ChatGPT ads were reported at $60 per thousand impressions (ALM Corp, 2026) at the February 2026 beta launch, with a $200,000 commitment asked of select advertisers (Adweek, 2026). Since May 2026 advertisers can also bid per click, with a recommended starting max bid of $3 to $5 (WebFX, 2026). Check ads.openai.com for current rates.
What Did ChatGPT Ads Cost at Launch?
OpenAI began testing ads on February 9, 2026 (Search Engine Journal, 2026). At that stage OpenAI asked select advertisers to commit at least $200,000, and Adweek's sources said some were pitched lower amounts (Adweek, 2026). ALM Corp reports the beta priced at $60 per 1,000 impressions, with commitments of $200,000 to $250,000 (ALM Corp, 2026).
How Did Pricing Change in May 2026?
On May 5, 2026, OpenAI added cost-per-click bidding next to its existing impression-based model and opened a beta self-serve Ads Manager to U.S. advertisers (MediaPost, 2026). WebFX reports a recommended starting max bid of $3 to $5 per click, a default of $60 for CPM campaigns, and no minimum spend (WebFX, 2026). PPC Land, by contrast, reports a $50,000 minimum (PPC Land, 2026). Sources disagree, so confirm the minimum inside Ads Manager.
| Model | What you pay for | Reported figure |
|---|---|---|
| CPM (Reach objective) | Every 1,000 impressions | $60 default; TopGrowth Marketing reports a $25 to $60 range (TopGrowth Marketing, 2026) |
| CPC (Clicks objective) | Each click on your ad | Recommended starting max bid of $3 to $5 (WebFX, 2026) |
| Minimum spend | A commitment before you can run | $200,000 at beta launch (Adweek, 2026); sources differ on the current minimum |
How Much Should a Local Business Budget to Test?
There is no official test budget. TopGrowth Marketing suggests $1,500 to $5,000 a month, roughly $50 to $165 a day, to gather enough click and conversion data (TopGrowth Marketing, 2026). That is one agency's rule of thumb, not an OpenAI figure. A sensible local approach is to size the test so you can afford to lose it: pick one service, set a daily cap, and decide in advance what cost per booked job counts as a win compared with your Meta ads and organic leads.
What Drives Your Real Cost Per Lead?
- Relevance: ads are matched on context hints, landing page content, title, and copy rather than keywords (WebFX, 2026).
- Landing page match: a page that answers the buyer's question converts clicks into calls.
- Speed to lead: a slow reply wastes the click you paid for.
- Tracking: the pixel and Conversions API let you measure booked jobs instead of clicks (MediaPost, 2026).
- Competition: prices have moved quickly since launch, so today's numbers may differ from the ones above.