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What are Usage Tiers?

Usage tiers determine your rate limits and access to beta features based on your cumulative API spending. As you spend more on API credits over time, you automatically advance to higher tiers with increased rate limits.
You can check your current usage tier by visiting your API settings page.

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Tier Progression

TierTotal Credits PurchasedStatus
Tier 0$0New accounts, limited access
Tier 1$50+Light usage, basic limits
Tier 2$250+Regular usage
Tier 3$500+Heavy usage
Tier 4$1,000+Production usage
Tier 5$5,000+Enterprise usage
Tiers are based on cumulative purchases across your account lifetime, not current balance.

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How Tiers Work

  • Automatic advancement - Tiers increase based on your total lifetime credit purchases
  • Rate limit increases - Higher tiers get significantly more requests per minute
  • Permanent status - Once you reach a tier, you keep it (no downgrade)

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Rate Limits by Model

ModelRequests per minute (RPM)
sonar-deep-research5
sonar-reasoning-pro50
sonar-reasoning50
sonar-pro50
sonar50
r1-177650
POST /async/chat/completions5
GET /async/chat/completions3000
GET /async/chat/completions/{request_id}6000

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What Happens When You Hit Rate Limits?

When you exceed your rate limits:
  1. 429 Error - Your request gets rejected with “Too Many Requests”
  2. Automatic Reset - Limits reset every minute
Best Practices:
  • Monitor your usage to predict when you’ll need higher tiers
  • Consider upgrading your tier proactively for production applications
  • Implement exponential backoff in your code

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Upgrading Your Tier

1

Check Current Tier

Visit your API settings page to see your current tier and total spending.
2

Purchase More Credits

Add credits to your account through the billing section. Your tier will automatically upgrade once you reach the spending threshold.
3

Verify Upgrade

Your new rate limits take effect immediately after the tier upgrade. Check your settings page to confirm.
Higher tiers significantly improve your API experience with increased rate limits, especially important for production applications.