[BUG] CLI-only "API Error: Rate limit reached" on every request despite 97% quota remaining (Max 20x plan)

[silverte]

Preflight Checklist

• I have searched existing issues
• This is a single bug report
• I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Claude Code CLI returns "API Error: Rate limit reached" on EVERY request for 24+ hours. claude.ai web and Claude Desktop work perfectly on the same account. Only CLI is affected.

Environment

• Platform: macOS
• Versions tested: v2.1.49, v2.1.50, v2.1.51
• Plan: Max 20x ($200/month)
• Account: km78cho@gmail.com
• Auth: claude.ai (firstParty), no ANTHROPIC_API_KEY set

Account Status

• Session: 3-7% used
• Weekly: 0-1% used

Troubleshooting Done

• Logout/login, deleted ~/.claude, re-authenticated
• Tested 3 CLI versions
• Removed plugins and MCP configs
• New project directories
• Upgraded Max 5x → Max 20x
• Disabled extra usage after $53/$53 exhaustion

Root Cause

Extra usage exhausted ($53/$53) → disabled → CLI rate limit flag stuck server-side. Plan upgrade did not reset it.

Support Tickets (no human response)

• 215473191468894
• 215473197028578
• 215473205020751

Related Issues

#25531 #25778 #27008 #25733

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. CLI returns "API Error: Rate limit reached" on every command including logout (native binary, Max plan) #27336
2. [BUG] Max x20: CLI still shows Rate limit reached after weekly reset time passed #26821
3. [BUG] Max plan: CLI stuck on 'API Error: Rate limit reached' with weekly usage at 91% #26812

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

• If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[silverte]

This is not a duplicate. While #27336 describes a similar symptom, my issue has additional context that may help the engineering team:

Root cause identified: The issue started immediately after extra usage was exhausted ($53/$53, 100%). Disabling extra usage did NOT release the CLI rate limit flag.
Plan upgrade did not help: Upgraded from Max 5x → Max 20x ($200/month) — CLI still blocked.
Three support tickets with no human response (215473191468894, 215473197028578, 215473205020751) — all responses were from AI bot only.
CLI auth confirmed valid: claude auth status shows loggedIn: true, subscriptionType: max. No ANTHROPIC_API_KEY set.

This appears to be a server-side extra usage exhaustion flag that is not properly released for CLI even after disabling extra usage and upgrading plans. Closing this as duplicate will not help resolve the underlying issue.
If #27336 is the tracked issue, please ensure the engineering team investigates the extra usage flag → CLI rate limit path.

[73nuts]

Same issue here — with a clear reproduction trigger.

My environment

• Plan: Claude Max
• Claude Code: v2.1.55, Opus 4.6 (1M context)
• OS: macOS (Darwin 25.3.0)

Key finding: Extra Usage toggle is the trigger

I can reliably reproduce this by toggling the "Extra usage" setting:

1. Extra usage ON → Claude Code works perfectly
2. Extra usage OFF → Immediately get API Error: Rate limit reached on every request, even hi in a brand new session
3. Extra usage ON again → Instantly works again

This is 100% reproducible. No waiting needed — the effect is immediate upon toggling.

Usage at time of reproduction

Metric	Value
Current session	4% used
Weekly - All models	38% used
Weekly - Sonnet only	2% used
Extra usage spent	$31.68 / $50 limit

Plenty of plan quota remaining, but it seems like Claude Code requires Extra usage to be enabled and routes all requests through the paid pool, ignoring the included plan quota entirely.

[achromichat]

Same issue here — VS Code extension, Max plan, 0% usage.

Environment:

• Claude Code VS Code extension (macOS, Darwin 24.4.0)
• Plan: Claude Max (just upgraded)
• Opus 4.6 (1M context)

Experience:

• With Extra Usage OFF → every request returns API Error: Rate limit reached, even in a brand new conversation
• With Extra Usage ON → works immediately, but burns through Extra Usage credits unnecessarily
• Plan usage dashboard shows 0% session, 0% weekly at the time of the errors
• Waiting an hour+ does not resolve it — the error persists indefinitely until Extra Usage is re-enabled
• Confirms @73nuts's finding: Claude Code appears to require Extra Usage to be enabled and routes all requests through the paid overage pool, completely ignoring included plan quota. The toggle is 100% reproducible as the trigger — flip it off, instant errors; flip it on, instant recovery.

This is happening on the VS Code extension specifically, adding to the evidence this isn't CLI-only.

[djordi37]

I'm using VS Code for Windows and getting the exact same thing. Well below my maximum usage for the week, and getting the API Error: Rate limit reached