A practical AI guide for Vermonters, from AI in the 802.
Open chatgpt.com and sign up with email, Google, Microsoft, or Apple. Free does not ask for a card. Checked September 25, 2026.
Open chatgpt.com and choose Sign up. A free account does not ask for a credit card.
OpenAI's help article on Pro tiers says new sign-ups for the $200 Pro plan have been paused since September 10, 2026. Free, and the cheaper paid plans, were not part of that pause. Stay on Free until a real task runs out of room.
Create the account
Go to chatgpt.com.
Choose Sign up.
Use email, Google, Microsoft, or Apple.
Skip any paid plan.
Before you paste anything private
Open Settings. Look at Memory, and look at whether chats can be used to train models. Set both the way you want them before you paste a name, a medical note, or a file. Do not paste a password.
The account is on when the answer stays
Ask for one thing you already needed today. Come back later. If you can scroll to that answer, the account stuck.
Questions
Do I need a credit card to set up ChatGPT?
No. The free account is enough to start. The $200 Pro plan was not taking new sign-ups as of September 10, 2026.
Can I use ChatGPT without an account?
You may get a chat before you sign up. It will not be there when you come back. Sign up when you want the answer kept.
What should I skip on the first day?
Plugins, an inbox connection, and a coding install. Finish one saved chat first. Then read Give an AI agent one job.
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