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{{IncidentCargo
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Anthropic
|Company=Anthropic
|StartDate=25 April 2026
|EndDate=26 April 2026
|Status=Resolved
|ProductLine=Claude
|Product=Claude Code
|Product=Claude Code
|Date=2026-04-25
|ArticleType=
|Description=A flaw in Claude Code triggered by the string "HERMES.md" in git commit messages bypassed subscriptions and charged direct API fees.
|Type=
|Description=A flaw in Claude Code triggered by the string "HERMES.md" in Git commit messages bypassed subscriptions and charged direct API fees.
}}
}}
'''Anthropic Claude Code HERMES.md billing flaw''' was a technical defect in Anthropic's Claude Code product that bypassed flat-rate subscription plans to charge users direct API fees. In April 2026, a flaw triggered by the exact string "HERMES.md" in a user's Git commit history routed subscribers directly to pay-as-you-go billing, charging one account over $200.<ref name="github_hermes">{{Cite web |url=https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/53262 |title=HERMES.md in git commit messages causes requests to route to extra usage billing instead of plan quota #53262 |author=sasha-id |website=GitHub |date=2026-04-25 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
 
'''Anthropic Claude Code HERMES.md billing flaw''' was a technical defect in [[Anthropic]]'s Claude Code product that bypassed flat-rate subscription plans to charge users direct API fees. In April 2026, a flaw triggered by the exact string "HERMES.md" in a user's Git commit history routed subscribers directly to pay-as-you-go billing, charging one account over $200.<ref name="github_hermes">{{Cite web |author=sasha-id |title=HERMES.md in git commit messages causes requests to route to extra usage billing instead of plan quota #53262 |url=https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/53262 |website=[[GitHub]] |date=25 Apr 2026 |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260429021927/https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/53262 |archive-date=29 Apr 2026}}</ref>


==Background==
==Background==
The flaw emerged in the context of a wider crackdown by Anthropic on third-party agent harnesses. On April 4, 2026, Anthropic began blocking Claude Pro and Max subscribers from routing their flat-rate plan usage through third-party agentic tools, requiring those tools to be billed under a separate pay-as-you-go "extra usage" tier instead.<ref name="techcrunch_openclaw">{{Cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/04/anthropic-says-claude-code-subscribers-will-need-to-pay-extra-for-openclaw-support/ |title=Anthropic says Claude Code subscribers will need to pay extra for OpenClaw usage |website=TechCrunch |date=2026-04-04 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref> Boris Cherny, Anthropic's Head of Claude Code, stated on X that Claude's "subscriptions weren't built for the usage patterns of these third-party tools" and that the policy "applies to all third-party harnesses and will be rolled out to more shortly."<ref name="techcrunch_openclaw" /><ref name="venturebeat_openclaw">{{Cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/technology/anthropic-cuts-off-the-ability-to-use-claude-subscriptions-with-openclaw-and |title=Anthropic cuts off the ability to use Claude subscriptions with OpenClaw and third-party AI agents |website=VentureBeat |date=2026-04-04 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
The flaw emerged in the context of a wider crackdown by Anthropic on third-party agent harnesses. On 4 April 2026, Anthropic began blocking Claude Pro and Max subscribers from routing their flat-rate plan usage through third-party agentic tools, requiring those tools to be billed under a separate pay-as-you-go "extra usage" tier instead.<ref name="techcrunch_openclaw">{{Cite web |last=Ha |first=Anthony |title=Anthropic says Claude Code subscribers will need to pay extra for OpenClaw usage |url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/04/anthropic-says-claude-code-subscribers-will-need-to-pay-extra-for-openclaw-support/ |website=TechCrunch |date=4 Apr 2026 |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260404163645/https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/04/anthropic-says-claude-code-subscribers-will-need-to-pay-extra-for-openclaw-support/ |archive-date=4 Apr 2026}}</ref> Boris Cherny, Anthropic's Head of Claude Code, stated on X that Claude's "subscriptions weren't built for the usage patterns of these third-party tools" and that the policy "applies to all third-party harnesses and will be rolled out to more shortly."<ref name="techcrunch_openclaw" /><ref name="venturebeat_openclaw">{{Cite web |last=Franzen |first=Carl |title=Anthropic cuts off the ability to use Claude subscriptions with OpenClaw and third-party AI agents |url=https://venturebeat.com/technology/anthropic-cuts-off-the-ability-to-use-claude-subscriptions-with-openclaw-and |website=Venture Beat |date=3 Apr 2026 |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/T7HNC |archive-date=29 Apr 2026}}</ref>


