Krux
March 31, 2026
OpenAI Lists GPT-5.4 Pricing, Adds Container Billing Model
Published: March 31, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Updated: March 31, 2026 at 12:31 AM
100-word summary
OpenAI's API pricing page now shows token costs for the GPT-5.4 family, including new "mini" and "nano" variants for lighter tasks. The bigger shift: a container-based billing option launching March 31, 2026, charging by 20-minute sessions instead of tokens. That means you'll pay $0.03 to $1.92 per container depending on memory size, making costs predictable for agents that run continuously rather than spiking with every reply. There's also a 10% surcharge if you need data to stay in specific regions. Translation: OpenAI is pricing for a world where AI doesn't just answer questions but runs in the background for hours.
What happened
OpenAI's API pricing page now shows token costs for the GPT-5.4 family, including new "mini" and "nano" variants for lighter tasks. The bigger shift: a container-based billing option launching March 31, 2026, charging by 20-minute sessions instead of tokens. That means you'll pay $0.03 to $1.92 per container depending on memory size, making costs predictable for agents that run continuously rather than spiking with every reply. There's also a 10% surcharge if you need data to stay in specific regions.
Why it matters
Translation: OpenAI is pricing for a world where AI doesn't just answer questions but runs in the background for hours.