Setting up paid GitHub Copilot billing

Use this process if any of the following applies to you:

  • You are centrally funded staff who has exceeded the fair usage limit described in GitHub Copilot for Business at Imperial.
  • You are externally funded staff, who have no fair usage allowance and must fund all Copilot usage this way before you can be granted access.
  • You are a postgraduate student who wants a GitHub Copilot for Business license funded by your department or research project.

Before you start

You need an Imperial cost code for your group, approval to incur the costs, and a budget amount before submitting the request. The budget must cover the $19 per-user monthly Copilot for Business license fee and any additional usage charges.

Request an Azure subscription

Request an Azure subscription linked to your group’s cost code using the Azure Subscription request form.

When completing the form, explain that the subscription is for GitHub Copilot. Include the budget amount. This allows the relevant team to attach the subscription to the GitHub cost centre and apply the budget.

Wait until the Azure subscription has been created before continuing to the next step.

Request a Copilot license

After the Azure subscription has been created, sign in to the ImperialCollegeLondon GitHub organisation and complete Imperial’s GitHub Copilot license request form. When completing the form, select the Azure subscription linked to your group’s cost code.

You’ll need to be a member of the ImperialCollegeLondon organisation on GitHub to access the request form. If you’re not a member, you can sign-up by following How do I gain access to the Imperial College London organisation on GitHub.

Billing flow

The billing process works as follows:

Imperial cost code → Azure subscription → GitHub cost centre (budget applied) → GitHub user account

Your cost code funds the Azure subscription, which is linked to a GitHub cost centre. The GitHub budget covers the $19 per-user monthly Copilot for Business license fee and any additional usage charges. This allows ICT to track usage and costs by group and cost code.