[BUG] [Billing] Pro→Max 5x upgrade blocked by Stripe Link error 3+ days, no card ever authorized — matches pattern in #56281, #55266, #57977

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Existing Pro subscriber, cannot upgrade to Max 5x for 3+ days. Every payment attempt fails with "The connection to the user's Link account has been closed."

Diagnostic evidence this is upstream of card authorization, not a normal decline:

• Tested multiple cards (2 US-issued belonging to a family member, several Georgian-issued belonging to me), manual entry, and Google Pay — same error every time.
• When I intentionally entered a wrong CVV, my bank (Bank of Georgia) generated a real 3D Secure/SMS authentication request and texted me — confirming my card and bank connection work fine.
• When I then entered the CORRECT CVV to complete the actual payment, it did NOT reach my bank at all — same Link error returned instead.
• This means validation pings reach the bank, but the real charge does not. This is consistent with a Stripe Radar risk block (outcome.type: blocked, reason: highest_risk_level) or a flagged Link session on the Stripe customer record — likely triggered by an initial cluster of declines when testing other cards in a short window.
• I had disabled Link's "try backup card if declined" setting, but at one point a card I had not selected still appeared to be attempted.

Already tried: multiple cards, manual card entry, different browsers, incognito mode, cleared cache/cookies/site data, mobile hotspot (no VPN active), deleted and recreated my Link account, disabled extensions/ad blockers, re-verified billing address, updated payment method via Settings → Billing.

I also contacted Stripe Link support directly — they confirmed the issue and noted this requires action on Anthropic's Stripe dashboard/customer record, which they cannot access.

Support ticket filed via support.anthropic.com; the Fin AI bot has not escalated to a human after 3+ days.

Related known-pattern issues: #56281, #55266, #57977, #58402

What Should Happen?

Payment should process normally and my subscription should upgrade from Pro to Max 5x, the same as it did before I encountered this error.

Error Messages/Logs

"The connection to the user's Link account has been closed."

(Displayed after clicking Subscribe on the final checkout screen. Manual card entry appears to save successfully and returns to the final subscription screen, but submitting always produces this error. No authorization attempt reaches the card issuer — confirmed via bank SMS/notification behavior described above.)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Log into claude.ai with an active Pro subscription.
2. Go to Settings → Billing.
3. Select upgrade to Max 5x.
4. Enter payment details — tested with saved Link method, manual card entry (multiple cards), and Google Pay.
5. Click Subscribe.
6. Observe: page returns to the same checkout screen and displays "The connection to the user's Link account has been closed."
7. Diagnostic variant: on the CVV field, enter an intentionally incorrect CVV, then submit. Observe: a real Bank of Georgia 3D Secure/SMS verification screen opens, and a genuine SMS is received from the bank confirming the CVV was incorrect.
8. Re-enter the correct CVV and submit again to complete the actual payment attempt.
9. Observe: no bank authorization occurs (no SMS, no notification), and the same "Link account has been closed" error is shown again.

This confirms the failure occurs at the Anthropic/Stripe Link checkout-session layer, before the payment is ever sent to the card network for authorization.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

N/A — this is a claude.ai web/billing issue, not a Claude Code CLI issue. Filed here because this repo is the actively-monitored channel for Anthropic bugs, following the same pattern as related issues #56281, #55266, #57977, #58402.

Platform

Other

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

_No response_