This weekend, subscribed users noticed that the paid page of ChatGPT had quietly changed. The two Pro membership tiers previously priced at $100 and $200 per month were renamed "Pro Standard" and "Pro More," respectively. What upset users most was that the two lines clearly stating "5 times the usage of Plus" and "20 times the usage of Plus" had disappeared from the page, replaced by a vague statement: "more usage than Plus."

Third Tier Revealed in Code, Monthly Fee May Reach $500

The changes had already been hinted at earlier. On September 25, OpenAI merged a change involving 24 files into the publicly available codex code repository, with the title "Add Pro Max Plan and Update Pro Display Names." The change showed that a new scheme type called "promax" was added, externally named "Pro (Max)"; the original internal codes "prolite" and "pro" were also updated to the display names "Pro" and "Pro (More)," corresponding exactly to "Pro Standard" and "Pro More" on the page. The code itself did not mention prices, but earlier leaked in-app strings indicated that Pro Max would cost $500 per month, with the selling point being "fastest performance and Codex experience."

The old 5x and 20x descriptions likely got removed because there was no space for a third tier—OpenAI needed a new way to differentiate between three levels. Pro Max focuses on ultra-fast response and full programming capabilities. Unconfirmed reports suggest it might run on Cerebras' inference chips, but this has not been officially confirmed. Logically, it makes sense: GPT-6 Astra is very resource-intensive, which once forced the $200 tier to pause sign-ups. Adding another "top-tier" option allows those willing to pay high prices to get the best resources, while also preventing lower-tier users from competing for computing power.

Transparency Controversy Hits Just Before DevDay

However, removing specific multipliers and leaving only vague promises has made existing users worry about their benefits being subtly reduced—a phrase like "more than Plus" gives OpenAI a lot of room for interpretation. Online opinions are divided into two camps: one believes tiered pricing is natural, as smarter models consume more computing power, and it's worth paying $500 for efficiency for teams and companies. Some even speculate that this adjustment might be paving the way for a price cut. The other side criticizes the lack of transparency, arguing that removing quantitative metrics and using ambiguous statements is usually a bad sign. Some have already accused OpenAI of "roasting investors" and advised against subscriptions.

Tuesday is OpenAI's annual developer conference, DevDay. Whether the rumored Pro Max will be officially unveiled there remains the biggest mystery right now.