guide

Sign in with ChatGPT interest form: who gets access?

Even identity-only commercial sign-in needs selection. See the interest form's visible fields, the open-source boundary, and what you can build while waiting.

EiliyaSeptember 30, 20267 min read

Even identity-only sign-in is reserved for a "select group of commercial partners." That's how OpenAI's client-ID page describes access, and the Sign in with ChatGPT interest form is how commercial apps request it, with or without ChatGPT plan usage.

As of September 30, 2026, a paid or remotely hosted product needs to request access. The open-source flow is more accessible, with a different registration model and usage contract. Decide which route fits your app before you build the button; published docs alone don't grant paid products access.

What to put in the Sign in with ChatGPT interest form

The public form offers two capabilities: identify users through their ChatGPT account, or also use their plan for eligible AI requests. The visible fields ask for:

A work email and the applicant's first and last name.
The company name and website URL.
A job title, which is not marked required.
The capability you want: identity alone, or identity plus plan usage.
A brief description of each product that would use the integration.

Company-size bands, AI-charging questions, and existing-OpenAI-API questions didn't appear in the public form we could read, so we couldn't confirm those expected fields. Check the form before applying; fields can change.

The request-client-ID documentation calls this a waitlist. Submitting expresses interest; it doesn't instantly register a client. Neither that page nor the form publishes an acceptance threshold or promises a response time.

Describe the user action you want to support. A coding assistant making model requests and a project dashboard offering account sign-in are different proposals. Give OpenAI a clear scope to assess, without treating a good description as a guarantee of selection.

Identity login doesn't authorize model requests

Identity sign-in helps someone create or access an account in your app. Your backend verifies OpenAI's ID token, resolves the local account, and creates the application session. The identity scopes are openid profile email.

Those scopes grant no inference permission. Plan usage needs its own authorization for eligible requests, as the quickstart explains. You can ask for either capability in the interest form.

Integration choice	What it supplies	What your app still owns
Identity only	Verified OpenAI account information	Account creation, linking, sessions, authorization, and AI billing
Identity plus plan usage	Identity and separately approved usage permission	Product charges, supported workflows, usage UI, and failure handling

The partner directory lists Canva and Supabase as sign-in-only apps, while Notion and Vercel sit in the plan-usage group. Check the capability beside the logo; partners don't all receive both.

You still have to request identity-only login. It isn't a generally available workaround while a commercial product waits for plan-sharing access. The website guide describes a limited commercial trial.

The open-source path is for local tools and personal projects

OpenAI's integration cookbook covers plan usage for open-source tools and personal projects running locally. Paid or remotely hosted apps are directed to the waitlist before they offer the feature to users.

The public flow registers an OAuth client as the user authorizes it. Start first-time registration with dynamic_agent_client; OpenAI returns a client ID tied to the authenticated user and selected workspace. Reuse that issued ID on later sign-ins, with no client secret or partner API key required by the registration guide.

Keep the registration's identity, tokens, and workspace boundary intact. Its issued ID isn't a commercial credential for the whole app, and borrowing another user's registration doesn't get you approval.

The overview also requires a stable, opaque host identifier for each runtime. The client registration records what the user authorizes; the separate host ID identifies where the instance runs.

A self-hosted VM doesn't grant SaaS approval

OpenAI's self-hosted VM procedure lets an open-source app run remotely. Complete OAuth locally, transfer protected credentials over a secure channel, and preserve a distinct VM host ID. That specific case needs care when you're drawing the line between local projects and hosted products.

The procedure covers a user-operated runtime. It doesn't give a paid SaaS service general approval to collect users' subscriptions. For commercial or remotely hosted product distribution, use the application form unless OpenAI has approved your integration.

If your business sits between those cases, describe the architecture in your application: who operates the runtime, where tokens live, and which users can spend which allowance. The public docs don't settle every hybrid arrangement, so keep unresolved access off your pricing page.

Approved websites still need callbacks and token checks

The website guide requires a provisioned client ID and exact registered callbacks. Both public and confidential OAuth clients use Authorization Code with PKCE and OpenID Connect. Confidential clients keep their secret on the server; public clients don't use one.

Your backend keeps a one-time sign-in transaction, redeems the authorization code, and verifies the ID token. Check its signature, issuer, audience, expiry, and original nonce before trusting the identity. A matching email alone doesn't justify linking two local accounts.

A ChatGPT plugin has two OAuth transactions, according to the plugin guide. OpenAI identity sign-in is the inner transaction; authorization for ChatGPT to use your connector is the outer one. Keep their codes, callbacks, state, and credentials separate.

While you wait, map account linking, prepare callbacks, choose session storage, and design the permission screens. You can do that work before approval, as long as you don't tell customers access has been granted.

Your app's charges stay separate from plan-funded inference

Plan permission funds eligible inference. You can still charge separately for hosting, services, or your app's subscription. OpenAI's Help Center identifies Plus and Pro as the relevant consumer plans for the published third-party plan-use option.

Check the preview limitations against your features: image generation, file search, Code Interpreter, native computer use, and hosted connectors are excluded. An approved login doesn't make every feature in your app eligible for subscription funding.

OpenAI's UI guidelines ask you to show which of your plans support ChatGPT usage, distinguish app charges from model funding, and provide Manage usage. Build that information alongside the integration so users can understand the bill.

Keep your launch off the waitlist's clock

Keep a working funding route, such as your existing provider billing, user API keys, or a clearly metered alternative. An unpublished waitlist schedule is a poor basis for your launch date.

OpenAI reports 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users, and familiar account authorization can reduce setup work for eligible subscribers. An approved app serving existing Plus or Pro users on supported OpenAI models also avoids a wallet top-up for included usage. Those are strong attractions, but build around the access you actually have.

AI Pass supports hosted commercial apps now through a portable wallet and multi-provider OAuth and REST API: users pay for exact usage, with no subscription or application form. Funding the wallet adds an onboarding step without spending a ChatGPT allowance; AI Pass is independent of OpenAI.

ChatGPT plan usage cuts costs without inference earnings; with AI Pass, you can add a markup and earn on eligible paid usage under the current AI Pass terms. Open the docs, pick your tool, paste the brief, and let your agent inspect and set up the project with your browser approval, without provider keys or manual OAuth client setup.

FAQ

Can any commercial app get a Sign in with ChatGPT client ID?

OpenAI selects commercial partners. Apply through the interest form; immediate approval isn't promised.

Can I apply for identity-only sign-in?

Yes. You can request identity alone or identity with plan usage. Both go through the commercial access process.

Do I need to pay OpenAI for a partner application?

Neither the form nor the client-ID page publishes an application fee. They don't describe every commercial agreement that might follow selection either.

Can I use the open-source flow for a paid hosted app?

Paid and remotely hosted apps are directed to the waitlist. Dynamic registration doesn't give you permission to bypass it.