Hi everyone! I'm trying to figure out why I need to purchase extra API credits to use Claude Code after already paying for my Claude Pro subscription. I signed up for the Pro plan last month, but wasn't expecting to spend another $25 to $50 on API credits. It got frustrating when I noticed Claude kept getting stuck making repetitive changes, which drained my credits quickly. I thought I was prompting correctly, so I'm confused about the tool's performance. Plus, I'm in a tight spot financially after losing my job a few years ago. I didn't realize I still had the monthly Pro subscription active, which led to another charge recently. Now I've run out of API credits and can't afford to buy more. I'm really curious about why there's a need to buy credits separately when I've already subscribed to Pro. Isn't the Pro subscription supposed to provide some kind of usage rights? I expected the API credits would be included, especially since I'm just getting started with Claude Code. Am I stuck without access despite paying for my subscription? Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a lot, Steven.
1 Answer
Think of it this way: your Claude Pro subscription is like a gym membership, and Claude Code is like hiring a personal trainer. You have to pay extra for the trainer, and the cost can vary based on how often you use them. There might be a higher membership tier that includes trainer time, like a Claude Max plan, but otherwise, it’s an additional cost. It’s kind of frustrating, I get that!
Yeah, it feels like they're just charging extra for everything these days. I used to work in a place that built applications like Claude Code for internal use, so it's odd to see this kind of nickel-and-diming. Thanks for your take, though—it does help clarify things!