OpenAI Negotiations

OpenAI Pricing Models: API, Enterprise, and Custom Explained

OpenAI Pricing Models

OpenAI Pricing Models

OpenAI offers multiple pricing models for its AI services, ranging from pay-as-you-go API usage to per-seat enterprise subscriptions and custom high-volume agreements.

Each model carries different cost structures and hidden drivers (like token usage, concurrency limits, and support levels).

This advisory overview breaks down OpenAI’s pricing models (API, Enterprise, and Custom). It highlights key considerations, enabling IT, procurement, finance, and legal teams at global enterprises to evaluate and negotiate OpenAI agreements with confidence.

Understanding OpenAI’s Pricing Landscape

OpenAI’s pricing has evolved into a tiered landscape designed to cater to different enterprise needs.

Broadly, companies can choose between:

  • API usage-based pricing: Pay per token or call, with no upfront commitments.
  • Enterprise seat licensing: Annual or monthly per-user fees for ChatGPT Enterprise, with enhanced features and support.
  • Custom or dedicated agreements: Negotiated contracts for high volumes or special requirements (often involving committed spend or reserved capacity).

Each approach has advantages. The API’s pay-as-you-go model offers flexibility and low entry cost, whereas an enterprise license provides predictable budgeting and enterprise-grade controls.

Custom deals can unlock volume discounts or guaranteed capacity, but usually require significant commitment. Understanding these models is crucial for procurement and IT leaders to prevent budget surprises.

OpenAI API – Pay-as-You-Go Flexibility

The OpenAI API model is straightforward: you pay for what you use. Costs are metered in tokens (chunks of text processed).

For example, using GPT-4 via API might cost on the order of $0.03 per 1,000 input tokens and $0.06 per 1,000 output tokens, while GPT-3.5 is dramatically cheaper (a fraction of a cent per 1,000 tokens).

This granular pricing is attractive for pilots or variable workloads:

  • No upfront fees: You only incur costs when your applications make calls to the API. This is ideal for experimentation or fluctuating usage.
  • Scalable usage: In theory, costs scale linearly with demand – if you double the usage, you double the spend. There’s no fixed license limit, which suits building AI into customer-facing products where usage might grow.
  • Cost control challenges: The flip side is unpredictability. Heavy or inefficient usage (e.g., lengthy prompts or chats) can quickly rack up charges. A seemingly small per-request cost multiplies across millions of requests. For instance, a bank’s chatbot handling thousands of queries daily could see monthly API bills in the tens of thousands if not optimized. Procurement teams must carefully forecast token consumption.

Hidden factors: The API comes with default rate limits. Out of the box, an organization is capped at a certain number of tokens or requests per minute (to protect service stability). If your enterprise app or user base grows, you may need to request higher throughput or a “scale tier” plan – effectively committing to a minimum spend or paying for capacity upgrades.

These scale commitments can add significant cost (often trading a fixed fee for higher guaranteed throughput).

Additionally, standard API support is minimal (email or community forums). Mission-critical deployments might require upgrading to a support plan or an enterprise contract to get faster response times or an SLA.

ChatGPT Enterprise – Subscription with Enterprise Features

ChatGPT Enterprise is OpenAI’s offering for organizations that want to provide ChatGPT access to employees with enterprise-grade assurances. Instead of paying per API call, you pay per user (or seat), typically on an annual basis.

Key characteristics:

  • Per-seat pricing: OpenAI doesn’t publish a public rate card for Enterprise seats, but enterprises can expect a per-user per-month fee. In practice, this can range from dozens to hundreds of dollars per user, often negotiated based on volume (e.g., larger deployments receive lower per-seat rates). There is usually a minimum user count (e.g., 100+ seats) to qualify for an Enterprise plan. Smaller teams may use the “ChatGPT Team” plan at a slightly lower cost per user, while larger firms opt for the Enterprise plan.
  • Unlimited usage for users: Each licensed user gets essentially unmetered access to ChatGPT’s advanced capabilities in the ChatGPT interface. Unlike the public ChatGPT (which may limit GPT-4 usage for free or Plus users), Enterprise users can utilize GPT-4 and other tools without worrying about token-by-token charges or reaching a message cap. This flat usage model can be very cost-effective and predictable if you have many active users – it shifts cost risk to the vendor. (Of course, “unlimited” is governed by fair use policies to prevent abuse, but typical business usage is fully covered.)
  • Enterprise features included: The subscription comes with a suite of security and admin features valuable to IT and compliance. These include encryption and SOC 2 compliance, single sign-on (SSO) integration, domain-restricted access, and admin consoles for monitoring usage. Notably, data privacy is enhanced – OpenAI promises that prompts and outputs under Enterprise plans are not used to train their models, addressing a major legal concern. Enterprises can also specify data residency (i.e., keeping data in regions such as the US, EU, etc.) to comply with jurisdictional regulations.
  • Support and SLA: ChatGPT Enterprise includes standard 24/7 support with defined service-level agreements. You also have an option to purchase premium support for even faster responses or dedicated account managers. This is a stark contrast to the basic support for pay-as-you-go API users. For critical applications, the value of a responsive support channel and guaranteed uptime can be significant.

One hidden cost factor in the Enterprise plan is usage beyond the platform’s normal scope. While interactive ChatGPT use by employees is unlimited, if your users or systems start leveraging the account for extremely heavy tasks (for example, mass-generating content via the UI or excessive automation), you might need additional arrangements.

OpenAI offers an add-on credit system for Enterprise customers: organizations purchase a pool of credits that all Enterprise users draw from when using certain advanced features or if they exceed typical usage.

In essence, the base fee covers a substantial amount of usage, but truly extreme loads (or access to special model versions) could incur overages through these credits.

Procurement should ensure the contract clearly defines what is included vs. what triggers additional charges (and at what rates).

Custom & Dedicated Agreements – Tailored for Scale

For organizations with at-scale needs or unique requirements, OpenAI provides custom agreements and dedicated capacity options.

These are often negotiated on a case-by-case basis and can take a few forms:

  • Volume commit contracts: If an enterprise anticipates heavy API usage, OpenAI may offer committed-use discounts. For example, a company might commit to spending a certain amount (or consuming a set number of tokens) over the course of a year in exchange for significantly lower unit prices. This is analogous to volume licensing: you pay less per token than the pay-as-you-go rate, but you’re locked into a minimum spend. This arrangement can save money at scale if your usage indeed meets or exceeds the commitment. Be cautious of overcommitting – if usage falls short, you may still incur charges for unused capacity.
  • Dedicated instances (Foundry): OpenAI has introduced programs (often referred to as Foundry or dedicated capacity) where enterprises can essentially rent a private instance of the model running on reserved hardware. Instead of shared infrastructure, you receive a dedicated allocation of compute that guarantees performance (with no latency variability even during peak times) and potentially allows for deeper control over model versions or updates. The cost for dedicated instances is substantial – typically a fixed monthly fee in the tens of thousands of dollars or more, often with multi-month commitments. For instance, reserving a dedicated high-end GPT-4 capacity could easily run into six figures annually. The benefit is that you gain predictable, guaranteed throughput (e.g., tens of thousands of tokens per minute capacity just for you) and possibly enhanced data isolation. This option appeals to very large-scale deployments (e.g., a global bank building AI into customer services might choose this to ensure consistent performance and privacy).
  • On-premise or special hosting: OpenAI generally operates its models via cloud, so true on-premise deployment of OpenAI models is not openly offered in standard contracts. However, enterprises in sensitive industries sometimes negotiate variants like deploying via the Azure OpenAI Service (which allows hosting within Azure data centers, including options for private network integration). While not “OpenAI on your servers,” Azure’s route gives similar models with more enterprise control, at a potentially different pricing structure. In custom negotiations, you may also discuss stricter data handling or even collaborative model tuning, but these come with bespoke pricing.

Custom agreements often involve bespoke terms beyond just pricing. For example, you might secure a custom SLA, a dedicated support team, or even source code escrow clauses (if critical for continuity).

