Claude international payments not working with cards — how to pay for the Claude API with domestic cards and debit cards

Whether you can pay for Claude with a card that does not support international payments depends on where you pay. For a claude.ai subscription paid directly to Anthropic, you need a card with international payments enabled; app subscriptions use the methods specified by the App Store or Google Play. For Claude API and Claude Code (API-key method), select “Domestic card” on Kunavo’s KRW payment page to top up in KRW by choosing your card issuer and authenticating in the issuer’s app instead of normally entering the card number. This guide explains what domestic-card payment is, how it works, and what to do when it fails. Payment information is based on October 3, 2026, with supporting documentation linked alongside it.

Short answer: Can I pay for Claude with a card that does not support international payments?

• claude.ai web subscription (Pro/Max): No. Anthropic은 웹에서 산 구독에는 신용카드나 직불카드만 받는다고 안내합니다(Billing FAQ, October 3, 2026 확인). 계약 상대는 Anthropic, PBC이고 준거법은 미국 캘리포니아주 법입니다(Consumer Terms of Service, October 3, 2026 확인). 국내 카드사는 해외 가맹점에서 Visa·Mastercard·JCB·Amex·UnionPay 같은 국제 브랜드 로고가 붙은 국내외 겸용 카드만 쓸 수 있습니다(KB Kookmin Card overseas use FAQ). 한국은 Claude와 API 모두 지원 국가라(Supported countries), 거절 원인은 지역이 아니라 카드 쪽에 있습니다.
• App subscription (iPhone·Android): use a store payment method. 앱에서 구독하면 App Store나 Google Play가 결제를 처리합니다(Billing FAQ). Apple의 한국 목록에는 ‘대부분의 신용 카드 및 체크 카드’가 있고(Apple payment-method list, 2026년 8월 6일 게시), Google Play의 한국 목록은 KB·신한·BC카드·Samsung·현대·롯데·NH농협은행 등 국내 카드사를 이름으로 적어 둡니다(Google Play payment methods, October 3, 2026 확인). 다만 Google Play가 정기 결제에 쓸 수 있다고 밝힌 것은 Play 잔액뿐이라, 안드로이드에서는 구독 결제 화면에서 카드가 뜨는지 확인하세요.
• Claude API·Claude Code (API key): use Kunavo’s “Domestic card.” Kunavo는 Anthropic과 별개인 API 게이트웨이로, 한 번 충전한 잔액을 Claude와 GPT에 함께 씁니다. Stripe 결제 화면이 원화(₩)로 표시되면 결제 수단 목록에 국내 카드가 나오고, Stripe는 이 수단이 한국 카드사가 발급한 카드를 모두 받는다고 안내합니다(Stripe domestic-card documentation, October 3, 2026 확인). 최소 충전은 $10이고, 월 요금 없는 선불 잔액이며 잔액은 만료되지 않습니다.

A complete comparison of payment routes, including easy-payment methods such as Kakao Pay and Naver Pay, is available in the complete guide to Claude payment methods. This article covers just one of them—“Domestic card”—in depth. Instructions for each express payment service are provided separately in Naver Pay·PAYCO·Samsung Pay.

Claude payment error or payment failure message

Even when a Claude payment error or payment failure appears, Anthropic does not receive the specific reason for the decline from the card issuer. Anthropic’s support article “Why was my card declined?” therefore lists seven checks to help narrow down the cause, in this order (checked on October 10, 2026).

1. Is the billing region supported? The payment method’s billing address and issuing country must be in an Anthropic-supported region, and the billing address must match the issuing country. Korea is on the list of supported countries, so this check does not apply if you use a Korean address with a card issued in Korea.
2. Does the billing address match the card issuer’s records? Anthropic notes that even minor differences, such as a missing accent mark or a misspelled street name, can cause a decline.
3. Did you complete 3D Secure authentication? If authentication is requested, complete it by entering the one-time password sent to your phone or approving the payment in your card issuer’s app or website.
4. Is the payment method accepted? Anthropic accepts credit and debit cards for all purchases. ACH bank transfers are available only for self-service Enterprise plans and API accounts with monthly billing. Third-party payment services such as PayPal and Venmo are not accepted.
5. Is there enough balance or available credit? You need enough to cover the full payment amount.
6. Try again. If you have another payment method, use it; otherwise, wait a while and try again. Declines caused by temporary technical issues or network outages may resolve on their own.
7. Contact the card issuer. Ask the bank or card issuer directly why the payment was declined. Anthropic also says the issuer may be able to provide more detailed information.