[https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/ Hermes Agent], an open-source self-improving AI agent built by Nous Research, is among the third-party harnesses affected by the rollout. Hermes can route requests to Anthropic models either through pay-per-token API keys or by reading Claude Code's credential store on the same machine, the latter of which became the target of Anthropic's enforcement actions.<ref name="hermes_providers">{{Cite web |url=https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/integrations/providers |title=AI Providers — Hermes Agent |publisher=Nous Research |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
[https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/ Hermes Agent], an open-source self-improving AI agent built by Nous Research, is among the third-party harnesses affected by the rollout. Hermes can route requests to Anthropic models either through pay-per-token API keys or by reading Claude Code's credential store on the same machine, the latter of which became the target of Anthropic's enforcement actions.<ref name="hermes_providers">{{Cite web |author= |title=AI Providers — Hermes Agent |url=https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/integrations/providers |website=Nous Research |date= |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260427204311/https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/integrations/providers |archive-date=27 Apr 2026}}</ref>


==HERMES.md billing switch==
==HERMES.md billing switch==
On April 25, 2026, a user reported that the exact string "HERMES.md" in their local git commit history caused Claude Code to route queries outside of their fixed-rate subscription plan.<ref name="github_hermes" /> The system bypassed the $200 per month Max plan and charged the user direct, pay-as-you-go API rates.<ref name="github_hermes" /> The user lost over $200 in extra charges while 86 percent of their prepaid plan capacity remained available.<ref name="github_hermes" />
On 25 April 2026, a user reported that the exact string "HERMES.md" in their local Git commit history caused Claude Code to route queries outside of their fixed-rate subscription plan.<ref name="github_hermes" /> The system bypassed the $200 per month Max plan and charged the user direct, pay-as-you-go API rates.<ref name="github_hermes" /> The user lost over $200 in extra charges while 86 percent of their prepaid plan capacity remained available.<ref name="github_hermes" />


The string "HERMES.md" appears to have been treated by Claude Code's billing classifier as a signal of third-party harness usage — likely as part of the broader detection logic deployed to enforce the April 4 policy — even when the string appeared only in incidental git history rather than as evidence of an active Hermes session.
The string "HERMES.md" appears to have been treated by Claude Code's billing classifier as a signal of third-party harness usage — likely as part of the broader detection logic deployed to enforce the 4 April — even when the string appeared only in incidental git history rather than as evidence of an active Hermes session.


===Anthropic's response===
===Anthropic's response===
When the affected user contacted Anthropic support, the company refused to issue a refund for the $200 lost to the glitch, categorizing the overcharge as an un-refundable technical error.<ref name="reddit_psa">{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1svdm1w/psa_the_string_hermesmd_in_your_git_commit/ |title=PSA: The string 'HERMES.md' in your git commit history silently... |website=Reddit |date=2026-04-26 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
When the affected user contacted Anthropic support, the company refused to issue a refund for the $200 lost to the glitch, categorizing the overcharge as an un-refundable technical error.<ref name="reddit_psa">{{Cite web |author=alexxxklepa |title=PSA: The string 'HERMES.md' in your git commit history silently... |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1svdm1w/psa_the_string_hermesmd_in_your_git_commit/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=26 Apr 2026 |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260429030410/https://old.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1svdm1w/psa_the_string_hermesmd_in_your_git_commit/ |archive-date=29 Apr 2026}}</ref>