These all add value, but sometimes at additional cost. Legal and procurement teams must scrutinize these large deals: ensure there are provisions for scaling up or down, clarity on what happens if you exceed the planned usage (burst capacity), and alignment with your regulatory requirements (e.g., audit rights or security certifications).

Table: Comparison of OpenAI Pricing Models

AspectPay-as-You-Go APIChatGPT Enterprise (Seat License)Custom/Dedicated Agreement
Cost StructureUsage-based (per token or call). Pay only for what you consume, no minimum.Per-user subscription (monthly/annual per seat). Bulk commitment for unlimited in-app usage.Negotiated spend or capacity. Fixed fee or committed volume (often large upfront commitments).
Scaling & LimitsScales with usage, but default rate limits apply (e.g. capped requests/tokens per minute unless increased).Scales by adding users. Each user has full model access (no token meter for normal use). Overall organizational usage virtually uncapped, subject to fair use.Scales to very high throughput. Dedicated capacity grants guaranteed TPS (tokens/sec) and higher limits. Must renegotiate for additional capacity beyond contract.
Support & SLABasic support (email, forums). No guaranteed SLAs on response or uptime without separate contract.24/7 enterprise support included, with uptime commitments. Option for premium support (dedicated contacts, faster responses).Highest priority support, often with custom SLAs. May include dedicated technical account managers and solution engineers.
Security & ComplianceData not used for training by default (API). However, limited controls; compliance onus on user. No out-of-the-box user management or auditing.Enhanced privacy (no training on your data), admin console, user management, logging. SOC 2 compliance, SSO, domain restrictions, and regional data hosting available. Suited for regulated industries.Can include tailored provisions: e.g. dedicated environment for strict data isolation, custom compliance terms, possibility to deploy in specific cloud regions or through Azure for additional compliance.
Ideal Use CaseDeveloping custom applications with variable or low-to-medium usage. Good for initial pilots, or when usage is easily metered and controlled. Low commitment scenario.Equipping large teams or whole departments with AI assistant capabilities. Best when many employees need AI access regularly – offers cost predictability and centralized governance.Extremely high volume applications (millions of requests), or organizations with unique needs (consistent low-latency, special security) that justify a significant spend. Essentially for those treating OpenAI as a mission-critical infrastructure at scale.

Hidden Cost Drivers and Risks

When evaluating OpenAI’s proposals, enterprise buyers should look beyond headline prices.

Several hidden cost drivers can impact the total cost of ownership:

