Digiday reports that an early version of ChatGPT’s ad manager, available to a subset of pilot advertisers, now displays cost-per-click bidding. ranging from $3 to $5, depending screenshots reviewed and verified by the publication.
Until now, advertisers in the pilot paid on a CPM basis, i.e. a flat rate per 1,000 impressions generated. CPC pricing allows buyers to pay only when a user clicks. Digiday said the option is available to marketers who are already testing advertising as part of the pilot, not as part of a full-scale rollout. OpenAI did not respond to Digiday’s request for comment.
Prices have fallen since launch
The addition of CPC follows a drop in ChatGPT ad prices since pilot launched February 9, 2026.
CPMs went from $60 at launch to $25 in some cases, per Previous report from Digiday. Digiday also reported that the minimum spend commitment had increased from $250,000 at launch to $50,000, alongside the quiet launch of a self-service service. ad manager which gives a subset of pilot advertisers the ability to monitor impressions and clicks in real time.
What CPC pricing means for buyers
CPM and CPC rates are aimed at different advertiser bases. Brand advertisers tend to plan around CPM. Performance marketers, who account for the majority of online ad spend, prefer to pay for clicks rather than impressions.
Adding CPC bidding opens the channel to a category of buyers that largely missed the pilot. Nicole Greene, vice president analyst at Gartner, told Digiday that the pricing change allows advertisers to directly compare their results on OpenAI with those of other major platforms.
The value of ChatGPT clicks depends on where they land in relation to existing channels. According to advertising agency Adthena (cited by Digiday), Meta CPCs are three to five times cheaper than Google Search, not because Meta’s inventory is worse, but because the intent behind those clicks is different. Users of social platforms tend to browse without a specific goal, while search users usually have one in mind.
The price places ChatGPT in the same debate of intent and value that advertisers already face when comparing social media clicks with search clicks.
Why it matters
CPC bidding moves ChatGPT advertising into territory where performance marketers can plan campaigns and compare costs directly with Google and Meta. Combined with lower minimum spends, the channel is accessible to a broader buyer base than the enterprise level that defined its launch.
SEJ’s Brooke Osmundson covered the implications for paid media teams in her article analysis to know if ChatGPT ads still justify a real budget.
A CPM-only enterprise pilot became, in about 10 weeks, a self-serve channel with a $50,000 minimum, lower CPMs, and now CPC pricing visible to a subset of advertisers. Each step down opened the channel to a different category of buyers.
Looking to the future
Paid media teams running search and social campaigns should compare ChatGPT clicks for intent quality and conversions. Measurement tools are limited and inconsistent, so teams must plan proxy measures until OpenAI’s reporting improves.
OpenAI is hiring its first ad marketing scientist, according to Digiday. Until this role is fulfilled, advertisers will evaluate ChatGPT clicks largely on faith.
