@@ -7,13 +7,15 @@ The daily AI allowance counts units, not requests. An expensive model uses sever
 - `usage-weighted`: with 4 units left, Opus is refused (`Daily Access Paused`, "This model counts as 5 uses, and you have 4 left today.") without a provider call or a counter change; switching to Claude Haiku 5.5 runs and uses 1 unit.
 - `usage-monthly`: with `ai_requests.cost_usd` for this month at or above the budget, the next request opens `Monthly AI Allowance Used` with an `OK` button and no upgrade offer, makes no provider call, and leaves the daily counter alone.
 
+- `usage-monthly-inline`: Sparring shows refusals inline rather than in the dialog. With the budget reached, the opponent's turn shows the translated monthly message from the catalog, not the server's English reason, and no provider call is made.
+
 ## How to get to it (user POV)
 
 - Any AI tool, for example `/app/generate`, once the day's allowance or the month's budget is used up. The dialog opens on submit.
 
 ## Driving it with verify.sh + Playwright
 
-- `bin/verify.sh drive recipes/usage-limits` covers both sub-features in one test.
+- `bin/verify.sh drive recipes/usage-limits` covers the dialog sub-features in one test and the Sparring inline message in a second.
 - The recipe sets `daily_limit_override: 7` on the demo user and inserts a `daily_usage_counters` row (`quota_key: "ai"`, today's UTC date, `request_count: 3`), then inserts an `ai_requests` row with `cost_usd: 3` for the monthly step.
 - End states are read from `daily_usage_counters.request_count` and from the recorded provider calls.
 
 
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { Page } from "@playwright/test";
-import { admin, AI_TIMEOUT, aiResponse, expect, providerCalls, startDebate, test } from "./fixtures";
+import { admin, AI_TIMEOUT, aiResponse, chooseForMotion, expect, providerCalls, startDebate, test } from "./fixtures";
 
 // Feature map: features/usage-limits.md.
 const motion = "This House would make public transport free at the point of use";
@@ -70,3 +70,29 @@ test("usage-weighted: Opus counts as 5 requests, a lighter model still runs, and
   await monthly.getByRole("button", { name: "OK" }).click();
   await expect(monthly).toHaveCount(0);
 });
+
+test("usage-monthly-inline: Sparring shows the translated monthly-cap message, not the server's English reason", async ({ signedIn: page, user, evidence }) => {
+  const userId = await user.userId();
+  const { error } = await admin.from("ai_requests").insert({
+    user_id: userId, feature: "sparring", provider: "openrouter", model: "anthropic/claude-opus-5.5", status: "success", cost_usd: 3,
+  });
+  if (error) throw error;
+
+  await page.goto("/app/sparring");
+  await page.getByLabel("Motion").fill(motion);
+  await page.getByRole("combobox", { name: "Round format" }).click();
+  await page.getByRole("option", { name: /Lincoln-Douglas · 5 speeches/ }).click();
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Start round" }).click();
+  await chooseForMotion(page, "create");
+  const draft = page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Draft for Affirmative constructive" });
+  await expect(draft).toBeVisible({ timeout: AI_TIMEOUT });
+  await draft.fill("Universal access removes the direct price barrier to work, school, and civic life.");
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Submit speech" }).click();
+
+  // The client's catalog copy ("You've used ...") differs from the server reason ("You've reached ...").
+  await expect(page.getByText("You've used this month's AI allowance.", { exact: false })).toBeVisible({ timeout: AI_TIMEOUT });
+  await expect(page.getByText("You've reached this month's AI usage allowance", { exact: false })).toHaveCount(0);
+  await evidence.shot("04-sparring-monthly-cap");
+  expect((await providerCalls()).filter((call) => call.feature === "sparring")).toEqual([]);
+  await evidence.step("Sparring opponent turn refused by the monthly cap with the translated message; no provider call");
+});
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogHeader, DialogTitle, DialogDescription } from '@/components/ui/dialog';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { AlertTriangle, Zap, Clock } from 'lucide-react';
+import { subscriptionLimitMessage } from '@/lib/ai/error-display';
 
 export type LimitModalVariant = 'limit_reached' | 'trial_expired' | 'monthly_budget_reached';
 