  • Token Volume & Context Size: The number of tokens processed can explode with complex use cases. Longer context windows (e.g., GPT-4’s ability to handle lengthy prompts or documents) are powerful but costly – you’re feeding thousands of tokens at once. Likewise, generating long outputs (like detailed reports) multiplies token usage. Enterprises should analyze their use cases: Can prompts be optimized or truncated? Are you using an expensive model when a less expensive one would suffice for part of the task? Optimizing usage (shorter prompts, caching frequent answers, and using less expensive models for simple tasks) can significantly reduce token fees on the API model.
  • Concurrency & Rate Limits: As mentioned, hitting the API hard may lead to throttling unless you’ve arranged higher limits. A hidden “cost” here is performance – if you don’t secure adequate throughput, your application might slow down or queue requests. To avoid that, enterprises often must upgrade to a higher tier (sometimes by committing to monthly volumes or buying “throughput units”). These costs may not be immediately apparent from the base pricing page. Always discuss expected peak loads with OpenAI to understand if you’ll need to pay for a scale tier or priority access. For example, a bank launching an AI-driven trading assistant will want to ensure no lag at market open – that might require a dedicated capacity slice or priority processing (with an added fee per token for guaranteed low latency).
  • Overage and Burst Pricing: If you exceed contracted usage (either in API tokens or number of enterprise users), how is it handled? Without foresight, you might incur higher overage rates or even service refusal. Ideally, contracts should clearly outline overage terms: can you exceed your quota, and at what cost? Some agreements may allow a grace period or automatic purchase of extra credits at a set price. Others may require an urgent true-up negotiation. It’s safer to negotiate a “burst capacity” upfront – perhaps allowing you to pay the same discounted rate for any overage in a given period, rather than a punitive rate. Also, clarify the distinction between true-up mechanisms (reconciling overuse with a payment) and true-forward (applying it to future commitments) to avoid surprise bills.
  • Support Tier Upgrades: While Enterprise plans include standard support, some enterprises require even more responsive support during critical deployments. Premium support or dedicated technical support might come at an extra cost. Similarly, if you only use the API without an enterprise contract, you may have very limited support unless you purchase a support plan. Consider the cost of downtime or issues: in a high-stakes environment (e.g., an AI feature on a banking app goes down), having direct access to OpenAI’s engineers via a premium support channel could justify the added cost.
  • Model Updates and Deprecation: OpenAI’s technology is rapidly evolving. New model versions (with different pricing) are introduced, and older ones may be deprecated or moved to legacy pricing. Enterprises should be cautious when entering long-term contracts to address this. For instance, if you negotiated rates for “GPT-4”, what happens if GPT-5 or a “GPT-4 Turbo” emerges at different pricing? Ensure the contract allows for flexibility to adopt more cost-efficient models or renegotiate pricing in the event of significant changes. Also, budget for periodic model upgrades – newer models might improve quality but could be priced at a premium initially.
  • Fine-Tuning and Custom Models: If your use case involves fine-tuning OpenAI models on your data, note that this incurs one-time training fees and higher usage rates for the resulting custom model. OpenAI charges for training (per token processed), and often the per-call price for using a fine-tuned model is higher than that of the base model. These costs can be “hidden” if not explicitly planned. Ensure that you include them in your budget if customization is part of your strategy. In negotiations, you might seek a credit or discount for fine-tuning costs if you’re a large enterprise client.
  • Legal and Compliance Costs: Although not a direct line item from OpenAI, consider the internal costs associated with making the solution compliant. For highly regulated sectors (finance, healthcare, government), you may need to invest in additional compliance reviews, security assessments, or controls when using OpenAI’s services. OpenAI Enterprise contracts do address many concerns (privacy, data handling), but your organization might still need to do independent audits or integrate the AI into existing compliance regimes. These efforts have time and money implications that should be accounted for in the total cost.

Security, Compliance, and Contractual Considerations

Beyond pricing math, enterprise decision-makers especially in banking and other regulated industries must scrutinize OpenAI agreements for security and legal considerations:

