Claude usage limit reached: session, weekly and Opus limits, "specified API usage limits", "credit balance is too low" — and what to do

The messages, sorted by which meter they come from

You've hit your session limit · resets 3pm
You've hit your weekly limit · resets Thu 9am
You've hit your Opus limit · resets Thu 9am
Usage credits are required for this model
Usage credits required for 1M context · run /usage-credits to purchase or /model to switch
You have reached your specified API usage limits. You will regain access on 2026-10-01 at 00:00 UTC.
Your credit balance is too low to access the Anthropic API. Please go to Plans & Billing to upgrade or purchase credits.
API Error: Server is temporarily limiting requests (not your usage limit) · Rate limited

Subscription windows (Pro / Max)

The first three are the plan's rolling windows: a session window that resets a few hours after it opens, a weekly window, and a separate weekly window for the top-tier model. They are consumed by tokens, not messages, so a long agentic session with several subagents burns a window far faster than chat. /usage shows where each one stands; /stats shows what used it. There is nothing to fix and nothing to restart: the message includes the reset time.

Two things about these windows generate most tracker traffic. The reset anchor is fixed per account and cannot be moved (#76272, 30 reactions, users on the same plan getting different reset days). And the meter can move without visible work: #54750 and #82506 report the session limit reaching 100% with little local usage, and #62466 (24 reactions) shows a loop of image couldn't be processed API errors eating the whole limit while producing nothing. If usage climbs while you are idle, check for background sessions, scheduled tasks and retry loops before assuming the counter is wrong.

"Usage credits are required for this model"

This is the message that confuses subscribers most, because it appears while the plan still has quota. It means the model or window you selected is outside the plan and would have to be paid for with extra usage credits.

The most common trigger is a model whose default is the 1M-token window: #62052 documents a *Usage limit reached* wording for what was really a 1M context tier gate, and the fix is to select the non-1M variant in /model (or set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT=1). #78610 (open, 49 reactions) collects reports of the prompt appearing for models that *are* in the plan, sometimes while the usage tracker disappears; those coincide with incidents, so check status.claude.com and retry before buying anything.

Console billing: "specified API usage limits" and "credit balance is too low"

These come from an API key, not a subscription. *You have reached your specified API usage limits* is the monthly spend limit configured for the organization in the Anthropic console (Settings → Limits); it unlocks at the date in the message or when an admin raises the limit. *Your credit balance is too low* means the prepaid balance is empty; the API is prepaid, so nothing runs until it is topped up. Neither is a bug, and neither is affected by /compact, restarts or reinstalls.

If you use an API key and a subscription on the same machine, remember that the key wins: with ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in the environment, Claude Code bills the key even while you think you are on Max, which is how people hit a console limit they never knew they had. /status shows which one is active.

"Server is temporarily limiting requests (not your usage limit)"

The parenthesis is the whole story: Anthropic is throttling on its side during load, and your quota is untouched. #53915 (open, 68 comments) is the main thread; the complaint there is less the throttling than that Claude Code stops instead of retrying, so unattended sessions die. Wait a minute and resume with claude -c; for long runs set CLAUDE_CODE_RETRY_WATCHDOG=1 so the client keeps retrying, and treat it like a 529 overloaded rather than a limit.

Keep working: the API route has no session window

A subscription buys a window; an API key buys tokens. When the window is the problem — weekly limit gone on Tuesday, Opus limit hit mid-task — the practical move is to point the same Claude Code at an API endpoint for the rest of the week. Through this gateway the key is prepaid per token at the multiplier on the pricing page, with no session or weekly reset, and your first crypto top-up is doubled (+100%). Unset the key to go back to the subscription when it resets.

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://aiprimetech.io
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_gateway_key
claude          # billed per token, no session or weekly window

Per-minute rate limits (429) are a different mechanism again and are covered on the rate limits page.

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://aiprimetech.io
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key

Frequently asked questions

AI Prime Tech is an independent API gateway and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic. “Claude” and “Claude Code” are trademarks of Anthropic. Claude Code features described here follow Anthropic’s public documentation at the time of writing and change frequently; prices and model lists on this page are read from this gateway’s live settings.