@@ -20,22 +21,13 @@ export function LimitReachedModal({ open, onOpenChange, variant, limit, current,
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   const isTrialExpired = variant === 'trial_expired';
   const isMonthlyBudget = variant === 'monthly_budget_reached';
-  const remaining = Math.max(0, (limit || 0) - (current || 0));
-  // A weighted model can be refused while lighter requests still fit today.
-  const isWeightedRefusal = !isTrialExpired && !isMonthlyBudget && (units ?? 1) > 1 && remaining > 0;
 
   const title = isTrialExpired
     ? t('limitModal.trialEnded')
     : isMonthlyBudget
       ? t('limitModal.monthlyReached')
       : t('limitModal.limitReached');
-  const description = isTrialExpired
-    ? t('limitModal.trialEndedDesc')
-    : isMonthlyBudget
-      ? t('limitModal.monthlyReachedDesc')
-      : isWeightedRefusal
-        ? t('limitModal.weightedDesc', { units, remaining })
-        : t('limitModal.limitReachedDesc', { current: current || 0, limit: limit || 0 });
+  const description = subscriptionLimitMessage({ code: variant, limit, current, units });
 
   return (
     <Dialog open={open} onOpenChange={onOpenChange}>
 
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import i18n from '@/i18n';
-import { AIProviderError } from './client';
+import { AIProviderError, isAISubscriptionError } from './client';
 
 const PROVIDER_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   openai: 'OpenAI',
@@ -16,7 +16,19 @@ function providerLabel(provider?: string, message = ''): string {
   return i18n.t('aiErrors.genericProvider', 'AI provider');
 }
 
+/** The limit dialog's explanation, also used where a page shows the error inline. */
+export function subscriptionLimitMessage({ code, limit, current, units }: { code?: string; limit?: number; current?: number; units?: number }): string {
+  if (code === 'trial_expired') return i18n.t('limitModal.trialEndedDesc');
+  if (code === 'monthly_budget_reached') return i18n.t('limitModal.monthlyReachedDesc');
+  const remaining = Math.max(0, (limit || 0) - (current || 0));
+  // A weighted model can be refused while lighter requests still fit today.
+  if ((units ?? 1) > 1 && remaining > 0) return i18n.t('limitModal.weightedDesc', { units, remaining });
+  return i18n.t('limitModal.limitReachedDesc', { current: current || 0, limit: limit || 0 });
+}
+
 export function getUserFacingAIError(error: unknown): string {
+  if (isAISubscriptionError(error)) return subscriptionLimitMessage(error);
+
   if (error instanceof AIProviderError || (error instanceof Error && error.name === 'AIProviderError')) {
     const provider = providerLabel((error as AIProviderError).provider, error.message);
     const raw = error.message;
 
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import { ArrowLeft, CircleHelp } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useLocation, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useSparringStore } from '@/lib/stores/sparring-store';
 import { useSettingsStore } from '@/lib/stores/settings-store';
-import { generateSparringTurn, judgeSparringSession } from '@/lib/ai/client';
+import { generateSparringTurn, isAISubscriptionError, judgeSparringSession } from '@/lib/ai/client';
+import { getUserFacingAIError } from '@/lib/ai/error-display';
 import type { SparringRespondInput, SparringScoreInput, SparringSpeech } from '@/lib/ai/schemas/sparring';
 import { SparringSetup, type SparringSetupValues } from '@/components/features/sparring/SparringSetup';
 import { SparringRound } from '@/components/features/sparring/SparringRound';
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import type { SpeechDelivery } from '@/lib/voice/delivery';
 import { opponentVoice } from '@/lib/voice/opponent-voice';
 
 function readableError(error: unknown, fallback: string) {
+  if (isAISubscriptionError(error)) return getUserFacingAIError(error);
   if (error instanceof Error && error.message.trim()) return error.message;
   return fallback;
 }