ChatGPT Go free year ending in India: renewal price and what to do

AI NewsIshaan VardhanNov 7, 202610 min read

The free year of ChatGPT Go that OpenAI gave Indian users from 4 November 2025 is now running out, starting with accounts that redeemed it on day one. Unless you cancel, your saved card or UPI mandate renews Go at ₹399 a month, the India price OpenAI lists in its help center as of 6 November 2026, or at a discounted continuation price if OpenAI offers you one.

This guide covers when your own free year ends, how to check the date and cancel, what stays with you on the free plan, and which paid AI plan suits which job for Indian users. All prices and offer terms below were checked on vendors’ own pages on 6 November 2026.

Key takeaways

• Each free year runs 12 months from the day that account redeemed it, so renewals fall between early November 2026 and late January 2027; OpenAI’s release notes say new redemptions ended on 21 January 2026.
• After the free year, Go renews at ₹399 a month unless you cancel, according to OpenAI’s help center; some users get a continuation offer at a lower price for three billing periods first.
• To avoid the charge, cancel in Settings → Billing at least 24 hours before your billing date, through the same platform you subscribed on.
• The free plan keeps unlimited everyday chats, search, projects and study mode, but with a smaller context window and limited uploads, memory and image generation.
• The big telecom AI offers have changed: Airtel’s free Perplexity Pro ended on 16 January 2026, while Jio still advertises 18 months of Google AI Pro for eligible users.

When does the free ChatGPT Go year end?

The ChatGPT Go free year ends exactly 12 months after the date your account redeemed the offer, not on one national date. OpenAI’s India promotion started on 4 November 2025, so the earliest redemptions reach their first paid renewal from 4 November 2026.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT release notes state that the India promotion ended on 21 January 2026, which means nobody new could claim the free year after that date. Counting 12 months from the last possible redemption puts the final free-year expiries around late January 2027.

The offer was also open to people who were already paying for Go. OpenAI’s ChatGPT Go Promotion (India) page says existing Go subscribers in good standing were eligible, so their next billing date moved out by the free period rather than starting on 4 November.

What happens at renewal: price and payment

At renewal, ChatGPT Go is charged at ₹399 a month to the card or UPI mandate saved when you claimed the offer, unless you cancel first. OpenAI’s help article on ChatGPT Go India trial renewals and continuation offers gives that ₹399 figure as the price after any discounted periods, as of 6 November 2026.

OpenAI first priced Go at ₹399 a month including GST when it launched the plan in India in August 2025, according to its release notes, and it accepted credit cards and UPI from the start. The promotion page added that UPI users may see a temporary ₹1 charge that is refunded. OpenAI’s multi-currency billing page lists the Indian rupee as a billing currency and says UPI works for Go and Plus, but not for Pro or Business.

The continuation offer

The continuation offer is an optional discount OpenAI may show some India trial users before their free year ends. According to OpenAI’s renewals article, it charges the price displayed in the offer for three paid billing periods, after which the plan renews at ₹399 a month unless cancelled.

The offer appears on the web and in the Android app, not in the iOS app, and the free year does not guarantee one. If you accept while your free year is still running, you keep the remaining free time and the discount starts at the next renewal. It is a discount on paid months, not an extra free year.

How to check your renewal date and cancel ChatGPT Go

You can see your plan and cancel ChatGPT Go from Settings → Billing on chatgpt.com, and you should cancel at least 24 hours before the next billing date. OpenAI’s help page on canceling your ChatGPT subscription gives that 24-hour window.

1. Find out where you subscribed. Check the email or receipt from when you claimed the offer. If it came from chatgpt.com, manage it on the web. If you claimed it through Google Play on Android, OpenAI says you cancel in Google Play; for Android purchases the promotion also required a Play Store account set to India.
2. Check the date. Sign in on chatgpt.com, open your profile menu, choose Settings, then Billing, and note the next billing date shown for your plan. OpenAI’s renewals article says the free trial ends on the date shown for your subscription.
3. Decide before the last day. If you want to keep Go, do nothing, or look for a continuation offer on the web or Android. If you don’t, select Cancel under “Cancel plan” at least a day before that date.

Cancelling stops future renewals but does not refund charges already made, according to OpenAI. If you return later, its renewals article says you go through a new checkout, and the expired free year is not restored.

What you keep on the ChatGPT free plan

The ChatGPT free plan keeps unlimited everyday text chats, chat history, search, projects, study mode, voice and the GPT-6 Luna model, according to OpenAI’s pricing page on 6 November 2026, with “unlimited” subject to its usage policies.

What shrinks is the working room. The pricing page lists a 27K-token context window for GPT Instant on Free, about 12 pages of input, against 54K tokens and about 40 pages on Go. Free has limited file uploads, data analysis, vision, memory and image generation, while Go has them in full; scheduled tasks and voice with video are Go-only features. Deep research is limited on both Free and Go.

The same page notes that Go “may include ads”. Light users may not miss Go; anyone who uploads long PDFs or makes images often will feel the drop.

Which AI plan fits which use in India

The right replacement for ChatGPT Go depends on the job: Go itself for everyday chat at ₹399, Google AI Pro for heavy research and storage, Claude or ChatGPT Plus for long writing and coding, and the free tiers for light use.