  • Data Privacy & Ownership: Ensure the contract explicitly states how your data is handled. OpenAI’s policy for enterprise/API customers is not to use your prompts or outputs to train its models or improve services without permission. This is crucial for protecting sensitive data (like financial or personal information). Also, confirm that your company retains ownership of inputs and outputs. Most agreements give you rights to the outputs your team generates, but it’s wise to have that in writing to avoid any ambiguity around intellectual property.
  • Data Residency & Access Control: If you operate under data sovereignty laws (e.g., GDPR, country-specific banking secrecy regulations), it’s essential to utilize OpenAI’s data residency options. ChatGPT Enterprise allows choosing regional data hosting (U.S., EU, etc.), which can be a key requirement for global banks. Verify that the agreement includes these commitments and any related certifications (like SOC 2, ISO 27001) that your auditors will expect. Additionally, implement available access controls by integrating Single Sign-On and role-based access, ensuring that only authorized employees can use the AI and their activity can be monitored.
  • Compliance and Audit: Banks and large enterprises often need the ability to audit how a service is being used and verify controls. OpenAI Enterprise provides an analytics dashboard and may offer audit logs of usage. Ensure you have the necessary rights to audit usage data and that OpenAI will cooperate with compliance requests or regulatory inquiries as needed. Some contracts may allow an external audit of OpenAI’s controls – if your regulators require this, bring it up during negotiation. Additionally, check for a “custom security review” clause – OpenAI offers to work with enterprise clients on reviewing security posture. This can be invaluable for due diligence (and is included for Enterprise customers).
  • Regulatory Restrictions: Certain regulations (especially in finance) might restrict the use of cloud AI services for particular functions. For example, some jurisdictions require that customer financial data not be sent to external systems without explicit approval. In practice, this might limit what data you can input into OpenAI’s models. Your legal team should map out which use cases are permissible and ensure the OpenAI solution can be configured to comply (perhaps via data filtering tools or by using on-premise alternatives for sensitive data). OpenAI’s Compliance API (available in Enterprise) can help identify sensitive content in prompts and filter it – consider leveraging that to stay within legal bounds.
  • Liability and Risk: OpenAI’s standard contracts often limit their liability and include usage disclaimers – a typical feature for a software service, but one to be aware of. If the AI outputs incorrect or biased information that leads to a bad decision, OpenAI is unlikely to accept responsibility in the contract. Enterprises must mitigate this risk by internal policies (like requiring human review of AI-generated content in important matters) and possibly negotiating at least some liability clauses if feasible (though most vendors resist open-ended liability). At a minimum, ensure confidentiality and data breach liability is covered. Also, clarify termination clauses: you’ll want the ability to exit or suspend use if a serious risk or compliance issue arises with the AI.
  • Vendor Lock-In Concerns: Strategically, keep in mind that building extensively on OpenAI’s platform could create dependency. Switching to a competitor or an open-source model later might require effort. In negotiations, you might not change the core pricing based on this, but you can seek contractual flexibility such as short renewal cycles (e.g., 1-year terms instead of locking in 3 years), or clauses that allow adjusting terms if market pricing broadly drops. Some enterprises also negotiate most-favored customer clauses (if OpenAI gives significantly better pricing to a similar client, you get a match) or price protection to guard against future price hikes. While OpenAI has been reducing prices on some models, it’s wise to protect your downside.

For highly sensitive sectors like banking, it’s worth considering a dual approach: use OpenAI for what it excels at, but keep an eye on alternatives (like other AI providers or internal AI models) for contingency.

This can even be a negotiation lever – letting the vendor know you have options can encourage more favorable terms on pricing and contract conditions.

Recommendations

When negotiating or managing OpenAI contracts, enterprise buyers should adopt a proactive and informed approach.

Here are practical tips to drive better outcomes:

  • Assess Your Usage Profile: Before choosing a model, analyze how your organization will use OpenAI. Estimate tokens per transaction, peak concurrency, and number of users. A clear usage profile (light vs. heavy, few users vs. many) will guide you to the most cost-effective plan and strengthen your case when negotiating volume discounts.
  • Start with a Pilot, Then Scale: If uncertain, begin with the API or a smaller Team plan to gather real usage data. This avoids overcommitting upfront. With actual metrics, you can negotiate an Enterprise or custom deal from a position of knowledge, tailoring the contract to your proven needs (and avoiding paying for seats or capacity you won’t use).
  • Leverage Volume for Discounts: OpenAI is open to volume-based pricing adjustments. If you anticipate large-scale usage (either thousands of users or millions of tokens), don’t hesitate to ask for tiered pricing. For example, negotiate lower per-token rates once you exceed certain thresholds, or reduced per-seat costs for every additional batch of users. Ensure any discounts are documented in the contract.
  • Push for Flexibility in Contracts: Lock-ins can hurt in a fast-changing field. Aim for provisions that let you adjust and adapt: the ability to add more users at the same discounted rate, to downgrade or cancel if a use case doesn’t materialize (with notice), or to reallocate committed spend towards different models or services (e.g., switch some API budget to ChatGPT seats if priorities change). The more flexibility you secure, the less risk of wasted spend.
  • Implement Strict Usage Governance: Manage your usage to prevent unexpected costs and surprises. Set up internal cost alerts/dashboards (OpenAI’s enterprise tools or third-party monitoring) to track token consumption in real time. Enforce reasonable usage policies for employees (for instance, discourage extremely large queries unless necessary). This governance not only controls cost but also ensures compliance with data policies.
  • Optimize Prompt Design and Model Selection: Encourage your development teams to optimize their use of models. A well-crafted prompt that elicits the answer in one go is more cost-effective than an inefficient back-and-forth. Similarly, use the least expensive model that meets the need – e.g., use GPT-3.5 for simple tasks and reserve GPT-4 for complex queries. Such optimization can significantly reduce your OpenAI costs with no loss of value.
  • Consider Multi-Vendor Strategies: To maintain negotiating power, consider not putting all your eggs in one basket. In parallel with OpenAI, evaluate other AI services (like Anthropic Claude, Google’s models, or open-source). Even if you prefer OpenAI’s quality, having a viable alternative or backup plan can be leveraged to get better terms. It also prepares you for future pricing changes or usage restrictions.
  • Review Legal Terms Closely: Have your legal team review OpenAI’s terms around data usage, confidentiality, and liability with a fine-tooth comb. Negotiate any ambiguous areas – for example, if your industry requires data to be deleted after a certain time, obtain that in writing. Ensure there are no clauses that could unexpectedly allow OpenAI to use your data or that impose punitive penalties. Treat the AI service like any critical vendor in terms of due diligence.
  • Plan for Support and Continuity: If the AI capability is vital to your operations, invest in the appropriate support tier to ensure continuity. Know how to reach OpenAI in an urgent situation and identify your account representatives. Also, maintain internal knowledge – document how the AI is integrated in your systems so that if something changes (model update or service interruption), your team can respond quickly. Business continuity planning is key, even for AI services.

