[BUG] API Error: Usage credits required for 1M context

[Zamhinio94]

Preflight Checklist

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

What's Wrong?

Keep getting the 'API Error: Usage credits required for 1M context' error - however I still have usage remaining and it has not been more than usual amounts...

What Should Happen?

Claude should not give this error and work successfully

Error Messages/Logs

'API Error: Usage credits required for 1M context'

Steps to Reproduce

n/a

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

2.1.121

Claude Code Version

2.1.121

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

[Zamhinio94]

@claude grateful for help

[osetavoix]

same here

Bug Description
On Max 20x plan with latest Claude Code (v2.1.154), I get:
"API Error: Usage credits required for 1M context · run /usage-credits
to turn them on, or /model to switch to standard context"

This appears even though 1M context is documented as included in Max
plans with no extra usage required. The client seems to default to the
1M long-context tier instead of routing standard (<200K) requests to
the standard tier.

Environment

• Plan: Max 20x ($200/mo)
• Claude Code version: 2.1.154 (latest on npm)
• OS: [Windows / macOS / Linux — à compléter]
• Model selected: [Opus / Sonnet — à compléter]

Expected behavior
Requests under 200K tokens should use the standard tier and succeed
without usage credits, since 1M context is included in my Max plan.

Actual behavior
Every request is gated behind the 1M usage-credits requirement,
blocking the session. Updating doesn't help (already on latest version).

Workaround
/model → standard context lets work continue, but 1M (included in Max)
remains unusable.

[ADeravi]

Same issue here. The setting keeps the 1M token option disabled, but the issue still happens.
Opening a new thread fixed it for a few hours, but the same error eventually came back.
The issue is; Desktop's context is tied to your Anthropic account, not local machine config.

[1Demo]

This worked for me:

Turn off “usage credits to keep using Claude if you hit a limit”, then quit and reopen the app.

After that, turn it back on, quit and reopen the app again, then continue the chat.

Same issue here, I just did that and all my balance instantly went to Minus from like 40€

[Manish-Kumar94]

I am facing similar issue and I see similar bugs but no response.

[MRavandoust]

I am experiencing the exact same issue. I have tried every single troubleshooting step and workaround mentioned here and in the documentation, but none of them resolved the problem.

To make matters worse, during my last session, this persistent error triggered an automated loop that rapidly and completely depleted all of my paid tokens within minutes, without me even making any substantial usage or writing much code.

This is a critical system-side glitch that is costing users real credits. Please investigate and fix this context/billing loop as soon as possible.

[openc2023]

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API Error: Usage credits required for 1M context · turn on usage credits at claude.ai/settings/usage, or use --model to switch to standard context
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