Stop Checking the Claude Console

Yes, Claude credits expire 1 year from the date of purchase. Promotional or free credits may have shorter expiration periods. CostGoat helps you track your balance so you can use credits before they expire.

The 'your credit balance is too low' error means your Claude account balance is insufficient for the API request. You need to add more credits in the console. CostGoat alerts you before you hit this point so you can top up proactively.

Claude credits are prepaid funds used for API calls. Each request is charged based on input and output tokens, with different rates for each model (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku). Credits are deducted in real-time as you make requests.

Anthropic occasionally offers free credits for new accounts, startups (via their startup program), students, and research purposes. Check their website for current programs. With CostGoat, you can track any free credits you receive.

You can check your balance at console.anthropic.com/settings/billing, but this requires logging in each time. CostGoat provides instant access to your credit balance from your desktop — see it at a glance without opening a browser.