Prime Highlights :
- OpenAI rolls out promotional credits for new advertisers as it builds out its ChatGPT ad business.
- Company follows a strategy long used by platforms like Google, Meta and TikTok to grow advertiser adoption.
Key Facts :
- New advertisers can get a $50 or $100 credit after matching spend within 14 days.
- OpenAI reportedly targets $2.5 billion in ad revenue for 2026 as it scales its advertising platform.
Background :
OpenAI has entered what industry observers describe as the coupon stage of building its advertising business, a phase most major platforms pass through as they work to attract advertisers.
The company has begun offering promotional credits to new advertisers, encouraging them to test budgets and build spending habits on its platform, according to a report by Digiday.
One promotion reviewed by the outlet offers new advertisers a $50 credit once they spend $50 within 14 days of opening an OpenAI advertiser account, a like-for-like structure designed to lower the upfront risk of testing the platform. Another promotion offered a $100 credit, with values still shifting as the company works out the right approach for a larger rollout.
Farhad Divecha, group CEO of Accuracast, said the timing makes sense for OpenAI to offer promotional credits, provided the amounts are meaningful. He noted that while a $100 credit may not go far, credits in the range of $500 to $1,000 could encourage the right advertisers to try the platform and see its benefits firsthand.
Similar strategies have worked for other platforms before, including TikTok, which offered credits to boost spending on TikTok Shop in the United States. Promotional credits remain a common tool across digital advertising, used by companies including Google and Meta to bring in new advertisers and encourage testing of new formats.
The move signals OpenAI’s shift from expanding ad availability toward actively recruiting advertisers, alongside other steps such as hiring specialist advertising talent and building infrastructure to support a larger marketplace.
Divecha added that greater awareness around platform availability could further support adoption, as several advertisers remain cautious about spending minimums and access.
OpenAI has reportedly set an internal target of $2.5 billion in ad revenue for 2026, aiming for substantial growth by 2030.
