Some Claude Max subscribers are being quoted prices 50% above the current listed rates - $150/month instead of $100 for Max 5, and $300/month instead of $200 for Max 20. The discrepancy, where some users see standard pricing and others see higher figures at checkout, is consistent with A/B price testing: showing a portion of prospective customers elevated prices to measure how it affects sign-ups before committing to a rollout.
Anthropic has not made any official announcement about a price change. The Max plans were introduced to give heavy users higher usage limits without hitting rate caps. Max 5 offers roughly 5x the monthly usage of a standard Claude Pro subscription ($20/month), while Max 20 offers 20x - aimed at developers, researchers, and teams who regularly exhaust their limits.
The proposed increases carry real weight. At $150/month, Max 5 costs $1,800/year. Max 20 at $300/month runs $3,600 annually, which is the range where companies start seriously comparing subscription costs against Claude's API pricing - where you pay per token used rather than a flat rate. That comparison often tips toward API access for teams with predictable, moderate workloads.
A 50% jump would also put Claude Max well above comparable plans from competitors. For users already borderline on whether the usage gains justify the cost, this price point may not hold.
Anthropic has not confirmed whether this is a test or a pending permanent change. If you're an existing subscriber, check your renewal terms - introductory pricing sometimes locks in current rates.