Claude Code charges Extra Usage money then switches to plan tokens - toggle required throughout

Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Feb 18, 2026 by natti1399 Closed Feb 22, 2026

Bug Description

When weekly plan usage reaches ~90%, Claude Code requires the "Extra Usage" toggle to be ON to function. Initially it charges real Extra Usage money, but later switches to consuming included plan tokens — while still requiring the toggle. Turning the toggle OFF at any point causes "API Error: Rate limit reached" even with included tokens remaining.

Environment

  • Claude Code version: v2.1.45
  • Model: Opus 4.6 (1M context)
  • Plan: Claude Pro
  • OS: macOS (Darwin 24.6.0)

Timeline of Issue

  1. Weekly usage reached ~90%. Claude Code stopped working with "API Error: Rate limit reached"
  2. Turned ON Extra Usage to continue working
  3. Phase 1: Extra Usage balance went from ~$27 → $32.29 (charged ~$5 of real money)
  4. Phase 2: At some point, Extra Usage dollar amount stopped increasing ($32.29 stayed flat), but weekly plan tokens continued climbing (92% → 93% → etc.) and session usage increased (21% → 25%)
  5. Throughout both phases: Turning Extra Usage OFF immediately caused "Rate limit reached" again, even though included plan tokens were available
  6. Tested in fresh Claude Code session from home directory (no heavy context) — same issue

Expected Behavior

  • Claude Code should use included plan tokens until they're exhausted (100%)
  • Extra Usage should only be needed/charged after included tokens are fully consumed
  • The Extra Usage toggle should not be required as a gate when included tokens remain

Actual Behavior

  • Claude Code stops working at ~90% weekly usage unless Extra Usage is ON
  • Initially charges Extra Usage money (~$5) that should have been covered by included tokens
  • Later switches to using included tokens but still requires the toggle ON
  • Users are charged real money unnecessarily AND confused by the toggle requirement

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Use Claude Pro plan until weekly usage reaches ~90%
  2. Open Claude Code and send any message → "Rate limit reached"
  3. Turn ON Extra Usage → works (initially charges money)
  4. Continue using → at some point stops charging money but uses plan tokens
  5. Turn OFF Extra Usage at any point → breaks immediately

Impact

  • ~$5 charged unnecessarily to Extra Usage when plan tokens were available
  • Confusing billing behavior (charges money, then stops, but toggle still required)
  • Users cannot use Claude Code near end of weekly cycle without enabling Extra Usage
  • Creates distrust in billing accuracy

---

Filed via Claude Code on behalf of user

View original on GitHub ↗

This issue has 3 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