GitHub Copilot has finally launched a pay-as-you-go system; once you've used up your 'AI credits,' additional usage will incur extra charges.
GitHub has announced that, as of June 1, 2026, all GitHub Copilot plans will be billed on a pay-as-you-go basis using 'GitHub AI Credits' as the unit of usage. This change applies to GitHub Copilot, a GitHub development support tool that provides AI-powered code completion, chat, and code reviews.
Updates to GitHub Copilot billing and plans - GitHub Changelog
GitHub Copilot is a service that originally offered AI features such as code completion and chat for a monthly fee. While the previous pricing structure determined the extent to which AI features could be used within the monthly fee for each plan, the new pricing structure uses GitHub AI credits based on the amount of AI functionality used. GitHub AI credits are a common unit used for AI processing in GitHub Copilot; lighter processes consume fewer credits, while more complex processes and larger tasks consume more.
The transition to a pay-per-use system was announced in April 2026.
GitHub Copilot announces transition to pay-as-you-go model, consuming 'AI Credits' based on the amount of processing performed - GIGAZINE
According to GitHub, all GitHub Copilot plans will include a standard monthly usage allowance starting June 1, 2026. If you wish to continue using GitHub Copilot after using up your standard allowance, you can set an additional spending limit to consume additional GitHub AI credits and pay a usage-based fee at the end of the month. For individual plans, the total amount of additional GitHub AI credits you can use may be limited depending on your usage patterns, billing history, and account verification status.
Code reviews using GitHub Copilot use GitHub-hosted runners by default, so from June 1, 2026, they will consume GitHub Actions execution time in addition to GitHub AI credits. On the other hand, using a self-hosted runner will not consume GitHub Actions execution time. While GitHub Copilot code reviews use GitHub-hosted runners by default, it is possible to change to a different runner for each repository. Organization administrators can set a default runner to be used across the entire organization and apply it to all sub-repositories at once.
For organizations and enterprises, a user-based budget setting feature has also been made generally available. Administrators can set a budget common to all users, or override it with a different budget for specific user groups. For example, it is conceivable that a lower limit could be set for all employees, and a higher limit for development teams that heavily utilize AI.
When a user's usage approaches their set budget, the administrator receives an email notification. Administrators can change the budget at any time from the billing settings. GitHub explains that the user-level budget for GitHub AI credits controls not only additional spending but also total usage. In other words, it's not just a feature to limit additional charges after exceeding standard usage, but a feature that manages the entire amount of GitHub AI credits a user consumes.
Furthermore, GitHub has enabled upgrades to its heavy user plan, 'Copilot Max.' Copilot Max is a higher-tier plan available to existing Student, Pro, and Pro+ subscribers, offering more standard usage and a higher spending limit, designed for workflows that heavily utilize GitHub Copilot.
Please note that new user registrations for GitHub Copilot Student, Pro, Pro+, and Max are still suspended as of the time of writing. GitHub has stated that new registrations will resume within the next few weeks, but has not yet announced a specific date.
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in AI, Web Service, Posted by log1d_ts