ChatGPT ads are coming—with a $200K minimum buy

ChatGPT ads just got real—and expensive

If you’ve been treating ChatGPT as “organic-only” territory, that window is closing. OpenAI has already acknowledged ad testing inside ChatGPT for certain users, and now the first concrete buying signal is on the table: a reported minimum commitment that will shape who gets in early—and how B2B marketers should think about Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) vs. paid.

This matters right now because the moment ads enter an answer engine, the competitive set changes. It’s no longer just “who gets cited” or “whose content gets summarized.” It becomes “who can pay to be present when the answer is delivered.”

What happened (and what OpenAI has confirmed)

Two separate reports establish the core development:

• OpenAI has already confirmed it’s running ad tests in ChatGPT for specific account tiers. As reported by BleepingComputer: **"OpenAI previously confirmed that it's testing ads in ChatGPT for free and $8 Go accounts"** (BleepingComputer).
• Adweek reports OpenAI has confirmed a minimum commitment level for ChatGPT ads. The Adweek headline states: **"EXCLUSIVE: OpenAI Confirms $200,000 Minimum Commitment for ChatGPT Ads"** (Adweek).
• Adweek also reports timing for early testing: **"For some brands, ad testing starts as early as February 6."** (Adweek).

That’s the signal: ads are not hypothetical, the commercial structure is emerging, and early access appears limited.

What this means for B2B marketers (especially media buyers)

1) ChatGPT is moving toward a familiar monetization model

OpenAI’s confirmation that it’s testing ads in ChatGPT for **free and $8 Go accounts** (BleepingComputer) suggests a classic pattern: monetize at scale tiers where volume is highest. For B2B, that’s a reminder that the “top of funnel” in answer engines may increasingly include paid placements alongside the response experience.

You don’t need to assume anything about format to act on the implication: if ads are being tested inside the product, marketers should expect new inventory types that sit close to high-intent question behavior.

2) The $200K minimum changes who gets to learn first

Adweek’s report that OpenAI confirmed a **$200,000 minimum commitment** (Adweek) is a gating mechanism. In practical terms, it means:

• Early learnings will skew toward brands with the budget (and the appetite) to commit.
• The “test and learn” loop may be less accessible to mid-market B2B teams.
• If your competitors are in that group, they may get earlier signal on what prompts, categories, and query types trigger monetized placements.

Even if you’re not buying, you still need a plan—because your audience’s answer experience may change.

3) AEO becomes defensive as well as offensive

Once ads appear in ChatGPT (BleepingComputer), AEO isn’t just about earning visibility—it’s also about protecting it.

If a paid unit can appear adjacent to (or within) the answer experience, then your organic presence needs to be strong enough that:

• You’re the brand the model chooses to reference when it’s not showing an ad.
• You remain the “default” in the user’s mind even when an ad is present.

This is the new reality across answer engines generally—ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Copilot, Perplexity, Brave, and Meta AI are all training users to ask questions and accept synthesized responses. When one of those environments introduces ads, it tends to pull budget and attention from elsewhere.

4) February 6 is a forcing function

Adweek’s note that **"For some brands, ad testing starts as early as February 6"** (Adweek) is less about that specific date and more about what it signals: the rollout is in motion.

For B2B teams, that’s your cue to stop treating “ads in ChatGPT” as a 2025 planning placeholder and start treating it like an active channel that could influence:

• Brand demand capture
• Competitive conquesting dynamics
• Measurement expectations from leadership

What to do right now (practical actions)

1) Build a “ChatGPT visibility baseline” before ads distort it

If ads are being tested for free and $8 Go accounts (BleepingComputer), the user experience can shift quickly. Capture a baseline of how your category is answered today so you can spot changes later.

Action:

• List 20–30 high-intent questions your buyers ask.
• Check how ChatGPT answers them today and whether your brand is mentioned.
• Record what language is used to describe the category and the “recommended” next steps.

This isn’t about perfect measurement—it’s about having a before/after reference when monetization changes the surface area.

2) Pressure-test your positioning against “adjacent answers”

Assume that if a paid placement appears, it will try to intercept the user at the moment of decision. Your job is to make sure your organic narrative is so clear that it survives that interruption.

Action:

• Rewrite your core value props into direct, question-led statements.
• Ensure your site and content answer those questions plainly (no jargon, no vague claims).

3) If you can afford it, treat the $200K minimum as a strategic decision, not a media test

Adweek reports OpenAI confirmed a **$200,000 minimum commitment** (Adweek). That’s not “let’s try this channel.” That’s “we’re buying early access.”

Action:

• Decide what you’re trying to learn that you can’t learn elsewhere.
• Align stakeholders on what success looks like (even if it’s qualitative learnings at first).
• Go in with a point of view on which queries and use cases matter most.

4) Prepare leadership for a new paid/organic dynamic in answer engines

Whether you buy or not, you’ll get questions.

Action:

• Brief your team: OpenAI has confirmed ad testing in ChatGPT for free and $8 Go accounts (BleepingComputer), and Adweek reports OpenAI confirmed a $200K minimum commitment with some testing as early as Feb. 6 (Adweek).
• Explain what you’re doing to protect organic visibility and monitor changes.

Bottom line

OpenAI has confirmed it’s testing ads in ChatGPT for free and $8 Go accounts (BleepingComputer), and Adweek reports OpenAI confirmed a $200,000 minimum commitment with some brand tests starting as early as February 6 (Adweek). If you’re in B2B marketing, now is the time to baseline your answer-engine visibility and shore up AEO before paid placements reshape the playing field.