Limits guide
Hit your Claude Code limit? What to do next
Your options when Claude Code says you have hit your limit: find the exact reset time, switch model family, buy usage credits, or move to an API key.
· Facts checked October 3, 2026
- Claude Code
The short answer
When Claude Code stops you, first check which limit you hit and when it resets: /usage shows the five-hour and weekly windows with their reset times. Then pick one of the four options Anthropic documents, which are waiting for the reset, switching model family, buying usage credits at API rates, or upgrading the plan.
At a glance
| Find the reset | /usage in Claude Code shows each window and its reset time. |
|---|---|
| Opus or Sonnet limit | Switch to the other model family with /model and keep working. |
| Usage credits | Billed at standard API rates, separately from the plan. Buy them with /usage-credits. |
| Discounted bundles | Prepaid usage: $50 for $45, $250 for $200, or $1,000 for $700. |
| Auto-continue | Recent Claude Code versions can wait for the reset and continue the task. |
Step one: find out which limit stopped you
Claude Code tracks a five-hour session window and a weekly limit, and the message tells you which one you reached. A model message, such as reaching your Opus limit, is narrower than the plan limit. The fix depends on which one it is, so read the message before choosing.
Also run /status. Anthropic's troubleshooting docs point out that a stray ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable can route Claude Code to API billing instead of your plan, which changes both what you pay and which limits apply.
- Run /usage to see the session and weekly windows and the time each one resets.
- If the message names Opus or Sonnet, run /model and pick a model from the other family.
- If a plan limit is the problem, decide whether the reset is soon enough to wait for.
- If it is not, buy usage credits with /usage-credits or move up a plan.
Usage credits versus upgrading
Usage credits, which Anthropic used to call extra usage, keep you working past the plan limit and are billed at standard API rates. You turn them on in Settings, then Usage, and can set a monthly spending cap and auto-reload. Prepaid bundles lower the price: $250 of usage costs $200, a 20% discount.
Credits suit an occasional crunch. If you hit the limit most weeks, an upgrade usually costs less than paying API rates on top of a plan. Comparing your monthly API-equivalent usage with the plan prices shows which side you are on, as the Max plan guide explains.
One detail affects cost: on a subscription, Claude Code caches the conversation for an hour, but while you draw on usage credits the cache lifetime drops to five minutes. Long pauses then mean more cache rewrites, which the cache write guide covers.
Avoiding the next lockout
The limit is easier to manage when you see it coming. Claude Code passes the used percentage and reset time of both windows to its status line, and everyaitoken shows them in your menu bar and widgets with an optional alert at 80%. Seeing the weekly window at 70% on a Tuesday is a cue to move routine tasks to a lighter model before you are stuck.
Your own numbers
See every limit and its reset time.
everyaitoken reads Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenRouter, Gemini CLI, and OpenCode on your Mac. It shows limits with reset times, API-equivalent cost, and what caching saved or cost, in the menu bar and 17 widgets. $9 once.
FAQ
Questions
How long do I have to wait after hitting the Claude Code limit?
Until the window you hit resets. A five-hour limit comes back when its rolling window rolls over, and a weekly limit at the fixed weekly time assigned to your account. /usage shows both times.
Can Claude Code continue automatically after the limit resets?
Yes. Anthropic's cost docs describe recent Claude Code versions waiting for the reset and continuing the task, so a long job does not have to be restarted by hand.
Are Claude usage credits more expensive than the plan?
They are billed at standard API rates, which is usually more per task than a plan's included usage. Prepaid bundles take 10% to 30% off, depending on size.
Can I use an API key instead when I hit the limit?
Yes. Claude Code can run on an API key billed through the Claude Console at API rates. Check /status afterwards so you know which billing route is active.
Sources
Checked October 3, 2026. Plans and limits change; the linked pages are the authority.