"How do I pay for Claude?" and "How do I pay for Codex?" usually get searched together, but the two products bill in different ways. Claude Code comes with Claude's Pro and Max subscriptions, and when you run out you can buy usage credits. Codex has no subscription of its own: its usage comes from your ChatGPT plan, and when you run out you buy OpenAI Credits. Each company's API balance is a third, separate account. This guide separates those three accounts, walks through each official way to pay, and then lists the in-app prices we pulled from the App Store in 19 countries and regions on October 18, 2026, plus the sites we use to check prices and service status.
Start with eligibility. Anthropic's revised Supported Regions Policy, effective November 12, 2026, says any country or region not listed is unsupported. The restriction covers use while physically located in an unsupported region, and entities headquartered in or controlled from one. Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau are not on the list. OpenAI's ChatGPT supported-countries list leaves out the same three places and warns that access from outside the list may get an account blocked or suspended. Sources: Anthropic supported regions, OpenAI supported countries. The payment steps below are for readers who are actually in a supported region. Holding a foreign card, or having a payment go through, doesn't make you eligible.
Three accounts: subscriptions, top-up usage, and API balance
Before you pay, decide which of the three you're buying. Credit in one generally can't be used for another.
| Claude / Claude Code | Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pro, Max (5x / 20x), Team; Claude Code is included in paid plans | Part of your ChatGPT plan: limited on Free and Go, expanded on Plus, longer sessions on Pro |
| Top-up after limits | Usage credits (Pro and Max), plus discounted usage bundles | Credits (Plus and Pro only); Free and Go are prompted to upgrade |
| API balance | Prepaid credits in Claude Console at API rates | Billed separately on the OpenAI Platform, not shared with ChatGPT |
Common mix-ups:
- You can't use Max's included API credits for Claude Code. Since October 7, 2026, Max 5x has come with $100 a month in Claude Platform credits and Max 20x with $200. You claim them by linking a Console organization under Settings → Billing on claude.ai, starting 7 days after you subscribe. The docs say they don't cover Claude Code or extra usage in the Claude apps, and they expire at the end of each cycle. Source
- Usage credits are what keep Claude Code running. Turn them on and add funds under Settings → Usage. Once you pass the five-hour session limit or the weekly limit, usage is charged at API rates. Anthropic also sells prepaid usage bundles at up to 30% off standard rates, up to $2,000 of discounted bundles per month on individual plans. Source
- Only Plus and Pro can buy Codex Credits. Go to Usage → Credits in Codex settings; auto top-up is available. Your plan's included usage is spent first, then Credits. Source
- An API balance doesn't become a subscription, and a subscription doesn't become an API balance. OpenAI has a help article on this: ChatGPT and the API are paid and managed separately. Source
Official list prices (October 2026)
Figure 1: Claude's pricing page on October 18, 2026. Pro is $17 a month billed annually ($200 up front) or $20 monthly. Max starts at $100 and lists $100–$200 a month in API credits.
| Plan | Web monthly price (USD, before tax) | What it means for coding |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Pro | 20 (200 annually, about 17 a month) | Includes Claude Code |
| Claude Max 5x / 20x | 100 / 200, monthly only | 5x / 20x Pro usage, plus $100 / $200 in API credits |
| Claude Team | Standard seat 25 (20 annually), Premium seat 125 (100 annually) | 2–150 people; Premium seats get 5x Standard usage |
| ChatGPT Go | 8 | Limited Codex usage |
| ChatGPT Plus | 20 | Expanded Codex usage; can buy Credits |
| ChatGPT Pro 100 / 200 / 500 | 100 / 200 / 500, monthly only | Longer Codex sessions; Ultrafast only on Pro 500 |
Claude prices come from claude.com/pricing, which says prices don't include applicable tax. ChatGPT prices come from chatgpt.com/pricing and the Pro tiers article. One recent change to watch: OpenAI has reopened Pro 200 to new subscribers, but new subscriptions that don't qualify for grandfathering get a lower allowance than before at the same $200 price. Anyone who held Pro 200 between September 22 and 29, 2026, keeps the old allowance through October 29.
