Claude API free credit update: the $5 offer has ended

The $5 new-account credit announced in an earlier version of this article is no longer available. Creating a Claude API account does not automatically add that credit.

Updated 2026-10-15

What you can use today

API usage needs an active plan for the key’s group, funded prepaid credits, or access explicitly granted to your account. The current Plans page shows available periods and prices. The Top up page shows current credit options.

Check a bonus only when it appears in this site’s checkout. An AI Prime Tech promotion, another gateway’s coupon or an Anthropic offer does not automatically apply to CAK.

A small evaluation before a longer plan

Read the current free-trial and paid-evaluation guide, configure your client, and verify which access group you need. If you choose a short paid plan, prepare your setup before activation.

Any manually reviewed trial is limited to the access actually granted in your account. Contacting support or applying for an offer is not an active entitlement.

If you found an old coupon or search result

This URL remains available to explain the correction. Older snippets and screenshots may still describe the retired promotion. Check the current page and your dashboard before expecting free usage; never paste an API key into a third-party coupon checker.

Questions about access

Compare current plans · Set up Claude Code · Compare prepaid credits

Claude API is an independent API gateway and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. Claude and Anthropic are trademarks of their respective owners.