Short answer
If your ChatGPT account was deactivated, Codex sign-in with ChatGPT stops working, but Codex itself still runs on an API key. OpenAI's Codex docs list two ways to sign in: with ChatGPT for subscription access, or with an API key for usage-based access. The desktop app, Codex CLI and the IDE extension support both for local work; only Codex cloud requires ChatGPT.
- Appeal first if you think the ban is a mistake: contact OpenAI through its help center.
- To keep working today, switch Codex to an API key that's billed per token. That can be a key from OpenAI's own API platform, or a TeamoRouter key that also works with Claude and Gemini models. Setup is one
config.tomlfile; see Codex CLI setup.
New accounts start with a $0 balance — top up before your first request. Top up from $5. If Codex shows 400 Bad Request with "wallet balance is insufficient", your balance is empty — your base URL and key are fine. Top up and retry.
Get a pay-as-you-go API key for Codex
What happened in November 2026
On November 7–8, 2026, users reported a wave of ChatGPT accounts being deleted or deactivated without warning, according to a 21st Century Business Herald report (Chinese). The error reads "You do not have an account because it has been deleted or deactivated."
- Who was hit, per the report: accounts registered in low-price regions such as the Philippines and Turkey, cheap Team seats, accounts behind reverse proxies, and some Plus, Pro and student accounts.
- What OpenAI said: its status page reported elevated payment errors for some US business Mastercard cards; it didn't describe the bans.
OpenAI hasn't published a statement explaining the deactivations, so the exact rules behind them aren't known.
Option 1: appeal
If your account was used normally, appeal through OpenAI's help center. Reports say some users got answers and some didn't. Your chat history and memory stay on OpenAI's side while the account is deactivated.
Option 2: switch Codex to an API key
Usage-based billing means you pay for the tokens you use instead of a monthly plan. You can get a key in two ways:
| OpenAI API key | TeamoRouter API key | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | platform.openai.com | TeamoRouter dashboard |
| Account | A separate OpenAI API organization, in a supported country, with an accepted payment method | Email sign-up; top up from $5 by card, Alipay or USDT |
| Models | OpenAI models | GPT models plus Claude, Gemini and other models under one key |
| Codex setup | Choose API key sign-in | One provider block in config.toml |
Set up Codex with a TeamoRouter key
macOS / Linux:
mkdir -p ~/.codex && cat > ~/.codex/config.toml <<'EOF'
model_provider = "teamorouter"
model = "gpt-6.1-sol"
model_reasoning_effort = "high"
[model_providers.teamorouter]
name = "TeamoRouter"
base_url = "https://api.teamorouter.com/v1"
env_key = "OPENAI_API_KEY"
wire_api = "responses"
EOF
export OPENAI_API_KEY="<your-TeamoRouter-key>"
codex
The same config.toml works for the Codex desktop app and the IDE extension. Windows commands and details are in Codex CLI setup and Codex desktop setup.
What it costs
You pay per token. OpenAI's official prices per million tokens: GPT-6.1 Sol $2 input / $10 output, GPT-6.1 Terra $1 / $5. A Codex session that reads a lot of code mostly costs input tokens. Current prices on TeamoRouter are on the pricing page.
If you used ChatGPT for chat, not code
The ChatGPT app can't use an API key. To keep chatting with GPT models, use a chat client that takes an API key, such as Cherry Studio.
FAQ
Can I still use Codex after my ChatGPT account was deactivated?
Yes, for local work. Sign in to Codex with an API key instead of ChatGPT. Codex cloud tasks need a ChatGPT sign-in.
Will an API key from OpenAI work if my ChatGPT account is banned?
The API platform uses its own organization and billing. Whether a new API organization is allowed after a ChatGPT ban is up to OpenAI; we haven't seen an official answer.
Does switching to an API key cost more than Plus or Pro?
It depends on how much you use: you pay for tokens instead of a flat monthly price, so heavy all-day agent sessions add up. Check your usage in the dashboard for the first few days.