# Claude Console: managing Anthropic API keys

This guide walks you through the complete process of creating an Anthropic account, setting up payment methods, managing spending limits, and creating API keys for integration with [AIsuru](https://www.aisuru.com/).

## 1. Creating an Anthropic account

To start using the Claude console, you need to create a developer account:

1. **Go to the registration page**: visit the [Claude Console](https://console.anthropic.com/) and select the sign-up option. You can use a Google account (Continue with Google) or an email address (Continue with email).
2. **Verify your email**: if you sign up with email, Anthropic uses a "magic link" system. Enter your email address and check your inbox — you'll receive a message with a link to confirm your account. Click the "Sign in to Claude Console" link to proceed (no password required).
3. **Complete onboarding**: after clicking the link, you'll be redirected to the Claude (Anthropic) console onboarding page. You'll be asked to enter your full name and confirm that you're at least 18 years old, accepting the terms and conditions. Click Continue to move forward.
4. **Create an organization**: next, specify a name for your organization. This can be your company name or a descriptive name (even your own name, if you're just testing the platform). Confirm by clicking Create Account.

Once registration is complete, you'll land on the Claude Console. Before using the API, it's important to configure the billing section.

## 2. Claude API Console: entering billing details

To ensure correct invoicing, you'll need to enter your company's billing details, including the VAT number:

1. Open your organization settings: in the console, click "Settings" in the sidebar. From the left menu, select "[Organization](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/organization)".
2. Fill in your company information: on the organization page, enter all the required details for your company. In particular:
   1. Organization name: this should already be populated from when you registered, but make sure it matches your legal company name.
   2. Full business address: enter your company's billing address (street, city, postal code, country).
   3. VAT number: if your company is based in a country where VAT applies (e.g. in the EU), an optional Tax or VAT ID field will appear. Enter your company's VAT number here (including the country prefix, e.g. IT12345678901).
3. Save your changes: after filling in the fields, verify they're correct and click the button to save your organization details.

## 3. Adding a payment method for Anthropic Claude APIs

Once your company details are set up, you'll need to add a payment method to purchase credits:

1. Go to the Billing section: from settings, select [Plans & Billing](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing) from the menu to manage payments, credits, and invoices.
2. Start adding a card: on the Billing page, find the option to add a payment method. If this is your first time setting up, you may see a Complete Setup or Add Payment Method / Add funds button. Click it to begin.
3. Enter your card details: a Stripe form will open where you'll need to enter:
   1. Credit or debit card number;
   2. Expiration date;
   3. CVV/CVC code.

Currently, there's no option to remove a saved card directly from the console (you can only replace it by adding a new one).

Anthropic sends a receipt for every purchase to the registered billing email and makes invoices available in the Billing > Invoice History section.

Note: Currently, only credit/debit cards are accepted. Make sure your card is enabled for international payments in USD (the currency used by Anthropic) and authorized for online purchases. The user must have Admin or Billing permissions to configure payment (this guide assumes the account creator is Admin, which is the default).

## 4. Claude Console: making your first credit purchase

Anthropic uses a prepaid credit system for API usage. This means you need to purchase credits before you can use the API extensively:

1. Go to the Billing page: navigate to [Plans & Billing](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing) in the Anthropic console. In the Credit balance section, you'll see your organization's current credit balance.
2. Add credits: click "Add funds" or "Purchase Credits". You'll be asked to enter the amount in USD you want to purchase. The minimum initial top-up is $5 USD.
3. Enter additional details if required: if this is your first time adding funds, a setup completion window may appear. Anthropic may ask for further information before allowing you to purchase credits, for example:
   1. Confirm the intended type of API usage;
   2. The countries where you plan to use Claude;
   3. Whether your API use will involve certain regulated industries.
4. Confirm the credit payment: you'll be asked to confirm the payment method for the charge. If everything looks correct, go ahead and confirm.
5. Check your credit balance: once the transaction is complete, the console will immediately update your balance in the "Credit balance" section under [Plans & Billing](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing).

### Auto-reload

On the Billing page, there's an auto-reload setting for credits. You can enable it if you want credits to automatically reload when the balance drops below a threshold you define.

To configure auto-reload, click Edit settings in the Billing section and define:

* Minimum balance threshold below which auto-reload kicks in.
* Reload amount that will be purchased when that threshold is reached.

