How to Cancel OpenAI API in 2026 (Stop Charges + Keep ChatGPT)

OpenAI has two separate billing systems that confuse everyone: the API (pay-per-use for developers) and ChatGPT Plus ($20/month subscription). They're billed separately. Here's how to cancel each.

Cancel OpenAI API Billing

1. Go to platform.openai.com/account/billing
2. Click Payment methods
3. Remove your credit card
4. Set your usage limit to $0 (Settings → Limits)

Cancel ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) — Separate!

1. Go to chat.openai.com
2. Click your profile icon (bottom left)
3. Click My Plan
4. Click Manage my subscription
5. Click Cancel Plan

Canceling ChatGPT Plus does NOT affect your API access. Canceling API does NOT affect ChatGPT Plus. They're completely independent.

API vs ChatGPT Plus — Which Do You Have?

• ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): You use chat.openai.com or the ChatGPT app. Fixed monthly price.
• API (pay-per-use): You (or an app you use) sends requests to api.openai.com. Billed by tokens used. Can vary wildly from $0.01 to $100+/month.
• ChatGPT Team ($25/user/month): Business version with workspace features.
• Check both billing pages if you're not sure which you have — some people have both.

What You Keep on Free ChatGPT

• GPT-4o access — free tier now includes GPT-4o (with limits)
• DALL-E image generation — limited on free
• Web browsing — available on free
• File uploads — available on free (with limits)
• Custom GPTs — can use them, but can't create on free
• Conversation history — stays accessible

What You Lose Without Plus

• Priority access during peak times
• Higher usage limits for GPT-4o and other models
• Advanced voice mode
• Create custom GPTs
• Extended thinking with o1-pro and other reasoning models
• Earlier access to new features

Stop Unexpected API Charges

If you're seeing API charges you don't recognize:

1. Check usage: platform.openai.com/usage — see which models are being called and when
2. Revoke all API keys: platform.openai.com/api-keys
3. Set a hard limit: Billing → Usage limits → set Hard limit to $0
4. Remove payment method: No card = no charges
5. Check third-party apps: Apps like Cursor, Raycast, or custom tools may use your API key

Free Alternatives

• Free ChatGPT — GPT-4o with limits, genuinely good for most use cases
• Claude.ai (free) — strong for writing, analysis, and coding
• Google Gemini (free) — good general AI assistant
• Microsoft Copilot (free) — GPT-4 powered, no subscription
• Perplexity.ai (free) — AI search with citations

Export Your Chat History

Before canceling ChatGPT Plus:

1. Go to Settings → Data Controls → Export data
2. OpenAI emails you a download link within 24 hours
3. The export includes all conversations as JSON files