Description: Claude Pro and Max users in Japan face a six-month expiry rule for purchased extra usage credits from September 10, 2026. See how it differs from one-year Console credits and monthly Max/Team API benefits.
Yes. In Japan and certain other jurisdictions, purchased Claude extra usage credits expire six months after purchase under a rule effective September 10, 2026. These are prepaid credits for continuing after a Pro or Max plan's included allowance runs out—not the allowance itself. Most jurisdictions generally have no expiry for this particular balance.[1]
Which Claude credit balance are you looking at?
| Balance | Where it is used | Expiry stated by Anthropic |
|---|---|---|
| Extra usage credits for Pro / Max | Claude chats, Claude Code and other eligible use beyond the subscription allowance | Six months from purchase in Japan and certain jurisdictions from Sep 10, 2026; generally no expiry elsewhere [1] |
| Purchased Claude Console credits | API, Playground and Console-billed Claude Code | One year after purchase; no extension [2][3] |
| Included monthly API credits on Max / Team | API usage in a linked Console organization | Unused amount expires at the end of each billing cycle [4] |
The word credit is doing too much work here. The one-year API rule does not automatically give chat extra usage a one-year lifetime. And the monthly Max/Team API benefit cannot pay for extra usage in Claude or interactive Claude Code.[1][2][4]
Does the six-month rule apply outside Japan?
Anthropic explicitly names Japan but describes the wider category only as “certain jurisdictions.” It says extra usage credits do not expire in most cases. The help page does not publish a complete country list, so it would be misleading to declare every other country exempt. Check the expiry shown in Claude → Settings → Usage for the balance attached to your account.[1]
The date September 10, 2026 marks when the regional rule starts, not a universal wipe of everyone's balance. The page does not resolve every pre-existing purchase or specify a common cutoff hour. For illustration, six calendar months after September 10 falls on March 10, 2027; your account's displayed expiry is the operational date to use.[1]
How can you check the date and control spending?
Open the web app and go to Settings → Usage. Anthropic says it displays expiry dates there and sends an email seven days before expiry. Pro, Max 5x and Max 20x users can enable credits, add a payment method, prepay funds, set a monthly spending cap and optionally enable auto-reload. Even if you subscribed on iOS or Android, enabling and buying extra usage credits happens on the web.[1]
Your subscription still has a five-hour session limit and weekly limits. When one is exhausted, enabled extra usage credits can keep requests going at standard API rates, up to your spending cap or available balance. They do not change when the included limits reset.[1]
Bottom line: Before buying a large top-up, identify the wallet: chat extra usage, purchased Console API credits, or the monthly API benefit. In Japan, the first one now comes with a six-month clock. A prepaid bargain stops being a bargain if the unused balance expires.
Official sources (checked October 17, 2026)
References (4)
- Anthropic, Manage usage credits for paid Claude plans support.claude.com
- Anthropic, How do I pay for my Claude API usage? support.claude.com
- Anthropic, Supplemental Credit Terms (effective March 4, 2024) anthropic.com
- Anthropic, Monthly API credits for Max and Team plans support.claude.com
