GitHub Copilot: GPT-5.5 7.5x more expensive under promotional pricing than 5.4 (docs.github.com)

GitHub has announced significant changes to its Copilot billing structure, introducing premium request trackers for the Copilot cloud agent and Spark, effective November 1, 2025. This move enhances budget control and offers visibility into costs associated with these AI features. Billing for these premium requests has already commenced; for paid Copilot plans on GitHub.com, it started on June 18, 2025, and for GitHub Enterprise on August 1, 2025. With the introduction of specific request counters and rate limits to manage high demand, developers can better understand their monthly allowances and plan accordingly. The pricing structure reveals that the upcoming GPT-5.5 model will be significantly more costly—7.5 times—compared to its predecessor, GPT-5.4. This decision reflects the model's advanced processing capabilities, which directly influence resource consumption for features like Copilot Chat, Copilot CLI, and Copilot code reviews. Users on paid plans receive unlimited inline suggestions but face limitations on premium requests, emphasizing the need for users to monitor their usage carefully and adjust their plans or budgets if needed. This pricing strategy could shift how developers approach AI tool integration, balancing cost against enhanced functionalities.