If you already have a subscription, the renewal payment may have failed. Anthropic’s billing FAQ lists a failed payment method and the resulting account downgrade as one reason a paid plan may appear as free. In that case, check the recent payment status under Settings > Billing on claude.ai, then change the card using “Update” next to the payment method. The new card will be charged at the next renewal.

If you confirm that the card itself is the problem—for example, it blocks international payments or does not have an international brand—your options depend on what you are paying for. A claude.ai web subscription requires a card that supports international payments; for an in-app subscription, use the payment method linked to your App Store or Google Play account. For the Claude API and Claude Code (API key), choose “Domestic card” on the Kunavo checkout screen in Korean won described in this article. If that card is declined, top up through Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, PAYCO, or Samsung Pay on the same screen. The most common causes to check for domestic cards are listed below, and the top-up steps are covered in “Top up your Kunavo balance with a domestic card.”

Why domestic cards are declined by Anthropic

Anthropic은 카드가 거절돼도 발급 은행에서 구체적인 사유를 받지 못한다고 밝힙니다(Payment-method information, October 3, 2026 확인). Anthropic이 드는 일반적인 원인(지원하지 않는 청구 지역, 잔액 부족, 일시적 오류 등) 가운데 국내 카드에서 먼저 확인할 것은 아래 넷입니다.

1. Domestic-only card without an international brand. 해외 가맹점에서는 국제 브랜드 로고가 붙은 국내외 겸용 카드만 쓸 수 있습니다(KB Kookmin Card). 체크카드도 마찬가지입니다.
2. International payments are blocked in the card issuer’s app. KB국민카드는 해외 이용 전 ‘해외거래정지’ 등록 여부를 확인하라고 안내하고(KB Kookmin Card), 롯데카드의 ‘해외이용 안심설정’은 해외 온라인·오프라인 거래를 회원이 직접 차단하는 서비스입니다(Lotte Card).
3. Block overseas transactions in local currency (DCC). 신한카드의 DCC 차단은 해외 거래에서 원화(KRW) 결제를 미리 막는 서비스라, 켜 둔 상태에서 해외 가맹점이 원화로 청구하면 승인이 거절됩니다(Shinhan Card overseas-use convenience services).
4. Billing address and 3D Secure. Anthropic은 청구 주소가 맞지 않거나 3D Secure 인증을 끝까지 마치지 않은 경우를 거절 사유로 듭니다(Payment-method information).

The remaining checks, such as when the Console “Buy credits” button cannot be clicked, are covered in “When payment does not work” in the complete guide to payment methods.

Where to enable international payments in the card issuer’s app

When paying Anthropic directly, such as for a claude.ai subscription or Claude Console, you must disable this restriction first. The name and location vary by card issuer.

다른 카드사도 대부분 앱의 ‘해외 결제’ 또는 ‘안심 설정’ 메뉴에 비슷한 스위치를 두고 있으니, 찾기 어렵다면 카드사 고객센터에 해외 온라인 결제를 허용해 달라고 요청하세요. 해외 결제에는 수수료도 붙습니다. KB국민카드는 최종 청구액에 국제 브랜드 수수료(Visa 1.0~1.1%, Mastercard 1.0%, Amex 1.4%, UnionPay 0.6~0.8%)와 해외서비스 수수료 0.25%가 포함된다고 안내합니다(KB Kookmin Card overseas use FAQ, October 3, 2026 확인).

What is Kunavo’s “Domestic card”?

Kunavo 결제 화면의 국내 카드는 Stripe의 ‘South Korean cards’(한국 카드) 결제 수단입니다. Stripe 문서에 따르면 다음과 같습니다(Stripe domestic-card documentation·Stripe Korean payment guidance, October 3, 2026 확인).

