diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index d137d73c..c59e9dff 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -4020,6 +4020,8 @@ class GatewayRunner:
             _hist_len = len(history) if 'history' in locals() else 0
             if status_code == 401:
                 status_hint = " Check your API key or run `claude /login` to refresh OAuth credentials."
+            elif status_code == 402:
+                status_hint = " Your API balance or quota is exhausted. Check your provider dashboard."
             elif status_code == 429:
                 # Check if this is a plan usage limit (resets on a schedule) vs a transient rate limit
                 _err_body = getattr(e, "response", None)