GitHub Copilot Moves to Usage-Based Billing - AI Credits Replace Premium Requests June 1

GitHub Copilot will transition to usage-based billing on 1 June 2024, replacing the current premium request system with GitHub AI Credits across all subscription tiers. The new model calculates consumption based on token usage—input, output, and cached—using published API rates for each underlying model. Base subscription prices remain unchanged: Pro at £10 monthly, Pro Plus at £39, Business at £19 per user, and Enterprise at £39 per user. Each plan will include a monthly credit allocation, with paid tiers able to purchase additional credits as needed. Importantly, code completions continue to be included in all plans without consuming credits. The most significant change is the removal of fallback functionality. Currently, users who exhaust their premium requests can continue using cheaper models. Under the new system, usage is strictly governed by available credits and administrative budget controls, with no automatic downgrade option. GitHub justifies this shift by pointing to the rise of autonomous coding agents. The company notes that a brief chat interaction and a multi-hour autonomous coding session currently cost users the same amount, despite vastly different computational requirements. This pricing disparity has become unsustainable as agent-based workflows become more prevalent. Users will receive preview billing statements in early May to understand their usage patterns before the transition.