For billing, cancellation, and refunds on a paid Claude plan, one rule matters most — manage it on the platform you signed up on. If you subscribed on the web (claude.ai), Anthropic handles payment; on iOS, Apple does; on Android, Google does. That's why the cancel/refund path differs.
🟢 Model references match the current lineup · model notice · Fable subscription
Fable 5 and 5.1 subscription (updated September 7, 2026): Claude Fable 5.1, released September 1, 2026, is the current Fable model and Fable 5 is now legacy. Plan terms are the same for both — Max and Team Premium plans include Fable at up to 50% of the weekly usage limit; Pro and Team Standard use usage credits (
- Cancel, refund, and payment are handled where you signed up — Anthropic (web), Apple (iOS), Google (Android).
- After canceling you keep access until the end of the current period, then switch to free. Cancel 24h before the next charge to stop it.
- Change a card via Settings → Billing → Update next to your payment method (official help article, checked September 18, 2026). The new card becomes the default and the old one is no longer billed. There is no menu to delete a card by itself.
- Refunds are not guaranteed — they depend on eligibility, platform, and timing.
What this guide covers
Canceling a subscription · requesting refunds · payment errors · API billing · changing or removing a card · charges after cancellation
Looking for something else?
- How much you can use → usage limits guide
- What the free plan includes → free plan guide
- Plan-by-plan pricing → plan comparison
- Paying from Korea, receipts, VAT → Korea billing guide
Core rule: where you signed up
If you don't see a cancel button in web settings, you almost certainly subscribed via an app (App Store/Play Store). Your billing statement shows where the charge comes from.
How to cancel
- Web / Desktop: your initials/name at the lower left → Settings → Billing → "Cancel".
- iOS / Android app: initials at top right → Billing → Manage subscription → cancel. If you already deleted the app, cancel from the App Store / Play Store.
After canceling, you keep access until the end of the period you already paid for, then revert to Free automatically. To avoid the next charge, cancel at least 24 hours before your next billing date. Your past chats and projects aren't deleted.
Requesting a refund
- Paid on web: check refund eligibility in Anthropic's support messenger; if eligible, it proceeds with cancel + refund.
- iOS (App Store): Anthropic doesn't process it — request a refund from Apple support.
- Android (Play Store): for an active subscription support checks eligibility; for past (inactive) charges contact Google support.
- While a bank dispute (chargeback) is pending, refunds can't be processed (resolve the dispute first).
⚠️ Whether a refund is possible varies by eligibility, platform, and timing, and is not guaranteed. Confirm the exact terms via official docs and support. (Some sources say the current period isn't refunded, so it's case-by-case.)
Payment errors (card declined, etc.)
- Check card details/expiry/limit and any block on international payments; update your payment method.
- You may be asked to verify your payment method (a security step).
- If it still fails, try another card or contact official support.
When API payment fails — billed separately from your subscription
The most common cause behind "my Claude API payment isn't working" is not a card problem. It is mistaking the subscription and the API for one and the same billing. They are entirely separate.
- Subscription (Pro/Max) — for claude.ai chat, billed monthly
- API — prepaid credits purchased at console.anthropic.com
Paying for Pro or Max does not fund API credits. Conversely, holding API credits does not raise your claude.ai chat limits. If you are certain you paid but API calls still fail, check this distinction first.
How API credits work
Per Anthropic's official guidance, API and Workbench usage is billed through prepaid usage credits. Credits must be purchased before use and apply to API calls, Workbench, and Claude Code alike.
- Failed requests are not charged. You are billed only for successful calls and completed tasks
- When credits run out, API and Workbench calls stop working
- Balance and usage are tracked on the Billing page in Console
- To top up, use the Buy credits button on the Billing page
A checklist for failed API payments
Working down this list in order is usually fastest.
- Credit balance — a zero balance fails calls. This is the most frequently misdiagnosed as a card issue
- Payment method — confirm the card permits international charges. Some domestic-only or debit cards get declined
- Organization and permissions — on a team account, only members with billing permissions can add a card. Otherwise ask the organization owner
- Auto-reload — automatically buys credits when the balance drops below a threshold. It prevents interruptions, but setting a conservative limit early on is safer
Official ways to reduce API cost
There are no discount codes, but the pricing structure itself includes cost levers.