After the Reddit post was shared on X an employee of Anthropic said anybody affected would be refunded with an additional $200 of credits on top.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-04-26 |title=Thariq on X |url=https://x.com/trq212/status/2048495545375990245 |url-status=live}}</ref>
After the [[Reddit]] post was shared on [[X]], an employee of Anthropic said anybody affected would be refunded with an additional $200 of credits on top.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Thariq |title=Thariq on X |url=https://x.com/trq212/status/2048495545375990245 |website=[[X]] |date=26 Apr 2026 |access-date=28 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0429-1220-16/https://nitter.catsarch.com:443/trq212/status/2048495545375990245 |archive-date=29 Apr 2026}}</ref>
 
==Consumer response==
{{Ph-I-ConR}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:Anthropic]]
[[Category:Anthropic]]
[[Category:Incident]]
[[Category:Claude]]

Latest revision as of 03:29, 29 April 2026

Anthropic Claude Code HERMES.md billing flaw was a technical defect in Anthropic's Claude Code product that bypassed flat-rate subscription plans to charge users direct API fees. In April 2026, a flaw triggered by the exact string "HERMES.md" in a user's Git commit history routed subscribers directly to pay-as-you-go billing, charging one account over $200.[1]

Background

[edit | edit source]

The flaw emerged in the context of a wider crackdown by Anthropic on third-party agent harnesses. On 4 April 2026, Anthropic began blocking Claude Pro and Max subscribers from routing their flat-rate plan usage through third-party agentic tools, requiring those tools to be billed under a separate pay-as-you-go "extra usage" tier instead.[2] Boris Cherny, Anthropic's Head of Claude Code, stated on X that Claude's "subscriptions weren't built for the usage patterns of these third-party tools" and that the policy "applies to all third-party harnesses and will be rolled out to more shortly."[2][3]

Hermes Agent, an open-source self-improving AI agent built by Nous Research, is among the third-party harnesses affected by the rollout. Hermes can route requests to Anthropic models either through pay-per-token API keys or by reading Claude Code's credential store on the same machine, the latter of which became the target of Anthropic's enforcement actions.[4]

HERMES.md billing switch

[edit | edit source]

On 25 April 2026, a user reported that the exact string "HERMES.md" in their local Git commit history caused Claude Code to route queries outside of their fixed-rate subscription plan.[1] The system bypassed the $200 per month Max plan and charged the user direct, pay-as-you-go API rates.[1] The user lost over $200 in extra charges while 86 percent of their prepaid plan capacity remained available.[1]

The string "HERMES.md" appears to have been treated by Claude Code's billing classifier as a signal of third-party harness usage — likely as part of the broader detection logic deployed to enforce the 4 April — even when the string appeared only in incidental git history rather than as evidence of an active Hermes session.

Anthropic's response

[edit | edit source]

When the affected user contacted Anthropic support, the company refused to issue a refund for the $200 lost to the glitch, categorizing the overcharge as an un-refundable technical error.[5]

After the Reddit post was shared on X, an employee of Anthropic said anybody affected would be refunded with an additional $200 of credits on top.[6]

Consumer response

[edit | edit source]

Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.

Add your text below this box. Once this section is complete, delete this box by clicking on it and pressing backspace.


References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 sasha-id (25 Apr 2026). "HERMES.md in git commit messages causes requests to route to extra usage billing instead of plan quota #53262". GitHub. Archived from the original on 29 Apr 2026. Retrieved 28 Apr 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ha, Anthony (4 Apr 2026). "Anthropic says Claude Code subscribers will need to pay extra for OpenClaw usage". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 4 Apr 2026. Retrieved 28 Apr 2026.
  3. ↑ Franzen, Carl (3 Apr 2026). "Anthropic cuts off the ability to use Claude subscriptions with OpenClaw and third-party AI agents". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on 29 Apr 2026. Retrieved 28 Apr 2026.
  4. ↑ "AI Providers — Hermes Agent". Nous Research. Archived from the original on 27 Apr 2026. Retrieved 28 Apr 2026.
  5. ↑ alexxxklepa (26 Apr 2026). "PSA: The string 'HERMES.md' in your git commit history silently..." Reddit. Archived from the original on 29 Apr 2026. Retrieved 28 Apr 2026.
  6. ↑ Thariq (26 Apr 2026). "Thariq on X". X. Archived from the original on 29 Apr 2026. Retrieved 28 Apr 2026.
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