ChatGPT Go launches in Philippines, Pakistan & 14 more countries

OpenAI has rolled out its new ChatGPT Go subscription plan to sixteen Asian markets, including the Philippines (Ph300) and Pakistan (Rs1,400), giving users more affordable access to advanced ChatGPT features.

According to OpenAI’s help pages and tech news reports, ChatGPT Go is now available in:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, East Timor, and Vietnam.

However, availability may vary by platform (web, iOS, Android) in some countries.

Who gets local currency billing

One key part of this rollout is support for localized pricing in certain markets. In particular, OpenAI allows subscription billing in local currency in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Pakistan.

In other markets on the Go rollout list, billing is done in US dollars, with price adjustments reflecting local taxes such as VAT or GST.

OpenAI’s multi-currency billing documentation further confirms that supported currencies include PHP (Philippine peso) and PKR (Pakistani rupee), among others.

It’s worth noting that subscription purchases made via the iOS or Android apps are handled through the respective app stores, and charges may appear in local currency depending on the store mechanics.

Go vs other tiers (Free, Plus, Pro)

ChatGPT Go is designed as a more accessible mid-tier between the Free plan and higher paid tiers. Here’s how it differs:

• It includes everything in the Free plan, plus extended access to GPT-5, more image generation, more file uploads, higher usage limits, and longer memory.

• Unlike Free, Go lets you use more multimodal tools (images, file uploads) and more frequent use of tools like advanced data analysis.

• Go’s memory is longer than Free, allowing the assistant to remember more of your conversation context.

• However, Go does not include access to legacy models like GPT-4o. Those remain reserved for Plus or Pro tiers.

• Features such as Sora video generation, connectors (e.g., integrations with Gmail, Calendar, etc.) are not included in Go. These are part of higher plans like Plus or Pro.

• Go is meant for users who want more than Free but don’t need all the power (or cost) of Plus or Pro.

Because Go is a lighter, lower-cost plan, OpenAI may impose usage caps or adjust limits dynamically based on system load, ensuring fair access for all users.

The expansion of ChatGPT Go to countries like the Philippines and Pakistan reflects a strategy to capture new users in price-sensitive markets. By offering local currency billing, OpenAI reduces friction from foreign exchange conversion and bank rejections, which can otherwise block subscriptions.

In markets where Go is billed in US dollars, the final cost may fluctuate due to taxes or exchange rate changes, which could discourage adoption in some regions.

Offering a lower tier like Go allows OpenAI to tap users who were previously limited to the Free plan but couldn’t justify Plus. This can help broaden the paying user base, especially in emerging economies.

What you should check

If you're in the Philippines or Pakistan and want to use ChatGPT Go:

• See if Go is visible in your subscription or upgrade menu inside ChatGPT.

• Confirm that the subscription price is shown in PHP (for Philippines) or PKR (for Pakistan).

• Check whether your payment method supports local billing (credit/debit card, etc.).

• Note that Go may not include some premium features like connectors or Sora.