence. OpenAI did three things in order: fixed the problem, contacted the people affected before most of them complained, and gave back more than the mistake likely cost them. The public apology was one plain sentence. None of that needs a big budget.
What to do
Our suggestions for any small business:
- Fix it first. Make sure the problem is actually solved before you announce anything.
- Reach out before they do. If you know who was affected, contact them directly.
- Give back a bit more. A refund plus a small extra, like a voucher or free add-on, turns a complaint into a story they tell.
- Say sorry plainly. One clear sentence beats a paragraph of explanations.
Sources
- Tibo Sottiaux on X (Oct 20, 2026)
- OpenAI email to affected users, as shared on X and here
- TechCrunch: interview with OpenAI head of product Thibault Sottiaux (Aug 25, 2026)
FAQ
Why did OpenAI give users $1,000 in credits?
An error kept some users' weekly allowance at their old level after they upgraded from Pro 200 to Pro 500. OpenAI's email to those users says it added $1,000 worth of credits (25,000 credits) to make up for it.
How many OpenAI accounts were affected by the usage limit error?
About 40,000 accounts, according to OpenAI head of product Tibo Sottiaux. Not all of them necessarily received $1,000; that amount comes from the email to Pro 200 to Pro 500 upgraders.
When do the OpenAI apology credits expire?
The email says the credits expire on January 20, 2027.
