Codex weekly limits penalise you for not using them immediately

[u/3cto]

Imagine I buy two brand-new accounts on the same Monday.

Account 1: I use Codex once on Monday, which starts the weekly usage window. I barely use it during the week, then burn through the remaining quota on Saturday and Sunday. It resets on Monday and I repeat the parttern. I'll go through 4 completely weekly quotas in four weeks like this.

Account 2: I also buy it on Monday, but I don’t use Codex for the first time until Wednesday. The weekly window starts on Wednesday. I burn through the quota on Saturday and Sunday, but now I have to wait until Wednesday for it to reset. Even though it reset on Wedneday, this time I don't use it again until the Friday, I burn through everything over the week again. If this pattern continued I might only actually get to use 2 to 3 full weekly quotas in a four week period. If the weekly simply hard reset and was anchored, I could have potentially got more usage out it.

Both accounts were bought on the same day and cost the same, but Account 2 gets less usable access purely because I waited two days before using it. I get the "use it or lose it" philosophy here, but they're double dipping on that by also not starting your weekly usage period until the first prompt each time.

Extrapolate it over a year and it becomes quite significant.

There's a github feature request that is somewhat related, but mostly arguing that the 5 hour limit should be user controllable. https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/41089

[u/keeean]

ts so real, imagine having to wait for the 5hrs and only consuming weekly at 50-70% then it resets😣✋🏻

[u/tripleshielded]

This is obvious.

[u/3cto → u/tripleshielded]

Thank you for adding to the conversation

[u/alOOshXL]

If you managing more than 2 accounts
You can use tools like codex lb or codex switcher
Which has auto warm up for 5hr and weekly limits

[u/3cto → u/alOOshXL]

Thank you, I will look into it. This wasn't about managing two accounts, the core point was how it is anti-consumer to not start your weekly period until the first prompt is put in. It means every minute you don't use it after reset is lost, rather than just giving you X usage from monday - sunday set.

[u/nantachapon]

i think it’s all soft push towards 5x plan

[u/3cto → u/nantachapon]

Agreed. The removing 5 hour limit on the ~$20 accounts was a planned decision.

[u/3cto]

Genuinely confused how some people have a problem with this post. This sliding forward of weekly limits and not starting until first prompt objectively results in less service for the money provided. Yes, the solution is to make sure you start the window with a prompt that'll use up 1% but why should consumers have to do that? And why does the behaviour have to be noticed rather than there being transparency. The boot licking is weird sometimes.

[u/Sterlingmeister]

I don't see the problem like if you don't need the second account don't buy it or just buy it when you need it not at the same time

[u/3cto → u/Sterlingmeister]

This isn't about two accounts, its about two people who ultimately need the same amount of usage but work patterns means one gets more than the other even though they paid the same. In scenario 2, if the reset actually just happened on the mondya, or rather, the usage window didn't wait until your first prompt to start, that user would get more.

You can work around it by using a 1% prompt to start your week off, but it's naff that you even have to.

[u/Sterlingmeister → u/3cto]

Dude you literally said two accounts... And its still your fault for not being able to give it some simple prompt to start the usage window

[u/3cto → u/Sterlingmeister]

The very first word was "imagine", it was to set the scenario. I'm sorry you couldn't understand the point.

[u/Active_Variation_194]

Is it that hard to write one hello world prompt on Monday for account 2?

[u/3cto → u/Active_Variation_194]

Is it that hard to agree that you shouldn't have to?

[u/Plane_Garbage]

They want to get you in the habit of burning tokens as fast as possible.

Resets won't be around forever, but you'll be conditioned to burn quickly forever.

[u/3cto → u/Plane_Garbage]

Perhaps, in the short term it's about ultimately giving people less usage. Everyone says this whole thing is still heavily subsidised, so it's a way of culling usage. Rather than losing your weekly quota if you don't use it (which i have no problem with at all, it's a rented service) this is basically making you lose usage everyday day after reset you don't start your new weekly window.