HERMES.md in commit messages triggers billing bug in Claude Code
Original: HERMES.md in commit messages causes requests to route to extra usage billing
Why This Matters
Critical billing bug could lead to unexpected charges for Claude users
GitHub issue reports that Claude Code incorrectly routes API requests to extra usage billing instead of plan quota when git commit history contains the string HERMES.md, resulting in $200 in unexpected charges.
A user reported that Claude Code v2.1.119 on macOS has a billing routing bug where the presence of 'HERMES.md' in git commit messages causes API requests to bypass the Max 20x plan quota ($200/month) and route to extra usage billing instead. The issue silently consumed $200 in extra usage credits while the plan capacity remained at only 13% weekly usage. The bug affects both claude-opus-4-6 and claude-opus-4-7 models and requires no project files for reproduction - only the specific string in commit history triggers the incorrect billing behavior.