Question about usage-based billing and premium request limits

[Zhey-on]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Copilot in GitHub - billing and usage informations

Body

Hi,

I really love GitHub Copilot. I find it to be one of the best AI assistants available.

However, the move toward usage-based billing worries me, and it led me to cancel my subscription. I have limited financial flexibility, so I need a service with a fixed monthly price, without the risk or stress of unexpected overage charges that I may not be able to afford.

Will there continue to be an automatic stop or hard limit for premium requests in the future, so users cannot accidentally go over their included usage?

Thanks.

[Gitious]

Yes, you're safe on Pro and Pro+. Both plans still have a $0 hard cap by default, so the moment your included premium requests run out, extra ones are just blocked. No surprise charges. The $0 budget removal that happened in November 2025 only applied to Enterprise and Org accounts, not individuals.

To even allow paid overage ($0.04 per request), you'd have to add a payment method, set a positive limit, and turn off "Stop usage when budget limit is reached" yourself. None of that is on by default.

Heads up though: on June 1, 2026, Copilot switches to usage-based billing using "AI Credits" (token-based). Pro stays at $10/month, Pro+ stays at $39/month with $39 of credits included. Code completion and basic stuff won't consume credits, only the heavier agentic features. The hard-cap protection carries over, so the same default still keeps you safe.

You can double-check your own setting at Settings > Billing & plans > Budgets and spending limits. The $0 budget should be sitting right there.

Hi @Zhey-on,

From our FAQ:

2. Set a budget for premium requests over your plan's allowance. Additional premium requests beyond the limit of your Copilot plan are billed at $0.04 USD per premium request. See Setting up budgets to control spending on metered products.

So unless you set a budget over the plan's allowance, you'll be charged the $0.04 per additional requests.

We have an official discussion post dedicated to GitHub's move to usage-based billing where you can find detailed information, updates, and join the conversation:  GitHub Copilot is moving to usage-based billing. 

Please head over to that thread for the latest details and to share your feedback or questions. We'll be closing this discussion to keep things organized. Thank you for understanding!