Claude Code gives incorrect information about Anthropic API free credits and misleading 'Skip for now' button during signup

Summary

This issue covers two related problems encountered during the Claude Code onboarding experience around Anthropic API key setup.

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Problem 1: Claude Code states incorrect information about free API credits

During a Claude Code session, the assistant confidently stated that new Anthropic accounts receive \$5 in free API credits and that signing up is instant with no card required. Both statements are factually incorrect as of June 2026:

• There are no free credits offered to new API accounts
• A credit card is mandatory during signup with no way to bypass it

When asked to reveal the source of this information, the assistant could not provide one — the information appears to have been hallucinated or pulled from outdated training data.

Impact: Users trust Claude Code's guidance when setting up their environment. Incorrect statements about pricing and signup flow cause wasted time, confusion, and erode trust in the tool.

Suggested fix: Claude Code should either:

• Acknowledge it does not have real-time access to Anthropic's current pricing and signup policies
• Direct users to the official documentation rather than stating billing details as fact
• Be explicitly trained/prompted to say "check console.anthropic.com for current pricing" instead of citing specific credit amounts

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Problem 2: "Skip for now" button during API signup loops back to card details page

During new account signup at console.anthropic.com, a "Skip for now" button is shown on the credit card authorisation screen. Clicking it redirects back to the same card details page instead of proceeding to the console.

Expected behaviour: Clicking "Skip for now" should take the user to the Anthropic Console dashboard, where they can choose to top up with a specific amount at their own discretion when they are ready.

Actual behaviour: The button creates an infinite redirect loop back to the card authorisation screen, making it impossible to access the console without entering card details.

Suggested improvement:

• "Skip for now" should genuinely skip and land the user in the Console
• Present a clear top-up flow inside the Console (e.g. "Add \$5", "\$10", "\$25") so the user is in control of when and how much they spend
• This is a standard pattern used by other API platforms (e.g. OpenAI, Google Cloud) and reduces friction for developers evaluating the platform

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Steps to reproduce (Problem 2)

1. Go to console.anthropic.com and begin new account signup
2. Reach the credit card authorisation screen
3. Click "Skip for now"
4. Observe: page reloads/redirects back to the same card screen instead of proceeding

Platform: Web (mobile browser, iOS)

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Labels suggested

enhancement · documentation · area:auth · user-experience