Max Now Includes Monthly API Credits: How They Differ from the Cloud Credit, and How I Split the Three

Max plans now come with monthly API credit—separate from the cloud credit.The cloud credit was a one-time bonus in September and only runs cloud sessions. This one arrives every month and can only be spent on the API. Max 5xUS$100per month Max 20xUS$200per month UnusedExpiresno rollover Team plans get it per seat; Free and Pro don't. New subscribers can claim it after 7 days on the plan. The credit email from 10/17 (org name blurred). It says the credits can't be used for Claude Code sessions; the Help Center adds that claude -p run yourself with an API key does count. How to set it up3 steps Link a Console organization on the Billing pageclaude.ai Settings → Billing → API credits. You can link only one, and you can't change it yourself afterwards — that takes a support request. Create an API key in that organizationA key from another organization still works, but it won't draw on this credit. The Console may name the organization differently from claude.ai, so check before you create it. Call it from code, the SDK, or claude -p with the keyInteractive Claude Code (terminal, IDE, desktop) doesn't count; it still uses your plan's usage. Once linked, the Billing page shows “Linked,” the monthly amount, and the date of the next credit (org name blurred). How it differs from the cloud credit Cloud creditthe 9/23 one SourceOne-time bonus Spend onCloud sessions only ExpiresNov 5 When it runs outFalls back to your plan's usage API creditthis one SourceIncluded with Max every month Spend onAPI, SDK, or key-authenticated claude -p ExpiresEnd of each billing cycle When it runs outRequests stop; nothing is chargedunless auto-reload is on The cloud credit sits at the bottom of the Usage page, counted separately from the API credit. Screenshot taken 10/18, when I had just started. How I combine themthree budgets, three jobs Cloud creditWork that lives entirely in a GitHub repo and ends as a commit.It keeps running with the laptop closed. API creditBackground work that needs my own machine.Like building and testing a macOS app, or services that only run locally. Run claude -p with the key in the background. SubscriptionBack-and-forth discussion, reviewing results, making the calls.I keep the interactive line for myself. The order:spend whatever expires first. When the API credit runs out, drop the key and run the same job on the subscription. Three days of real use10/18–10/20 API credit≈ $17830+ background tasks Cloud credit≈ $6820+ sessions Per task$0.3–22depends on the change Run several agents at once and $200 a month won't last a week. Only light users need to worry about leaving it unused. Two gotchas ⚠️ Don't put the key in ANTHROPIC_API_KEY as a global environment variableIt takes priority over your subscription login. Once it's set, ordinary interactive sessions bill to the API, and cloud sessions stop working. Pass it in for that one run only. ⚠️ Claude Code through a proxy can't use this creditRoute it to Anthropic through a proxy like LiteLLM or CCR and you get “credit balance is too low.” To spend this credit on Claude Code, pass the key directly and run claude -p. Sources: Claude Help Center, “Monthly API credits for Max and Team plans” (plans, amounts, scope). The two gotchas and the three-day numbers are my own tests; costs come from my local ledger, and the Console's Billing page is the authority. Recorded 2026-10-21. Details on the cloud credit are in the previous note.

Max Now Includes Monthly API Credits: How They Differ from the Cloud Credit, and How I Split the Three

How to set it up3 steps

How it differs from the cloud credit

Cloud creditthe 9/23 one

API creditthis one

How I combine themthree budgets, three jobs

Three days of real use10/18–10/20

Two gotchas

Grew out of