You can also disable auto-reload at any time if you prefer to manage reloads manually for better spending control. Purchased credits are generally valid for one year.

## 5. How to monitor and limit Claude API spending and usage

For responsible business use, it's important to keep track of both spending and API usage.

### **Monitoring usage and costs**

The Claude console provides detailed API usage reports:

* Go to Settings > [Usage](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/usage) to see token consumption, filterable by Workspace, AI model, API key, or time range;
* Under Settings > [Cost](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/cost) you'll find a cost report with the same filters.

### **Limiting budget with credits**

Anthropic's prepaid model means you can't spend more than what you've loaded in credits. If you want a hard spending limit, you can leave auto-reload disabled — that way, your maximum spend is capped at the credits you've purchased.

That said, you can also set a monthly spending limit at the account level: go to the [Limits](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/limits) section of the console and set the monthly limit. If you've already set one, just click "Change Limit":

1. In the popup that opens, enter the monthly limit value in US dollars;
2. Click "Update Limit" to save the new limit, or "Remove Limit" to remove it entirely.

## 6. Creating an API key

To use Anthropic services with AIsuru, you need to create an API key:

1. From the Anthropic console, go to Settings > API Keys in the sidebar;
2. Create a new key: on the [API keys](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys) page, click the Create Key button;
3. Assign a workspace and name to the key:
   1. Workspace: if you haven't created additional workspaces, leave Default selected;
   2. Key name: enter a descriptive name for the API key (e.g. "AIsuru - \[Agent name]" or "AIsuru - Production");
4. Confirm and copy the key: click Create. The console will generate the API key. It will only be shown once at creation — copy it immediately and store it somewhere safe.

## 7. Claude workspaces: what they are and how to create them

The Anthropic Claude console supports workspaces to help you organize projects and teams within your organization.

When you create your account, a "Default" workspace is created and associated with the organization. If your company has only one project or you're just testing the API, the default workspace may be all you need.

### Creating a new Anthropic workspace

Only organization admins can create new workspaces:

1. Go to Settings and click "[Workspaces](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/workspaces)" in the sidebar;
2. On the workspaces page, click "Add Workspace" in the top right;
3. Enter a name for the new workspace, e.g. "Project Alpha" or "DataScience Team"; you can also select a distinctive color;
4. Click Create. The new workspace will appear in the list.

### Managing Claude workspaces

* You can rename or change the color of an existing workspace by clicking the "…" icon next to it.
* When you create an API key, you must associate it with a workspace. API keys are only visible and manageable by users with a Developer (or Admin) role who have access to that workspace.
* Thanks to workspaces, you can filter usage and costs by individual workspace in the Usage/Cost section.

Workspaces let you structure your use of the Anthropic console flexibly — you can separate them by project, team, or environment, keeping everything organized and under control.

## Managing members in the Claude Console

To collaborate with your team in the Claude console, go to the [Members](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/members) section (Settings > Members): from here you can see all the members invited to the team.

To invite new members:

1. Click the "Invite" button;
2. Enter the team member's email address; you can enter one address per line to invite multiple people at once;
3. Assign a role:
   1. User: basic access to the organization.
   2. Developer: can manage API keys and integrations.
   3. Billing: access to billing information.
   4. Admin: full control over the organization and members (developer + billing).
4. Click "Send Invites" to send the invitation(s).

When inviting a member, after assigning an organizational role, you may also need to add them to individual workspaces (except the default, which all members can access): developers and users must be assigned as members of specific workspaces to work within them — admins and billing roles have access to all workspaces.

## 9. Rate limits and tiers for the Anthropic Claude API

Every API organization in the Claude Console has predefined technical usage limits to ensure fair use of resources:

* Tier limits: each tier has specific requests-per-minute and tokens-per-minute limits. You can view your current tier's limits in Settings > [Limits](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/limits) of the Claude console.
* Tier upgrade: you can view the requirements for each tier in [Anthropic's documentation](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/api/rate-limits#requirements-to-advance-tier). If you need limits beyond what's automatically achievable — for example, for very large enterprise use cases — you'll need to submit an increase request via the Limits page. The Anthropic team will review the request and may approve a higher tier.

### Next steps

After completing your Anthropic console setup:

1. Copy the API key you created;
2. Log in to your [AIsuru](https://www.aisuru.com/) dashboard;
3. Use the API key to [create a new model on the platform](/en/generative-ai/advanced/create-and-manage-model-configurations.md).


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