Can I Use One Company Credit Card for Multiple Plus Subscriptions and Concurrent API Access?

Below is some guidance based on our API documentation for managing billing and organization settings:

Using a Single Company Credit Card

• Multiple Accounts/Subscribers:
  The documentation does not prevent you from using the same company credit card on multiple accounts. In practice, you can register individual accounts (or Plus subscriptions) with the same payment method. However, if you choose this approach, you’ll be managing separate billing settings for each account. Some organizations find it easier to control costs and usage by organizing accounts under a single organizational structure.

• Organization-based Management (Department Account):
  When you use a single, generic department account, you set up your billing and usage quota at the organization level. This approach lets you:

  • Keep track of API usage centrally.
  • Have all API requests count against the department’s quota.
  • Customize API requests by passing the appropriate header if managing multiple sub-teams within the organization.

Simultaneous API Use

• Concurrent API Requests:
  The API enforces rate limits (for example, up to 100 requests per minute), regardless of whether users access the API via individual or department accounts. This means that with the department account option, multiple employees can make API requests at the same time, provided the total request rate stays within these limits.

• Best Practice for Multiple Employees:
  Even though a single department account can support concurrent use (subject to rate limits and usage quotas), many organizations prefer individual accounts for:

  • Easier management of usage at a granular level.
  • Better attribution and accountability.
  • The ability to generate unique API keys via the organization’s settings.

Summary

• Multiple Plus Subscriptions: You can use the same company credit card across different accounts, but managing billing through a unified organization setup might simplify tracking and concurrent usage.
• Concurrent Use with a Department Account: Using a single department account does not limit multiple employees from using the API simultaneously—as long as you adhere to the API’s rate limits and usage constraints.

For the latest and most detailed guidance, please refer to the official billing and organization management sections in the OpenAI documentation or reach out to OpenAI support.