Platforms in this story
In short
- ChatGPT Ads started as a US pilot on February 9, 2026↗ and is now self-serve in 63 pays↗ countries.
- OpenAI publishes a minimum daily budget per currency, for example $25↗ in the US and £15↗ in the UK. No official minimum per campaign.
- Ads are not personalized in the European Economic Area and Switzerland at launch.
- Financial, health and legal services outside the US are excluded, along with gambling, alcohol and politics.
Here is what I take away from ChatGPT Ads for advertisers: what OpenAI actually sets, what circulates without proof, and how I would run a first campaign.
€15
Minimum daily budget
OpenAI Help Center · checked September 24, 2026↗
August 31, 2026
Self-serve
OpenAI · checked September 24, 2026↗
25,000utilisateurs
Minimum custom audience size
OpenAI Help Center · checked September 24, 2026↗
When did ChatGPT Ads open, and where?
The program started in the United States and now opens country by country. In the UK, ads went live on June 6, 2026↗; in Europe, self-serve opened on August 31, 2026↗. In practice, you no longer need an OpenAI sales rep: create the account, add a card, launch.
Country details are in the ChatGPT Ads by country table.
What is the minimum budget?
The only official floor is daily and depends on the account currency: $25↗ in the US, £15↗ in the UK, €15↗ in euro markets. That is low, which makes testing cheap.
You will also read about a minimum per campaign everywhere. I did not find it in any OpenAI documentation: the only reliable trace is a German agency that saw it in an account (€65↗). Check your own campaign manager before building a media plan on it.
OpenAI's credit offer has expired
OpenAI's launch offer (sign-up before September 30, 2026↗, ad credit of $500↗ for the same amount spent) is over: do not include it in a budget. French press quoted euros while the official page said dollars, hence the two amounts. I could not re-read the offer page since: if a new offer exists, it shows inside your account, and only that counts.
How does bidding work?
OpenAI describes a relevance-weighted second-price auction↗. In other words, how well the ad matches the question matters as much as the amount. If you come from paid social, that is a habit to change: an ad close to the question can beat a higher bid.
To start on CPC, OpenAI recommends $3 to $5 maximum CPC↗. I would start at the low end of the range, then adjust on real conversions rather than click volume.
Who sees the ads, and where?
Ads show below ChatGPT answers, only for adult users on the free and entry-level plans. Subscribers on higher tiers see none.
In Europe, one point changes everything: personalization is not available at launch (EEA and Switzerland)↗. Ads rely on the conversation topic, not on the person's history. Your copy is your targeting. Uploaded audiences need at least 25,000 utilisateurs↗ matched people, which rules out most small advertisers.
Which categories are prohibited?
Gambling, alcohol, tobacco, politics and adult content are excluded, as on other platforms. The real brake outside the US is elsewhere: financial, health and legal services remain prohibited. Banks, insurers and regulated professions will have to wait for the rule to change.