• It accepts all cards issued by Korean card issuers. 결제 기록에 남는 카드 브랜드는 ‘국내 신용 또는 체크카드 브랜드’로 정의돼 있어, 신용카드와 체크카드 모두 대상입니다(Stripe API documentation).
• KRW only. Both the supported and display currencies are KRW, and the minimum amount is 100 won. Therefore, it appears as an option only when the payment page is displayed in KRW.
• Authenticate in the card issuer’s app. When you select a domestic card, you are redirected to Stripe’s Korean local payment-partner page for authentication and approval, then returned to the original page after approval. Stripe explains that in Korea you normally select the card issuer and authenticate in the issuer’s or bank’s app instead of entering the card number. Stripe classifies Korean card payments as customer-authenticated payments and states that domestic Korean cards and payment methods use strong authentication.

The card issuers listed by the Stripe API documentation under these card-brand values number 22. Internet banks (KakaoBank·K Bank·Toss Bank) and regional banks are included.

This is a list of values recorded for payments; it does not guarantee approval for every card product. Domestic cards are included in Kunavo’s KRW payment-method list, but there is not yet a record of a completed payment through this method. Stripe says only that it supports all cards issued in Korea and does not specify international-payment settings as a condition, but it also does not state that cards with international payments blocked will be approved through this method. If declined, use another method under “When it does not appear or is declined” below. Neither Stripe nor the card-issuer documentation states whether domestic-card payments appear as domestic transactions on card statements or whether the card issuer’s international-use fee is not charged, so this guide does not assert either point.

Top up your Kunavo balance with a domestic card

Signing up (Kunavo sign-up, no card registration) and choosing a top-up tier work the same way as with other payment methods. The tiers are $10, $100, $1,000, $5,000, and larger tiers include bonuses ($100 충전 시 잔액 $110, $1,000 충전 시 잔액 $1,200, $5,000 충전 시 잔액 $6,250). The difference specific to domestic cards begins afterward, on the Stripe payment page.

1. Use the smallest tier for your first top-up

Domestic cards are a method for which Kunavo does not yet have a record of a payment completed all the way through. First verify whether your card works with $10, then move to a larger tier.

2. First confirm that the amount is shown in ₩

Domestic cards are KRW-only, so they appear in the list only when the amount on Stripe’s payment page is displayed in KRW. On the KRW page, Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, PAYCO, and Samsung Pay appear alongside domestic cards, while regular card payment by directly entering a card number and Link remain available. If international payments are blocked on your card, select “Domestic card” rather than the card-number field. Apple Pay (Safari·iPhone with a card registered in Apple Wallet) and Google Pay (Chrome·Android with Google Pay configured) appear depending on the device.

3. Select the card issuer → authenticate in the issuer’s app

When you click “Domestic card,” you are taken to Stripe’s Korean payment-partner page. There, instead of entering the card number, you normally select the card issuer (one of the 22 issuers in the table above) and approve the payment in the card issuer’s or bank’s app on your phone. Do not close the partner window before approval, because you return to Kunavo only after app approval is complete.

4. Check your balance after returning

If you return to Kunavo and the balance is unchanged, do not immediately pay the same amount again; reopen the Billing page and check the top-up record first. Also check whether an approval notification arrived in the card issuer’s app to avoid duplicate payments.

5. Create an API key and connect Claude Code

Create a key in API Keys starting with sk-kn- (it is shown only once immediately after creation). Claude Code runs using this balance when you change only the environment variables.

# 국내 카드로 충전한 Kunavo 잔액으로 클로드 코드를 실행합니다.
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.kunavo.com   # /v1은 붙이지 않습니다
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=sk-kn-...

# 기본 모델과 opus·sonnet·haiku 별칭을 Kunavo가 제공하는 모델로 고정합니다.
# sonnet 별칭은 Kunavo에 없는 Sonnet 5.5를 가리키므로, 고정하지 않으면
# /model sonnet, opusplan의 실행 단계, sonnet 서브에이전트가 404로 끝납니다.
# Opus 5.5에는 클로드 코드 v2.1.280 이상이 필요합니다(이전 버전이면 claude update로 업데이트하세요).
export ANTHROPIC_MODEL=claude-sonnet-5
export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL=claude-opus-5-5
export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL=claude-sonnet-5
export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL=claude-haiku-4-5

claude

For installation instructions, see Claude Code installation. Domestic-card top-ups cannot be used for automatic top-ups. The feature that automatically replenishes the balance can be enabled only with a saved card or Link, so domestic-card top-ups must be performed manually each time.

