Codex for Open Source: ChatGPT Pro grant cannot be redeemed by existing subscribers

Summary

The ChatGPT Pro benefit granted through the Codex for Open Source program
appears to be delivered via a consumer promo flow that rejects existing
subscribers, making the benefit unredeemable for any accepted maintainer
who already pays for ChatGPT.

Steps to reproduce

1. Be accepted into Codex for Open Source (acceptance email received
   2026-08-07, subject "You're in").
2. Be an existing paid ChatGPT subscriber on the same account and email
   used in the application.
3. Click "Activate 6 months of Pro" in the acceptance email.

Expected

The 6-month Pro benefit is applied to the account, replacing or stacking
on the existing subscription.

Actual

The activation page returns:

Thanks for being a ChatGPT subscriber. Current or recent subscribers
aren't eligible for this promotion.

The benefit cannot be redeemed.

Why this looks like a bug rather than intended behaviour

The Codex for OSS eligibility criteria require a valid ChatGPT account and
do not exclude existing subscribers. The error text is generic
new-subscriber promo copy, which suggests the program grant is being
routed through a standard promotional code path rather than a
program-specific one.

Why there is no user-side workaround

• Cancelling to clear the check is not viable: "current or recent"
  implies a lookback window, and Program Terms section 4 states benefits
  may expire if not activated within the specified period. Cancelling
  risks losing both the subscription and the grant.
• Using a second account is explicitly prohibited under Program Terms
  section 6.

Support status

Contacted support via help.openai.com. First-line support was unable to
act on it. The acceptance email is sent from a no-reply address, and the
program has no published contact route.

Timing

The acceptance email arrived 2026-08-07. Program Terms section 4 states
benefits may expire if not activated within a specified period, but no
deadline is stated in the email or on the program page. If a redemption
window is running, it has been open a week already with no way for me to
act on it.

Environment

• Account type: existing paid ChatGPT subscriber
• Program: Codex for Open Source, accepted 2026-08-07
• Project: https://github.com/johannesjo/super-productivity (~21k stars)
• Not CLI-specific; this is an account entitlement issue.

Request

Apply the grant server-side to the account, or issue a redemption path
that is not gated on new-subscriber status. Happy to provide the account
email and acceptance email headers privately.

No repository file, test, or entry point is identified; start by reviewing the Codex for Open Source activation flow and Program Terms sections 4 and 6 alongside the acceptance email. Done means an existing subscriber can redeem the six-month benefit through a supported path, either by server-side entitlement or an activation flow that accepts the account.