- Batch API — processing non-urgent work asynchronously costs 50% less
- Prompt caching — when repeatedly sending the same system prompt or long document, input cost for the cached portion drops substantially
- Right-sizing the model — classification and summarization rarely need the flagship tier. Moving down to Haiku cuts the rate sharply
On the subscription side, annual billing is the main discount. Plan-by-plan terms are covered in the plan comparison guide.
Changing or removing your card
- Change/replace a card: on claude.ai, click your initials or name in the lower left -> Settings -> Billing -> Update next to your payment method, enter the new card details and save. The new card becomes your default, future renewals are charged to it, and the previous card is no longer billed (official help article, checked September 18, 2026). Tick "Use a different name on invoices" here if your invoices should show another name.
- Removing a card: while a subscription is active, there is no official option to delete the card by itself. To stop charges, cancel the subscription and you will not be billed from the next billing date (cancellation takes effect on the next billing date). If you need the card details fully removed, contact official support.
⚠️ Screen names and menus vary by client version and region, and whether a card can be removed depends on your subscription status. Confirm the exact steps in the official docs (support.claude.com). This site is not affiliated with Anthropic.
Canceled but still charged?
- First confirm the cancellation actually completed (look for a confirmation email) — many people only start the flow.
- If charged on both web and an app store, you may have duplicate signups — check each platform's subscription status.
- If you definitely canceled and are still charged, contact official support (or Apple/Google) with the confirmation email as evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a tax invoice or receipt?
Anthropic is a non-Korean company and generally does not issue Korean-style electronic tax invoices. Instead, it provides payment receipts and invoices. API users can download invoices from the Billing screen in the Anthropic Console, while web subscribers (Pro/Max) can find them in the receipt email sent at payment time or on the payment-management page. For business expense or VAT filing, use these receipts and your overseas payment records, and confirm the exact procedure with a tax professional or official support.
If I cancel my Claude subscription, do I get a refund?
Canceling and refunding are separate. Canceling only stops the next charge; it does not automatically refund what you already paid. Refunds depend on eligibility, platform, and timing, and are not guaranteed. Request via Anthropic support (web), Apple (iOS), or Google/support (Android).
I canceled but I'm still being charged. Why?
Most often the cancellation wasn't completed (no confirmation email), or you subscribed on both web and an app. Check each platform's subscription status and receipts; if you're still charged after a confirmed cancellation, contact official support with the confirmation email as evidence.
How do I change or remove my payment card?
Change a card at claude.ai: your name (lower left) → Settings → Billing → Update next to your payment method. The official help article says there is no separate option to remove a card — updating replaces the old one for billing, and while a previous card is no longer charged it may remain stored with the payment processor, so contact support if you need it fully removed. See the payment method and card removal guide for the steps, and the billing, subscription and usage hub for the full list of billing issues.
I paid in the app but there's no cancel button on the web.
If you subscribed via the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android), the cancel button won't appear on the web — cancel from that app store's subscription management. Your billing statement shows where the charge originates.
Does canceling delete my past chats or projects?
No. Canceling does not delete past chats or projects. Only paid features are limited to the free-plan level after the current period ends.
For plan prices/differences see the plan comparison; for API billing see the API key & pricing guide.
Related: Usage limits guide · Free plan guide · API key billing guide
Related articles
- Claude Free Plan Explained: Limits, Usage, and Free vs Pro
- Claude Usage Limits: Resets, Checking & Reducing (2026)
- Claude Code Pricing Explained (2026): Plans, API Costs & Limits
- Paying for Claude in Korea: Cards, Currency, Receipts & VAT (2026)
- Claude API Keys: Getting a Key, Pricing & Usage (2026)
- How to Change or Remove Your Claude Payment Card & View Billing History (2026)
- Trying to Pick Your Last AI Subscription for Good
- Accidentally Bought Claude's Annual Plan? How to Refund and Cancel