Checklist: 5 Actions to Take

1. Map Your Requirements and Risks: Gather a cross-functional team (IT, data science, compliance, procurement) to outline how you intend to use OpenAI. Identify data sensitivity, uptime requirements, and compliance needs (e.g., does the data need to remain in-country?). This will determine the type of contract and features you need (for instance, requiring an Enterprise plan for data residency).

2. Forecast Usage and Budget: Use initial trials or analogous systems to estimate your token usage or number of users. Create a basic cost model comparing API usage, enterprise seats, and a dedicated solution. Include best-case and worst-case scenarios. This quantification will be invaluable when you enter discussions with OpenAI’s sales team – you can clearly state, “We expect X million tokens per month” or “Y users, each roughly using Z tokens,” and seek the most suitable pricing model.

3. Engage OpenAI (or Reseller) Early: Reach out to OpenAI’s enterprise sales with your requirements. Request detailed pricing options, including pay-as-you-go, enterprise, and any custom proposal. Don’t hesitate to request a proof-of-concept period or pilot credits to validate the technology. Ensure you understand the fine print of each option (e.g., minimum seat counts, overage policies, contract term length). This is also the time to raise any must-have contract terms your legal team requires so that they can be negotiated into the deal early.

4. Negotiate Methodically: When negotiating, tackle it in parts. First, negotiate the pricing (rates, discounts, commitments) – armed with knowledge of your usage and alternative options. Next, negotiate terms: include clauses for flexibility (scaling up/down), performance guarantees (SLA on uptime, latency if needed), and data handling assurances. For any high-risk concerns, get written addenda (e.g., an addendum specifying your data will be deleted after 30 days, if that’s crucial). Also set expectations for support response times. It may help to have an industry benchmarking report or prior vendor contracts as a reference to justify your requests.

5. Implement Governance Post-Signature: Once the contract is in place, establish internal processes to manage it. Configure monitoring tools to track usage against any commit levels or limits. Schedule regular check-ins with the OpenAI account team to review usage and performance (especially before any renewal or true-up dates). Train your users or developers on best practices to use the service efficiently and securely – this can be part of your rollout. Also, keep abreast of OpenAI’s updates (pricing changes, new models) during the contract; you may need to adjust your usage or renegotiate if there are any material changes.

FAQ

Q: Is OpenAI’s Enterprise plan more cost-effective than API usage for large teams?
A: It can be. If you have a large number of employees who frequently use AI, the Enterprise per-user model offers cost predictability and often provides “all-you-can-use” access for each user. This avoids the scenario of runaway API bills from heavy usage. For example, 500 users on an enterprise plan will incur a fixed cost (roughly 500 times the per-seat price), regardless of how much each user uses it, whereas 500 users hitting an API could generate unpredictable costs. However, if usage per person is light or you have a small team, a pure API pay-as-you-go approach might be cheaper. It’s essential to analyze your case – many enterprises use a combination (Enterprise for broad employee access, API for specific applications) to strike a balance between cost and benefit.

