Claude Code subscriptions: Pro, Max and API billing

Connect an existing subscription

Confirm an active subscription in Claude billing, install Claude Code using its official instructions and choose Claude-account login. If currently using a Console pay-as-you-go account, use /login to switch to the subscription account instead of buying a duplicate subscription.

Claude Code subscription login and troubleshooting

Why API charges can still occur

Anthropic warns that ANTHROPIC_API_KEY can take precedence over subscription authentication and incur API charges. Inspect the active authentication method and billing source without pasting the secret into logs or chats. Follow the documented switch procedure and avoid changing configuration used by other projects.

A Pro account subscription does not include Claude Console API usage. The same email or model name does not make those bills interchangeable.

Pro subscriptions and API access

Inspect usage before upgrading

Chat and Claude Code share subscription limits; terminal, IDE and web access are not separate full allowances. Check usage and reset notices, and inspect repeatedly rerun tasks. Choose waiting, upgrading or extra usage according to your budget and the options offered to your account.

Compare billing periods and official prices when choosing a plan. Subly’s checked Claude catalog contains Max plans; Claude Code support does not mean every Claude subscription is sold by Subly.

Troubleshoot before paying again

Check the login email, subscription status, original billing channel and CLI authentication. If needed, follow the official logout, update and sign-in procedure. An individual app-store issue report is not evidence that all store subscriptions lack Claude Code access.

Claude paid-account recognition checks

Common questions