Figure 2: ChatGPT's pricing page as shown in the US. Free lists limited Codex access, Plus lists expanded Codex usage, and Pro starts at $100 with three usage tiers.
Paying for Claude (and Claude Code)
Web subscription. Sign in to claude.ai and choose Pro or Max under Settings → Billing. The billing FAQ is clear: web subscriptions accept only credit or debit cards, and subscriptions bought in the iOS or Android app use whatever the App Store or Google Play accepts. Source To change cards, click Update on the same page; the new card is charged at the next renewal. There's no separate "remove card" button, so contact support if you need an old card fully removed.
In-app subscription. If you upgrade in the Claude iPhone app, Apple handles the payment, and cancellations and refunds go through your Apple ID's subscription settings. Prices differ from the web, though. In the US App Store, Pro monthly is $20, the same as the web, but Max 5x is $124.99, Max 20x is $249.99, and Pro annual is $214.99, all above the web prices.
Figure 3: Claude's in-app purchases in the US App Store on October 18, 2026. Max 5x is $124.99 and Max 20x is $249.99, about 25% above the $100 / $200 web prices.
Our recommendation: if you can pay by card on the web, subscribe to Max there. Pro monthly costs the same either way, so choose whichever place you'd rather manage renewals from.
Team plan. Two or more people, billed centrally by an admin. The Team billing FAQ says it accepts credit, debit, or prepaid cards and doesn't currently accept ACH bank transfers. Source If your company already has Team, ask an admin for a seat before you buy a personal plan.
API (Claude Console). Prepay credits on the Billing page at platform.claude.com. You can turn on auto-reload and give each project's workspace its own spend limit. This route is for scripts, automation, and apps you build. If you sign in to Claude Code with an API key, each request is billed at API rates rather than drawing on a subscription.
Paying for Codex
ChatGPT web subscription. Choose Go, Plus, or Pro on chatgpt.com. OpenAI's FAQ says individual plans can be paid with any major credit card. Then sign in to the Codex app, CLI, or IDE extension with the same ChatGPT account; there's nothing extra to pay for Codex.
In-app subscription. If you upgrade in the ChatGPT iOS or Android app, Apple or Google collects the payment. The US App Store lists Go at $8, Plus at $19.99, and Pro at $100 / $200 / $500, essentially the same as the web. It also lists 100, 500, and 1,000 Credits as in-app purchases at $4, $20, and $40. If you subscribe on both the web and the app with the same account, you'll be billed twice.
Business and Enterprise. Business starts at two users, billed per user per month. Enterprise supports invoicing and other options through sales. For work projects, check whether your organization already has a plan before paying personally.
API. Set up a payment method and balance on the OpenAI Platform; it's separate from ChatGPT. The Codex CLI and SDK can run on an API key and are billed per token. Check the API supported countries before you add funds.
Prices by country
These figures come from the in-app purchase lists on each country's public App Store page on October 18, 2026, converted to US dollars at that day's rates (open.er-api.com). App Store prices usually include local VAT or sales tax, while the web prices above don't, so this isn't a direct "which is cheaper" comparison. It's most useful for seeing how each company prices by region.
Figure 4: The $20 tier (Claude Pro vs. ChatGPT Plus) on the left and the $100 tier (Claude Max 5x vs. ChatGPT Pro 100) on the right. Blue is Claude, orange is ChatGPT, and the dashed line marks the US web price.
