AI Q&A
Quick, direct answers to the most common questions we get about Claude, Claude Code, and AI for Australian small business.
Can Claude Code edit Excel files?
Yes. Claude Code can read and edit .xlsx files directly using Python (via the openpyxl library) or by converting to CSV. For complex spreadsheets with formulas, charts and formatting, conversion to CSV is often the cleanest path.
Q&ACan Claude help me write Meta ads?
Yes. Claude is one of the best AI tools available for Meta ad copywriting in 2026, particularly for generating 15-30 variants of a high-performing ad in minutes, synthesising customer-language patterns from your review corpus, and rewriting landing-page copy to match cold-traffic ads. Use it for creative variation; don't use it for bid management.
Q&ACan Claude write a BAS or tax return for my Australian business?
Claude can help prepare BAS and tax work, drafting supporting notes, sanity-checking GST calculations, summarising transaction categorisation, generating client questions. It cannot lodge or sign on your behalf; under Australian law only a TPB-registered tax or BAS agent (or you directly via myGov / Online Services) can do that.
Q&ACan I run AI offline, without internet?
Yes. Tools like Ollama, llama.cpp and LM Studio run open-weight models (Llama 4, Mistral, Gemma 3, DeepSeek-V4) on your laptop or local server with zero internet required. Performance on a modern MacBook is genuinely good for chat-style work. You give up the best model quality (Claude Opus and GPT-5 don't run offline) and a lot of convenience. Worth it for strict data-residency needs, otherwise unnecessary in 2026.
Q&ACan I use ChatGPT for confidential client information?
Yes on the paid tiers (Plus, Team, Enterprise) for most non-regulated data, with privacy controls turned on. No on the free tier (training opt-out is per-account, not default). For regulated industries (medical, legal, financial advice) use the API or Azure OpenAI Service Australia East region instead of consumer plans. Always anonymise before pasting names/account numbers.
Q&AClaude Code vs ChatGPT for Australian business: which one for what?
Claude Code wins for hands-on work with your files, code and connected tools (Xero, Shopify). ChatGPT wins for ad-hoc research, web-augmented questions, and inside-Office productivity. Most Australian operators benefit from running both.
Q&ACustom GPTs vs Claude Projects: which one for your business?
Custom GPTs are reusable ChatGPT configurations with instructions, knowledge files, and actions (API connectors). Claude Projects are reusable Claude conversations with system prompts and persistent files. For most Australian SMB use cases, Custom GPTs win on ecosystem and ease of sharing; Claude Projects win on draft quality and longer context. Most clients we work with use both.
Q&ADoes Claude work with Xero?
Yes. Xero ships an official MCP server that connects Claude (via Claude Code or Claude Desktop) to your Xero org. Read-only by default; write scopes require explicit OAuth permission. Australian GST handling is first-class.
Q&AHow do I stop AI from making up facts?
AI hallucinations (made-up facts) drop dramatically with five moves: give the model an 'admit uncertainty' instruction, ground it in source documents you upload, force structured outputs that are easier to verify, use search-augmented models for time-sensitive facts, and always verify any specific number or name before publishing. Combined, these cut hallucination from common to rare.
Q&AHow much does ChatGPT cost per month in Australia?
ChatGPT Plus costs $30 AUD/month for Australian users in May 2026, paid in USD via Stripe at ~$20 USD with FX conversion. ChatGPT Pro is $300 AUD/month. ChatGPT Team is $36 AUD/user/month with a 2-user minimum. ChatGPT Enterprise is custom (typically $90+ AUD/user/month). Free tier is free, has usage caps.
Q&AHow much does Claude cost per month in AUD?
Most Australian Claude users spend $30-120 AUD/month. Light use (Claude.ai chat only) lands at $30 AUD on the Pro plan. Heavy Claude Code use with prompt caching averages $60-150 AUD. Outliers go higher.
Q&AIs ChatGPT free? What the Australian free tier actually gives you in 2026
Yes, ChatGPT has a genuinely free tier in Australia. You get GPT-5 (with low daily caps), GPT-4o (more generous caps), basic image gen, basic voice, and ChatGPT search. You DON'T get unlimited GPT-5, advanced reasoning, full Sora, or the no-training privacy guarantee. The free tier is good enough to test, not enough for daily business use.
Q&AIs Claude better than ChatGPT for writing?
For most writing tasks in 2026, yes. Claude writes prose that sounds less like a press release and follows tone instructions more reliably than ChatGPT. ChatGPT still wins on image generation, search-augmented writing, and Microsoft 365 integration. Most professional writers we work with use both, $60 AUD/month total.
Q&AIs Claude Code free in Australia?
The software is free. The model usage isn't. You pay Anthropic per token in USD (about $4.65 AUD per million tokens on Sonnet 4.6 input). A small free trial credit is included when you sign up to the Anthropic Console.
Q&AIs my data safe with Claude or ChatGPT for Australian business use?
Depends on the tier. Free Claude.ai and free ChatGPT can retain your inputs and use them to train models (with caveats). The paid Anthropic API, Anthropic Console, ChatGPT Enterprise/Team tiers, and OpenAI API explicitly do not train on customer data. For Australian business with client-identifying information, always use the paid/API tiers.
Q&AWhat's the difference between Claude and ChatGPT?
Claude (by Anthropic) and ChatGPT (by OpenAI) are the two leading consumer AI chat tools. Claude tends to be more careful and conversational; ChatGPT is more agentic out of the box. For Australian small business in 2026, most operators benefit from running both.