This article explains how usage credits work on your paid Claude plan (Pro, Max 5x, or Max 20x), allowing you to continue working with Claude after reaching your plan's usage limits by switching to pay-as-you-go pricing.
What are usage credits?
Usage credits allow individuals subscribed to paid Claude plans (Pro, Max 5x, and Max 20x) to continue using Claude after reaching their included usage limits. Paid plans have a session limit that resets every five hours and a weekly limit. Max plans also have a separate weekly limit for Fable. Instead of being blocked when you reach one of your plan's limits, you can switch to consumption-based pricing at standard API rates and continue your work without interruption.
Usage credits are separate from the monthly API credits included with Max plans. Monthly API credits don’t apply to usage credits in Claude, Claude Code, or Claude Cowork. Learn more about monthly API credits for Max and Team plans.
Note: If you subscribed through one of the Claude mobile apps, you can only enable usage credits on the web version of Claude. You will need to add your payment method before enabling and purchasing usage credits on the web.
How usage credits work
When you fully use your plan’s included usage limits (your five-hour session limit, your weekly limit, or your Fable weekly limit on Max plans) with usage credits enabled:
Your requests switch to pay-as-you-go pricing on usage credits and keep working.
You may briefly still see the notification that you’re approaching your usage limit. Once your next request goes through on usage credits, it changes to “Now using credits.” You haven’t been cut off; your work continues.
Your subsequent usage will be billed at standard API pricing rates.
Your usage continues until you reach your monthly spend limit, or your balance runs out with auto-reload off.
Your session limit resets every five hours and your weekly limits reset once a week, as usual.
Note: Usage credits are charged separately from your paid Claude subscription and appear as additional charges on your bill.
Enable usage credits
To enable usage credits on your paid Claude plan:
Navigate to Settings > Usage in your Claude account.
Locate the Usage credits section.
Click "Enable" to turn on usage credits.
Set up your payment method if not already configured.
Configure your spending preferences.
Click “Adjust limit” to control costs with a monthly spend limit. You can also select “Set to unlimited” if you prefer no spending restrictions.
You’ll then need to prepay to cover usage beyond your plan limits. Click “Add funds,” enter the amount you want to purchase in the modal, then click “Purchase.”
You can also enable auto-reload to automatically make a purchase when your balance falls below a threshold you set:
Note: There is a daily redemption limit of $2000.
Set spend limits
Control your usage credit spending with:
Monthly spending cap: Set a maximum amount you're willing to spend on usage credits each month.
Auto-reload settings: Automatically add funds when your balance drops below a threshold.
Usage alerts: Receive notifications when approaching your spend limits.
Usage credit pricing
Usage credits are billed at standard API rates; see our pricing page for details.
Price and plans are subject to change at Anthropic's discretion.
Manage your usage credits
Monitor usage and costs
Track your usage credits through:
Usage dashboard: View real-time consumption in Settings > Usage.
Current spending: Monitor your month-to-date usage credit costs.
Usage history: Review past consumption patterns to optimize future usage.
Tips for cost-effective usage
To manage usage credit costs while maintaining productivity:
Choose efficient models: Use our most efficient Haiku model, or the most recent Sonnet model for most tasks. These provide excellent performance at lower token costs than Opus models.
Use your plan’s included usage first: Plan intensive work sessions around your five-hour usage windows.
Start new conversations: Begin fresh chats for new topics to minimize the size of your context window.
Use projects effectively: Store frequently referenced documents in project knowledge instead of re-uploading.
Set appropriate limits: Start with conservative spending caps and adjust based on your needs.
How usage credits work with other features
Claude Code
Usage credits apply to both Claude conversations and Claude Code terminal usage. Your combined usage across both interfaces counts toward your limits.
Research mode
When using Research mode, usage credits apply once you exceed your plan's included limits. Research sessions may consume tokens more quickly due to multiple searches and comprehensive analysis.
Projects and files
Documents stored in project files count toward your context when used in conversations. Usage credits apply to all tokens processed, including project content.
Frequently asked questions
Can I disable usage credits after enabling them?
Yes, you can disable usage credits at any time through Settings > Usage. Once disabled, you'll only have access to your plan's included usage.
How quickly do my regular usage limits reset?
Paid plans include two usage limits: a session limit that resets every five hours, and a weekly limit that resets once a week. Max plans also have a separate weekly limit for Fable that resets once a week. Usage credits don’t affect the reset timing of any of these limits.
Can I keep using Claude after I reach my weekly limit?
Yes. With usage credits enabled, once one of your included limits is fully used (your five-hour session limit or one of your weekly limits), your requests switch to pay-as-you-go pricing on usage credits and keep working. Your usage continues until you reach your monthly spend limit or your usage credit balance runs out with auto-reload off.
I subscribed to a paid Claude plan on the App or Play store; how can I access usage credits?
If you purchased your paid plan through one of the Claude mobile apps, usage credits are only available if you enable and purchase them on the Claude web app. You will not be able to set up usage credits on the mobile app.
Can I track usage credits separately from my included usage?
Yes, the usage dashboard clearly distinguishes between your included plan usage limits and any usage credit consumption.
Will I get a warning before switching to usage credits?
Yes. You’ll see a notification when you’re approaching your session limit or one of your weekly limits. That notification may still be showing at the moment your usage switches to usage credits, so it can look like you’ve been cut off. If usage credits are enabled and you have funds available, your next request goes through on usage credits and the notification changes to “Now using credits.”
Do usage credits expire?
In most cases, usage credits do not expire. However, in certain jurisdictions such as Japan, usage credits expire six months after purchase starting September 10, 2026. You'll receive an email notification seven days before your credits expire, and you can view expiration dates on the Usage page in Settings.