Scroll the table sideways →

Table: prices and features from each vendor’s official page, checked on 6 November 2026. Prices can change; your checkout price is the one that counts.

Everyday chat, homework and quick drafts

For everyday questions and short drafts, the ChatGPT free plan or Gemini’s free plan is the cheapest answer. Google’s India subscriptions page lists the free Gemini plan at ₹0 with Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems and 15 GB of storage. Students comparing options can start with our list of the best AI tools for students and the best free AI tools.

Research, long documents and storage

Google AI Pro is the heavier option at ₹1,950 a month, with four times the free plan’s limits and 5 TB of storage, according to Google. Jio users should check the MyJio app first. Google announced on 30 October 2025 that eligible Jio customers would get Google AI Pro free for 18 months, and Jio’s Google Gemini offer page describes it as open to users aged 18 and above on an unlimited 5G plan of ₹349 or more, claimable once per number. The plan has to stay active for the whole period.

Cited answers and search

Perplexity Pro’s main draw is sourcing: Perplexity’s help center says Pro gives about 10 times as many citations per answer. The Airtel route has closed, though. Perplexity’s Airtel promo page says the offer ended on 16 January 2026. Business Today reported on 12 January 2026 that some Airtel users inside their free year were being asked to add a card, with renewal automatic unless cancelled, so Airtel users should check their Perplexity billing too.

Long writing, analysis and coding

For long reports, careful editing and code, the usual paid picks are ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro, both $20 a month on their vendors’ pricing pages. Anthropic’s pricing page lists Claude Pro at $17 a month when billed yearly ($200 up front), and its help center says Pro is priced in local currency where supported, so Indian buyers should check the rupee figure at checkout. For a business-focused comparison, see our guide to ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini for business.

Should you renew, downgrade or switch?

Renew ChatGPT Go only if you used its extra limits in the past month; otherwise the free plan or another vendor’s free tier will cover most needs. A simple test: count how often in the past month you uploaded files, made images or hit a limit message. If rarely, cancel before the billing date.

Why it matters

The end of ChatGPT Go’s free year is the first big test of whether Indian users will pay for AI after a year of telecom and vendor giveaways. TechCrunch noted at launch that ChatGPT had large download numbers in India but modest in-app spending, citing Appfigures. The renewal wave from November 2026 to January 2027 will show how many people keep paying ₹399 a month, and the continuation discounts suggest OpenAI expects many to hesitate.

FAQ

Will I be charged automatically when my free ChatGPT Go year ends?

Yes, unless you cancel. OpenAI’s help center says that after the free year, and after any discounted continuation periods, ChatGPT Go renews at ₹399 a month to the card or UPI method saved when you claimed the offer. Cancel in Settings → Billing at least 24 hours before your billing date, on the same platform you subscribed through, to avoid the charge. Cancelling does not refund past charges.

How do I find my ChatGPT Go renewal date in India?

Sign in on chatgpt.com, open Settings and choose Billing; OpenAI says the free trial ends on the date shown for your subscription. Your date is 12 months after you redeemed the offer, so it falls between early November 2026 and late January 2027. If you claimed it through Google Play, check the subscription in Google Play instead.

Can I get the free ChatGPT Go year again after it ends?

No. OpenAI’s release notes say the India promotion ended on 21 January 2026, and its renewals article says returning after your subscription ends means a new checkout that does not restore the expired free year. Some users may see a continuation offer, a discounted price for three paid months, on the web or Android before their free year ends.

Which AI should I use instead of ChatGPT Go for studies in India?

For most students, a free plan is enough: ChatGPT Free keeps unlimited everyday chats and study mode, and Gemini’s free plan includes Deep Research and Canvas, according to the vendors’ pages on 6 November 2026. If you need more, Google AI Plus costs ₹399 a month, the same as Go, and eligible Jio users can claim Google AI Pro free for 18 months.

Sources

1. OpenAI Help Center, “ChatGPT release notes”, accessed 6 November 2026.
2. OpenAI Help Center, “ChatGPT Go Promotion (India)”, accessed 6 November 2026.
3. OpenAI Help Center, “ChatGPT Go India trial renewals and continuation offers”, accessed 6 November 2026.
4. OpenAI Help Center, “Canceling your ChatGPT subscription”, accessed 6 November 2026.
5. OpenAI Help Center, “Multi-currency billing”, accessed 6 November 2026.
6. OpenAI, “ChatGPT pricing”, accessed 6 November 2026.
7. OpenAI, “Pricing”, accessed 6 November 2026.
8. Google, “Google AI plans (India)”, accessed 6 November 2026.
9. Google, “Jio users in India get access to Google AI Pro”, 30 October 2025.
10. Jio, “Google Gemini Offer”, accessed 6 November 2026.
11. Perplexity Help Center, “Perplexity Pro Airtel Promo”, accessed 6 November 2026.
12. Perplexity Help Center, “What is Perplexity Pro?”, accessed 6 November 2026.
13. Anthropic, “Plans and pricing”, accessed 6 November 2026.
14. Anthropic Help Center, “What is the Pro plan?”, accessed 6 November 2026.
15. TechCrunch, “OpenAI offers free ChatGPT Go for one year to all users in India”, 27 October 2025.
16. Business Today, “From free for a year to card on file: how Airtel and Perplexity’s AI bundle is testing consumer trust”, 12 January 2026.

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