Cost of paying in KRW

• A 2–4% currency-conversion fee is included in the KRW amount. Kunavo의 충전 금액은 달러로 정해져 있고, Stripe가 원화로 바꿔 보여 줄 때 그 환율에 2~4%의 환전 수수료가 포함되며, 그 환율은 24시간 보장됩니다. Stripe는 한국 카드를 현지 통화 표시가 필요한 결제 수단으로 분류합니다(Stripe Adaptive Pricing documentation, October 3, 2026 확인).
• When paying in dollars, there is no Stripe currency-conversion fee, but domestic cards disappear from the options; you must pay with a card that supports international payments, and the card issuer’s international-use fee is charged (for KB Kookmin Card, network fee + 0.25%; see below the table). Which option is cheaper depends on the card you use.
• Installments. Stripe는 한국 카드사가 5만 원 이상 결제에 할부를 제공할 수 있고, 할부는 고객과 카드사 사이의 일이라고 안내합니다(Stripe Korean payment guidance). Kunavo 충전 화면에서 할부 선택이 나오는지는 아직 확인하지 못했으니 일시불을 전제로 하세요.

How long the balance lasts is calculated using model rates. Claude Sonnet 5 costs $1.40 input / $7.00 output per 1M tokens, and Claude Haiku 4.5 costs $0.70 for input. Complete model pricing is available in Claude API pricing.

When domestic cards do not appear or are declined

• “Domestic card” is not in the list. This means the amount is displayed in dollars ($). This method is available only for KRW amounts, so turn off any VPN connecting through an overseas server, reopen the payment page from Billing, and switch the currency back to KRW if you previously changed it to dollars.
• You cannot select your card issuer on the partner page. The table above lists 22 card issuers that Stripe records for payments. If you cannot select your issuer, use an easy-payment method with that card registered, or pay with a card that supports international payments.
• The process stopped during app approval. Check your balance and the card issuer’s app notification, then try again only once. If payment attempts continue within a short period, Kunavo temporarily blocks new top-ups for security reasons.
• The card issuer declined the payment. If it is a debit card, check the balance in the linked account first. If the card is the problem, choose Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, PAYCO, or Samsung Pay on the same KRW page. The differences between the easy-payment methods are compared in Claude Kakao Pay payment. If you have a card with international payments enabled, you can also pay from the dollar page.

Refunds and disputes

Kunavo의 환불 원칙은 Payment documentation를 따릅니다. 국내 카드 결제에는 Stripe 쪽 기한도 있습니다(Stripe Korean payment guidance·Adaptive Pricing documentation, October 3, 2026 확인).

• Payments made with Korean payment methods can be refunded only within 365 days of the original payment date.
• When a KRW payment is refunded, you receive KRW at the same exchange rate as the original payment. A full refund returns exactly the KRW amount paid.
• A dispute (chargeback) can be filed with the card issuer within 365 days of the purchase date; the card issuer decides within 45 days after receiving the evidence, and that decision is final.

What domestic-card top-ups cannot be used for

• Anthropic·OpenAI payments. The topped-up amount is a Kunavo API balance and cannot be used for a claude.ai Pro or Max subscription, Anthropic Console credits, a ChatGPT subscription, or OpenAI credit payments. Failed requests (4xx·5xx) are not charged.
• Business documentation. Paying with a domestic card does not produce domestic business documentation. Kunavo issues no tax invoices, cash receipts, or invoices. Top-up records can be viewed on the Billing page.
• Toss Pay. Toss Bank cards are included in the Stripe card-issuer list above and can be selected as domestic cards, but Toss Pay, the easy-payment method, is not available on Kunavo’s payment page. Account transfers and mobile-phone payments are also unavailable.

The topped-up balance also works for GPT (How to pay for the OpenAI API). In other countries, the same payment page shows that country’s methods. See Pix payments in Brazil, Alipay·WeChat Pay payments in China, and the complete country-by-country list (in English) in How to pay for Claude without a card. If you want to try paying directly with a card that has international payments blocked, create a Kunavo account and select “Domestic card” when topping up $10.

Frequently asked questions