OpenAI has launched a new pricing option called Flex Processing, which is designed to make its AI model more inexpensive for specific use cases. OpenAI’s latest logic models, for the currently offering new API in beta for O3 and O4-Min, is to reduce low costs for functions that do not require rapid response time or high availability. This includes non-production functions such as model assessment, data promotion and asynchronous charge, according to a report by Techcrunch.
Flex processing API reduces the cost of use by half, making it a more budget -friendly option for developers working with OpenAI models. For example, with O3, the flex processing cuts the price of $ 10 and $ 40 per million respectively in the price of $ 5 per million input tokens (about 750,000 words) and $ 20 per million per million per million output tokens. For O4-Mini, the flex processing price is reduced to the standard use of $ 0.55 per million input tokens and $ 2.20 per million output tokens, $ 1.10 and below $ 4.40 below 4.40.
This step comes at a time when the cost of the Frontier AI model increases, as companies compete to provide more economical, efficient solutions. Google recently launched the Gemini 2.5 flash, a logic model, offering a low input token cost, or even crosses the performance of all Deepsek’s R1 or even crosses.
The new pricing model of OpenAI comes with a warning. Developers in the first three usage levels, which are based on the amount spent on OpenAI services, will need to complete an ID verification process, before they can access O3 and other models with logic summary and streaming API support. This verification is part of OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to prevent misuse and ensure compliance with its use policies.
Finally, the flex offers a more affordable option for processing developers, which do not require immediate results or continuous access to the AI model. With increasing competition in the AI market, the move aims to make OpenAI’s offerings more accessible while maintaining a balance between cost and performance. Since the AI models have become rapidly important to various industries, the latest steps of OpenAI help to ensure that their powerful equipment are available for a wide range of users.
