ChatGPT vs Claude: API credits that come with your subscription

If you already pay for ChatGPT or Claude, part of that subscription can now go toward the vendor's API. OpenAI's version is new on Perq today: eligible ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers can claim up to $500 per month in API credits. Anthropic has offered something similar for Claude Max, Ultra and Team plans since earlier this month. We re-checked both source pages on Oct 31, 2026.

• OpenAI (Up to $500 per month in API credits for ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers)
• Anthropic (Claude) (Monthly Claude API credits included with paid plans: $100 USD (Max), $200 USD (Ultra), up to $500 USD (Team, pooled))

How much you get

Both programs top out at the same place for teams, and the individual tiers line up closely.

• OpenAI (ChatGPT Pro): the credit follows your Pro tier: $100/month, $200/month or $500/month.
• Anthropic (Claude): $100 USD a month on Max and $200 USD on Ultra. Anthropic's page renamed these tiers this week (they were Max 5x and Max 20x); the amounts did not change.
• Teams: both pay $20 per Standard seat and $100 per Premium seat, pooled across the workspace and capped at $500 a month (ChatGPT Business and Claude Team).

Rules that matter

• Seven-day wait. Both require the paid plan to be active for at least 7 days before you can claim.
• No rollover. Unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle on both.
• You link an API organization. On ChatGPT you link one API organization you own from billing settings. On Claude you link a Claude Console organization, and credits arrive there each cycle.
• What they cover. OpenAI's credits cover API Platform usage, not Codex through API keys or ChatGPT limits. Claude's cover the Claude API, Managed Agents, the Agent SDK and the Console playground, but not Claude Code.
• Who is left out. On the Claude side, Free, Pro and Enterprise plans are not eligible. On the ChatGPT side, free trials and complimentary plans don't count.

Which one to use

These are subscriber benefits, not free tiers: they only make sense if you already pay for the plan. If you do, claim it. A small side project or internal agent can often run on the monthly allowance. If you pay for neither, the free API tiers and startup programs in our AI startup launch pack are a better place to start.

OpenAI (Up to $500 per month in API credits for ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers)

Anthropic (Claude) (Monthly Claude API credits included with paid plans: $100 USD (Max), $200 USD (Ultra), up to $500 USD (Team, pooled))

Originally published on Perq, where every listing carries a source link and a last-verified date. Perq is run by Avatar 8 LLC.