How subscription quota is calculated and reset

Monthly subscriptions include a usage allowance. Quota is measured in weighted units rather than a fixed number of API calls; both the 5-hour and weekly limits apply.

How do API requests consume quota units?

A request is one API call. For ordinary text requests, quota is ceil((input tokens + output tokens + cache-read tokens × 0.1) / 29,000), with a minimum of 1 unit and a maximum of 50. Requests containing images have a minimum of 5 units. Failed requests consume no quota. Internal web searches do not consume extra subscription quota. Server-side search runs only when explicitly enabled by the client and respects max_uses: the default is 3 searches, with a platform maximum of 8 per request. Once the limit is reached, further searches stop and available sources are returned; attempts beyond the limit receive an explicit error.

Examples for successful text requests with no cache reads:

• 20,000 input tokens + 9,000 output tokens = 1 quota unit.
• 29,000 input tokens + 1,000 output tokens = 2 quota units after rounding up.

5-hour and 7-day windows

Paid subscriptions use separate fixed 5-hour and 7-day windows, timed from each window’s start. Usage for a window resets when it expires, and the next call opens a new window. Check the Console or usage API for your reset times. If either window has insufficient quota, further calls can receive a 429 rate-limit response. Failed requests consume no quota, and subscription overage charges are not added automatically.

See exact numbers on the pricing page. To see usage live in Claude Code: Usage in Claude Code.

What a 429 means

• concurrency_limit: concurrency over your plan cap — slow down, reduce parallel calls, or compare higher-tier plans.
• window/quota: 5h or weekly window usage exhausted — wait for reset or upgrade.
• upstream_busy: transient upstream load — usually clears shortly.