The reset you can use anytime
Anthropic calls this a "limit reset" — a credit to your account instead of an automatic clear-out. You apply it yourself, whenever you choose, before it expires. Everything below is sourced directly to Anthropic's own support page and announcement, linked at the end of each section.
Pro, Max and Team accounts can use one now
Opus 5.5 performs at the level of Fable 5.1, ~30% faster and ~40% cheaper than Opus 5 per task. In Claude Code: 5-hour session limits increase 20% today; Pro, Max, and Team users get a reset to use anytime (available in Settings → Usage, apply any time until Oct 22).
Use it before it expires: by 2026-10-22 (end of day UTC)
Check Settings → Usage for yours; the expiry shown there is what counts.
What a limit reset is
Anthropic's own name for this is a “limit reset.” It's a credit to your account, not an automatic clear-out — you decide when to spend it.
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Limit resets are given occasionally to eligible plans, and they set your usage limits back to full whenever you choose to use one.
Source: support.claude.com — What is a limit reset? (2026-09-22)
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Depending on which reset is shown in your account, using one sets either your five-hour session limit or your weekly usage limit back to full right away — not both at once.
Source: support.claude.com — What is a limit reset? (2026-09-22)
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Using a limit reset doesn't change your weekly reset schedule — your weekly limits still reset on their usual day and time.
Source: support.claude.com — What is a limit reset? (2026-09-22)
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It was introduced alongside the Opus 5.5 release on Sep 22 2026 as a new benefit — a rate-limit reset that subscription users can save and use whenever they choose.
How to use it
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Go to Settings → Usage on the web or in Claude Desktop, then click “Reset for free” in the Resets section.
Source: support.claude.com — What is a limit reset? (2026-09-22)
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Once you use it, you can't undo it, and it can expire — the exact expiry date is shown in your own account.
Source: support.claude.com — What is a limit reset? (2026-09-22)
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The “Reset for free” button isn't currently available in Claude Mobile, or in Claude Code running in your terminal or IDE. A reset still applies across your whole account once you use it from the web or Desktop.
Source: support.claude.com — What is a limit reset? (2026-09-22)
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If you downgrade or cancel your plan before using it, you lose it.
Source: support.claude.com — What is a limit reset? (2026-09-22)
Spend it or hold it?
This is just logic, not a sourced fact: a reset only helps once you'd otherwise be locked out, so using it early on a session or week you weren't going to fill anyway wastes it. If your own weekly reset (see how usage limits work) is coming up soon regardless, it may be worth waiting to see if you actually need it first. Run the numbers for your own situation on the weekly-limit calculator.
Banked resets on record
Every banked-type reset this site has tracked, oldest first.
September 22, 2026 2026-09-22
Opus 5.5 performs at the level of Fable 5.1, ~30% faster and ~40% cheaper than Opus 5 per task. In Claude Code: 5-hour session limits increase 20% today; Pro, Max, and Team users get a reset to use anytime (available in Settings → Usage, apply any time until Oct 22).
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use a banked reset right away?
No — that's the point of a limit reset: it's credited to your account and you apply it whenever you choose, any time before its expiry.
What exactly does a limit reset restore?
Depending on which reset is shown in your account, it sets either your five-hour session limit or your weekly usage limit back to full immediately. It doesn't change your regular weekly reset schedule.
How do I use a limit reset?
On the web or in Claude Desktop, go to Settings → Usage, then click “Reset for free” in the Resets section. The same button also appears in the message you see when you hit a limit.
Can I use it on mobile or in Claude Code?
Not directly — Anthropic's Help Center says the “Reset for free” button isn't currently available in Claude Mobile or in Claude Code running in your terminal or IDE. A reset still applies across your whole account once you use it from the web or Desktop.
What happens if I don't use it?
It can expire — check Settings → Usage for the exact date shown on your account. Anthropic's Help Center also says you lose it if you downgrade or cancel your plan before using it.
Are these resets given on a regular schedule?
No. Anthropic describes limit resets as given “occasionally to eligible plans” — there's no published recurring calendar. This site's timeline lists every one Anthropic has announced so far.