| Country/region | Claude Pro monthly | Claude Max 5x | ChatGPT Go | ChatGPT Plus | ChatGPT Pro 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $20.00 | $124.99 | $8.00 | $19.99 | $100.00 |
| United Kingdom | £20.00 (≈$26.6) | £119.99 (≈$160) | £6.99 (≈$9.3) | £19.99 (≈$26.6) | £88.90 (≈$118) |
| Germany | €22.00 (≈$24.7) | €149.99 (≈$169) | €7.99 (≈$9.0) | €22.99 (≈$25.8) | €102.99 (≈$116) |
| Japan | ¥3,000 (≈$19.0) | ¥20,000 (≈$127) | ¥1,400 (≈$8.9) | ¥3,000 (≈$19.0) | ¥16,800 (≈$106) |
| South Korea | ₩33,000 (≈$24.7) | ₩199,000 (≈$149) | ₩13,000 (≈$9.7) | ₩29,000 (≈$21.7) | ₩159,000 (≈$119) |
| Taiwan | NT$690 (≈$21.3) | NT$3,990 (≈$123) | NT$270 (≈$8.3) | NT$690 (≈$21.3) | NT$3,300 (≈$102) |
| Singapore | S$29.98 (≈$23.4) | S$179.98 (≈$141) | S$10.98 (≈$8.6) | S$29.98 (≈$23.4) | S$137.98 (≈$108) |
| Australia | A$30.00 (≈$20.8) | A$199.99 (≈$139) | A$13.00 (≈$9.0) | A$29.99 (≈$20.8) | A$154.99 (≈$108) |
| Canada | C$28.00 (≈$19.8) | C$179.99 (≈$127) | C$12.99 (≈$9.2) | C$24.99 (≈$17.7) | C$152.99 (≈$108) |
| Türkiye | ₺999.99 (≈$20.2) | ₺6,999.99 (≈$141) | ₺249.99 (≈$5.0) | ₺999.99 (≈$20.2) | ₺5,299.99 (≈$107) |
| India | ₹1,999 (≈$21.0) | ₹12,900 (≈$136) | ₹399 (≈$4.2) | ₹1,999 (≈$21.0) | ₹10,699 (≈$113) |
| Brazil | R$129.90 (≈$25.5) | R$799.90 (≈$157) | R$39.90 (≈$7.8) | R$99.90 (≈$19.6) | R$524.90 (≈$103) |
| Indonesia | Rp349,000 (≈$19.4) | Rp1,999,000 (≈$111) | Rp75,000 (≈$4.2) | Rp349,000 (≈$19.4) | Rp1,889,000 (≈$105) |
| Philippines | ₱1,290 (≈$20.5) | ₱7,990 (≈$127) | ₱300 (≈$4.8) | ₱999 (≈$15.8) | ₱6,490 (≈$103) |
| Malaysia | RM99.90 (≈$24.5) | RM599.90 (≈$147) | RM23.99 (≈$5.9) | RM99.90 (≈$24.5) | RM419.90 (≈$103) |
| Vietnam | 599,000₫ (≈$23.2) | 3,999,000₫ (≈$155) | 132,000₫ (≈$5.1) | 499,000₫ (≈$19.3) | 2,849,000₫ (≈$110) |
| Mexico | MX$399 (≈$21.6) | MX$2,499 (≈$135) | MX$129 (≈$7.0) | MX$399 (≈$21.6) | MX$1,989 (≈$108) |
| Nigeria | ₦29,900 (≈$22.4) | ₦199,900 (≈$150) | ₦6,900 (≈$5.2) | ₦31,500 (≈$23.6) | ₦144,900 (≈$109) |
| Egypt | EGP 999.99 (≈$18.7) | EGP 6,999.99 (≈$131) | EGP 249.99 (≈$4.7) | EGP 999.99 (≈$18.7) | EGP 5,399.99 (≈$101) |
Three things stand out:
- The entry tier has almost no cheap regions. Converted, Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus fall between about $16 and $27 in all 19 places, and most of the spread comes from tax and exchange rates.
- ChatGPT Go is where the regional discounts are. It's about $4.20 in India and Indonesia and about $9.30 in the UK, more than double. Of all the tiers from both companies, Go has the deepest regional discounts.
- Claude Max costs more in the App Store almost everywhere. Across the 19 places, Max 5x converts to between about $111 (Indonesia) and almost $169 (Germany). ChatGPT Pro 100 mostly lands between $100 and $120. If you plan to run Claude Code on Max for months, the App Store markup is a significant recurring cost.
Keep in mind that regional prices are meant for local residents. Switching your Apple ID's region requires a local payment method, and Apple blocks the switch while you have a remaining balance or an active subscription. More importantly, the store you pay through doesn't change whether you're in a supported region. Prices move with exchange rates and platform changes, so check the checkout page before you pay. Thailand, Pakistan, and a few other storefronts had incomplete or ambiguously labeled price lists and are left out.
