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Copilot Auto discount documentation says 10%, but VS Code shows 30% #46342
Description
Code of Conduct
- I have read and agree to the GitHub Docs project's Code of Conduct.
What article on docs.github.com is affected?
About Copilot auto model selection, specifically:
- Auto tier options
- Discount for using auto model selection
What part(s) of the article would you like to see updated?
The article states that Auto provides a 10% discount, while the GitHub Copilot model picker and Auto tooltip in VS Code explicitly advertise a 30% discount.
| Surface | Observed wording |
|---|---|
| Docs: Auto tier options | "Usage is still charged based on the model auto selects, regardless of tier, alongside the 10% discount for users on paid plans." |
| Docs: Discount for using auto model selection | "If you are on a paid Copilot plan, you qualify for a 10% discount on model costs while using auto model selection in Copilot Chat, Copilot CLI, the GitHub Copilot app, or Copilot cloud agent." |
| VS Code model picker | "Auto" with a "30% discount" badge |
| VS Code Auto tooltip | "Auto routes based on your task and real-time system health and model performance. Models routed via auto receive a 30% discount." |
Requested clarification:
- Confirm the applicable Auto discount and reconcile both percentage references in this article with the VS Code UI.
- If the discount varies by client, subscription, rollout, or promotion, document that scope and any relevant dates rather than presenting one unconditional percentage.
- Clarify what the discount applies to so readers can accurately estimate usage costs.
Note
This reports a documentation/UI inconsistency, not a verified billing error. The UI alone does not establish which percentage is actually applied to usage.
Additional information
Observed on October 16, 2026, in VS Code on macOS, with Auto selected and the Balance tier visible.
Steps to inspect the discrepancy:
- Open Copilot Chat in VS Code.
- Open the model picker and inspect the Auto entry.
- Hover over Auto to inspect its explanation.
- Compare the displayed 30% discount with the article's 10% discount.
The UI text above was transcribed from a screenshot supplied by the reporter; the screenshot itself is not attached to this issue. Exact VS Code/Copilot versions and subscription details have not been established. This is one observed environment; broader rollout coverage is unknown.
The conflicting guidance can also cause assistants relying on the official documentation to incorrectly dismiss the percentage users can see directly in the product.
Activity
subatoi commentedon Oct 16, 2026
Thanks for reporting, @pimmink—we'll have the appropriate team review this, if there's any action needed on the docs side
phobrla commentedon Oct 16, 2026
I submitted support ticket 4857262 for this a few days ago, as well.
subatoi commentedon Oct 16, 2026
Thanks for letting us know, @phobrla
phobrla commentedon Oct 16, 2026
Adding technical details from my environment and the investigation included in support ticket 4857262.
I observed the same 30% discount in both the Auto model-picker badge and tooltip on October 14, 2026, with:
7baac39ec3ca969dab74ac12c097f6a486e46593Where the percentage comes from
The installed extension bundle was checked against the source at that exact commit. The displayed percentage is metadata-driven, not a hardcoded “30%” string:
Relevant source locations, pinned to that build:
billing.auto_discount.getAutoModelDiscountLabelformats the badge.getAutoModelDescriptionformats “Models routed via auto receive a {0}% discount.”.There is no Max-specific conditional in this traced display path, so my subscription alone does not establish that 30% is a Max benefit. Also, because the formatter rounds, the screenshot does not establish that the underlying fraction is exactly
0.3.What remains unverified
This establishes how the UI produces the message, not the effective billed discount. The request-routing code separately prefers the routed response’s
discounted_costsvalue over the model’s advertisedautoDiscount. I have not captured my account’s raw/modelsresponse.I supplied Support with the screenshot, client versions, plan confirmation, and relevant usage CSV rows. Those CSV rows are daily/model aggregates and do not independently isolate the Auto discount percentage.
It would help to confirm whether the discrepancy reflects incorrect/stale pricing metadata or an intentional rate not covered by the documentation. If the rate varies, please document its eligibility, client/model/tier scope, and any expiration dates rather than simply replacing 10% with 30% universally.