Observed Signal · Jun 18, 2026 · Pricing Update · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
StackAdapt Drops Minimum Spend for ChatGPT Ads
StackAdapt removed its minimum spend requirement for ads placed inside ChatGPT via its self-serve model, reversing an earlier $50,000 minimum that applied during its April pilot. The company said the floor was dropped in May after opening self-serve access more widely; StackAdapt CRO Christian Gerron told Adweek “We have no minimums.” Rival Criteo recently reduced its ChatGPT ad threshold from $50,000 to $10,000, reflecting growing competition among ad platforms to capture OpenAI’s ad inventory.
Lowering or removing minimums reduces barriers for advertisers to test ChatGPT inventory and intensifies price/volume competition among ad platforms seeking OpenAI ad business, which could affect demand patterns and pricing in the conversational ad channel.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- StackAdapt no longer imposes a minimum spend for advertisers running ads inside ChatGPT via its self-serve model.
- StackAdapt initially required a $50,000 minimum spend commitment when it launched its ChatGPT pilot in April 2026.
- StackAdapt dropped the $50,000 requirement in May 2026 after opening its self-serve model to a broader market.
- Christian Gerron, StackAdapt chief revenue officer, told Adweek: "We have no minimums."
- Rival ad tech firm Criteo reduced its ChatGPT ad minimum from $50,000 to $10,000 earlier in June 2026.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Criteo Lowers ChatGPT Ad Minimums to $10,000
Criteo has cut campaign minimums for buying ads inside ChatGPT from $50,000 to $10,000 and is offering media-match incentives and easier product-feed integrations to attract retail advertisers. Agencies such as Brainlabs are using Criteo to connect retailer product feeds directly into OpenAI’s ad-buying system, reducing manual ad setup. Criteo’s moves position it as a competitive option versus other platforms like StackAdapt as demand for ChatGPT ad inventory grows. The article was published on 2026-06-04.
StackAdapt Pilots Ads Inside ChatGPT
A leaked StackAdapt pitch deck reveals the independent demand-side platform is courting advertisers to participate in a limited pilot that would serve ads inside ChatGPT. The deck, titled “OpenAI x StackAdapt Limited Pilot Program,” was shared with select buyers on March 27 and reviewed by ADWEEK. StackAdapt frames the initiative as early access to a new “discovery layer” on ChatGPT, positioning the placement to capture users in the research and comparison phase. The company is offering promotional economics to early testers, including CPMs advertised as low as $15 plus discounted platform and management fees. The material presents the offering as an early-stage test inside a developing ad system and references a partnership with OpenAI to enable advertising within ChatGPT.
ChatGPT ad CPMs drop significantly
Advertising rates in ChatGPT have fallen sharply since the ad pilot launched nine weeks ago: published rates dropped from a $60 CPM at launch to reported levels as low as $25 (and anecdotal reports down to $15). Agencies and buyers report varying averages depending on inventory and buying route (Jellyfish cites averages near $45; programmatic buys via Criteo have seen $35–$25). OpenAI has reduced the minimum spend to join the pilot from $250,000 to $50,000, launched a self-serve ads manager, formed a partnership with Criteo and named David Dugan as an ads leader. The article notes measurement and attribution remain unresolved — cost-per-action / CPC models and conversion tracking are in development — and compares ChatGPT CPMs to established platform benchmarks such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Display, TikTok and LinkedIn.
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