Anthropic just told you their product is about to cost more, wrapped in a gift.

Free credit. Discount bundles. Pre-purchase options. This is the email you get from your energy company before the price goes up.

The interesting line is the last one in the email: third-party tools connected to your account now draw from ‘extra usage’ instead of your subscription.

Translation: things that were included are no longer included. The credit covers the transition. The transition is permanent.

Every AI company follows the same pattern. Launch cheap, build dependency, restructure pricing once you cannot leave.