GitHub details upcoming Copilot billing and policy updates
GitHub is implementing three significant upcoming changes to its Copilot service regarding billing, unified user experiences, and code review defaults. These updates, rolling out from September 2026, aim to enhance service reliability, streamline cross-platform interaction, and standardize AI-powered code review practices. The changes impact new and existing Copilot Business and Enterprise customers, administrators, and users of Copilot Chat, requiring upfront seat payments and introducing a new unified chat policy with extended data retention. Administrators should review policy settings for Copilot Chat and code review defaults before the effective dates in late September and October 2026.
- →Updated Billing and Vetting for Copilot Business/Enterprise Sign-ups
- →Unified Copilot Chat Experience and Policy Across Platforms
- →Copilot Code Review Default Effort Level Changes to Balanced
Breaking changes (1) ›
- Updated Billing and Vetting for Copilot Business/Enterprise Sign-ups
Starting September 1, 2026, new Copilot Business and Enterprise customers paying by credit card or PayPal will require upfront payment for each seat before access is granted. Existing customers will incur an upfront charge for all assigned seats at the start of their next billing cycle, effective October 1, 2026, alongside strengthened account vetting.
Features (1) ›
- Unified Copilot Chat Experience and Policy Across Platforms
No earlier than September 28, 2026, GitHub will relaunch Copilot Chat on github.com, GitHub Mobile, and the Copilot cloud agent as a single, unified experience with a single policy. This unification will be enabled by default and extend chat data retention from 28 days to the life of the account, aligning with the existing cloud agent experience.
Enhancements (1) ›
- Copilot Code Review Default Effort Level Changes to Balanced
Effective September 28, 2026, the default review effort level for GitHub Copilot code review will change from 'Lite' to 'Balanced' for existing and new repositories and organizations. Users wishing to retain the 'Lite' default must explicitly select it in their repository or organization settings before this date.
https://github.blog/changelog/2026-08-28-upcoming-changes-to-github-copilot-policies-and-billing
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