Common pitfalls before and after paying
Card declined. Common reasons for declined Claude web payments include a billing address that doesn't match the bank's records, a card issued outside a supported region, and an unfinished 3D Secure check. For individual Pro and Max plans, Anthropic only says "credit or debit cards," and prepaid cards are often declined; the Team FAQ explicitly accepts them.
Paid, but the account still shows Free. Claude's suggested order: check whether you signed in with a different email, then look under Settings → Billing for a failed payment that downgraded you. The same applies to ChatGPT: check which account you're signed in to, then find the receipt from the store you paid through. On iOS, try Restore purchases before you buy again.
Paying twice. The web, the App Store, and Google Play each renew separately and can't see each other. Before you switch phones or payment methods, turn off auto-renew on the old one.
Expecting Max's API credits to cover Claude Code. They don't. Claude Code overages are paid with usage credits; the API credits that come with Max only work for API calls in the Console.
Top-up resellers, shared seats, and pre-made accounts. What these deliver is often not a subscription on your own account. It's usually access to the seller's account, or it requires handing over your password and verification codes. None of them gets around regional restrictions, and Anthropic's new policy explicitly applies its regional rules to authorized resellers too. We don't recommend putting company code or personal data into a shared account of unknown origin.
Alternatives
- If you're outside the supported regions and need a coding assistant, pick from our AI coding tools directory among products that work where you are. For how these tools divide the work, see How Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex fit together on a real project.
- If you only want to pay per use, compare API prices. Aggregators such as OpenRouter bill many models through one account, but the platform's terms and each model vendor's regional policy still apply.
- If subscription costs are the issue and you have a hardware budget, consider local models; see Can local models replace AI subscriptions?
Sites we use to check prices and status
These are the pages we open to check prices, policies, and service status. The first groups are official sources. The third-party sites are fine for a quick scan, but treat the official pages as the final word on numbers.
| Purpose | Site | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Official pricing | claude.com/pricing, chatgpt.com/pricing | Plans, usage notes, and price changes; the signed-in checkout page is final |
| Regional policy | Anthropic supported regions, ChatGPT supported countries | Check before paying; both lists change |
| Billing and usage | Claude billing FAQ, OpenAI Credits | Payment methods, card changes, overage rules |
| Service status | status.claude.com, status.openai.com | If a paid account stops working, rule out an outage first |
| Subscription prices by country | GeoSub, AppPriceLens | Third-party regional price trackers with varying update schedules; good for a first look |
| API price comparison | OpenRouter models, Artificial Analysis | Compare per-token prices, speed, and benchmark scores by model |
| On this site | AI gateway directory, pricing calculator | API relay services we list and a cost estimator; check each service's upstream source and terms yourself |
Summary
Check eligibility first, then pick the right account. For Claude Code, buy Claude Pro or Max and turn on usage credits for overages. For Codex, buy ChatGPT Plus or Pro and buy Credits for overages. Add an API balance in the Console or on the OpenAI Platform only if you're writing code that calls the models. As for where to pay, Claude Max's web price is about 20% below the App Store price (tax is added on the web); for other tiers the gap is small. The country price table shows how each company prices by region, but it doesn't change who's eligible. After paying, run a small task with no sensitive data to confirm the plan is active, and note the renewal date and where to cancel.
Sources
- Anthropic: Claude plans and pricing
- Anthropic: Supported Regions Policy
- Claude Help Center: Paid plan billing FAQs
- Claude Help Center: Team plan billing FAQs
- Claude Help Center: Buy usage bundles
- Claude Platform: API credits for Max and Team plans
- OpenAI: ChatGPT plans and pricing
- OpenAI: ChatGPT supported countries
- OpenAI: About ChatGPT Pro tiers
- OpenAI: Using credits for flexible usage
- OpenAI: Billing in ChatGPT vs. the API platform
- App Store: Claude by Anthropic
- App Store: ChatGPT