Q: What “hidden fees” should we watch for in OpenAI contracts?
A: The main charges beyond the obvious per-token or per-seat fees could include: overage charges (if you exceed usage commitments or seat counts), charges for additional services (like buying extra API credits, premium support fees, or fine-tuning costs), and potentially implementation or onboarding fees (though OpenAI typically doesn’t charge professional services as of now). Also, remember the indirect costs: your cloud usage might increase if you’re calling the API from your infrastructure, or you might need to invest in prompt optimization or data cleaning. Ensure the contract clearly states the rates that apply if you exceed your plan’s limits to avoid any surprises.

Q: How do OpenAI’s uptime and performance hold up for enterprise use?
A: OpenAI’s platform is generally reliable, but like any cloud service, outages and slowdowns can occur – especially during surges of global demand or new model launches. With an Enterprise contract, you receive an uptime SLA (for example, 99.9% availability) and support in the event of issues. They’ve also introduced Priority processing for API customers in enterprise deals, which, for a premium, guarantees faster response times even during peak load. If your application is time-sensitive (e.g., an AI tool for traders that requires prompt responses), discuss these options. Ensure that the SLA and any recourse (including credits or penalties) for not meeting it are clearly outlined. On the whole, many enterprises (including banks) are using OpenAI’s services in production, but prudent architecture – like graceful degradation if the AI is slow/unavailable – is recommended.

Q: We’re a bank with strict data security requirements. Can we trust OpenAI with confidential data?
A: OpenAI has taken significant steps to cater to enterprises with high security needs. With ChatGPT Enterprise, your data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and OpenAI contractually commits not to use your conversations or data to train its models. They also offer data residency options to keep data in specific regions. The service is SOC 2 compliant and features domain verification to ensure that only authorized members of your organization have access to your instance. However, “trust” doesn’t mean blind trust – you should still apply the principle of least privilege. Only send data to OpenAI that is necessary for the task, and consider anonymizing or tokenizing highly sensitive information before input. Some banks use a gateway or middleware to redact sensitive fields from prompts. If that is even a concern, you might consider hosting through Azure in a tenant you control. However, OpenAI’s enterprise security is generally robust for most confidential data when configured properly. Always review their security documentation and, if necessary, request a security review or questionnaire as part of the due diligence process.

Q: What if our usage of OpenAI grows faster than expected? Are we stuck paying high overages until renewal?
A: This is where negotiation and contract structure matter. Ideally, your contract should have a mechanism for growth. One approach is a “staged” commitment – e.g., you agree on pricing for up to a certain volume, with an option to upgrade mid-term to a higher tier at predefined rates if needed. Another approach is allowing a true-up at intervals: say, quarterly, you reconcile any overusage at the same discounted rate, and then increase your committed volume in the future (so you’re not perpetually paying overage fees). If your contract has no such clauses, you should proactively reach out to OpenAI as you approach limits; they are generally willing to adjust terms mid-stream rather than have you throttled or unhappy. The key is to monitor usage closely and communicate. It’s wise to avoid multi-year, rigid commitments if you expect rapid growth – a one-year term with the ability to renew and expand might serve you better, allowing you to renegotiate after seeing real growth.

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  • Fredrik Filipsson

    Fredrik Filipsson is the co-founder of Redress Compliance, a leading independent advisory firm specializing in Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, IBM, and Salesforce licensing. With over 20 years of experience in software licensing and contract negotiations, Fredrik has helped hundreds of organizations—including numerous Fortune 500 companies—optimize costs, avoid compliance risks, and secure favorable terms with major software vendors. Fredrik built his expertise over two decades working directly for IBM, SAP, and Oracle, where he gained in-depth knowledge of their licensing programs and sales practices. For the past 11 years, he has worked as a consultant, advising global enterprises on complex licensing challenges and large-scale contract negotiations.

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