GitHub Copilot is evolving from a simple code completion tool into a full agentic platform, and with that comes a fundamental shift in how users are billed. Starting June 1, 2026, all Copilot plans will move to a usage-based model centered on GitHub AI Credits. This change aligns costs with actual compute usage—especially for heavy agentic sessions—and aims to ensure long-term sustainability. Here are five essential things you should understand about this transition.
1. The Shift from Premium Requests to AI Credits
Instead of counting premium request units (PRUs), every Copilot plan will include a monthly allotment of GitHub AI Credits. Usage is calculated based on token consumption—including input, output, and cached tokens—using the listed API rates for each model. This means that a short code suggestion may cost far fewer credits than a multi-hour autonomous coding session. Paid plan users can purchase additional credits as needed. Importantly, base plan pricing remains unchanged: Copilot Pro stays at $10/month, Pro+ at $39/month, Business at $19/user/month, and Enterprise at $39/user/month.
2. Why Usage-Based Billing Is Necessary
Copilot has transformed from a simple in-editor assistant to an agentic platform capable of running long, multi-step coding sessions across entire repositories. Agentic usage demands significantly higher compute and inference resources. Previously, a quick chat question and a multi-hour autonomous coding session cost the same, meaning GitHub absorbed much of the escalating inference costs. That model was no longer sustainable. Usage-based billing better aligns pricing with actual usage, helps maintain service reliability, and reduces the need to gate heavy users. This change is a critical step toward a reliable, scalable Copilot experience.
3. Preview Bill Experience Coming in Early May
To help users and administrators prepare for the transition, GitHub will launch a preview bill experience in early May. This feature will appear on the Billing Overview page when users log in to github.com. It provides visibility into projected costs before the June 1 switch, allowing teams to estimate their usage under the new model and adjust workflows if needed. Admins can also set budget controls to manage credit consumption. This preview is an essential tool for understanding how agentic coding sessions will affect your monthly bill.
4. What Stays the Same—and What Disappears
Several key aspects remain unchanged: code completions and Next Edit suggestions are still included in all plans and do not consume AI Credits. The base pricing for Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise tiers is untouched. However, one feature will disappear: the fallback experience. Currently, users who exhaust PRUs may be downgraded to a lower-cost model. Under the new system, usage is governed solely by available credits and admin budget controls. Additionally, Copilot code review will now consume both GitHub AI Credits and GitHub Actions minutes (billed at standard per-minute rates).
5. Temporary Changes and What They Mean
In preparation for the broader transition, GitHub recently implemented temporary adjustments to Copilot Individual plans—including Free, Pro, Pro+, and Student—and paused self-serve purchases of Copilot Business. These measures are designed to improve reliability and performance as the usage-based billing infrastructure rolls out. Once usage-based billing is fully operational, GitHub expects to loosen these limits. Users should monitor their accounts for updates but can expect a smoother experience once the new billing model stabilizes.
The move to usage-based billing represents a major evolution for GitHub Copilot, ensuring fairness and sustainability as the platform becomes more powerful and agentic. By understanding these five changes—especially the shift to AI Credits and the removal of fallback—you can prepare for the June 1 transition. Take advantage of the preview bill in May to estimate your costs and explore admin controls. While some adjustments may be needed, this new model promises a more scalable and reliable Copilot that matches your actual usage.