According to a report by ad-hoc-news.de, OpenAI has expanded its ChatGPT advertising program to 26 new countries, including Pakistan, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia and Bangladesh. This brings its advertising presence to 89 markets in total. The source states that no country-specific launch dates were given for the individual new markets; the formats are to be introduced gradually with an initially limited ad volume.
Who sees the ads
According to OpenAI, the ads appear exclusively in conversations of users on the Free and Go plans. Paid plans such as Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu remain ad-free. Accounts of people under 18 are excluded from delivery. OpenAI states, according to the source, that the ads do not influence the generated answers, are visually separated from them and are clearly labeled as advertising.
According to the report, users of the free basic version can opt to use ChatGPT without ads, but must accept reduced usage limits and a limited feature set in exchange. If users disable personalization, the ads are not switched off according to the source; selection then happens based on the current conversation. OpenAI stresses that conversations, saved memories or personal data are not shared with advertisers.
Terms for advertisers
Companies and agencies in the new regions get access, according to the source, via technology partners or the self-service area of the Ads Manager. For certain new self-service accounts, OpenAI requires identity verification and minimum spending in the home country for international targeting. Billing is per valid click or per 1,000 impressions, not per conversion. The recommended starting bid is, according to guidelines, 3 to 5 US dollars per click; minimum daily budgets vary by market, for example 25 US dollars, 15 euros, 65 PLN or 40 BRL.
Background
As a basis for monetization, the source reports 1.2 billion weekly active users. Since the advertising program launched in February 2026, over 100,000 advertisers are reportedly active, according to company information. Ad revenue reportedly rose from around 100 million US dollars on an annualized basis in March to 1 billion US dollars in August, with a target of 2.5 billion US dollars by year-end. The number of advertisers reportedly grew from about 20,000 at the end of August to more than 100,000 in October. ChatGPT is also said to have increased its share of product searches from 2 to 30 percent over two years. At a company valuation of 852 billion US dollars, a stock market listing in 2027 is reportedly targeted.
Assessment
For companies in Germany, the expansion could mean that ChatGPT gains importance as an advertising channel in more markets, if the self-service terms are also accessible to them. According to the source, it remains open when exactly the new markets go live and how the limited initial delivery develops. For users, the question is how well the separation of ads and answers works in everyday use, which cannot be independently verified on the basis of OpenAI's statements alone.
Sources
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