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.
Tier Progression
| Tier | Total Credits Purchased | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 0 | $0 | New 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.
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)
Rate Limits by Model
| Model | Requests per minute (RPM) |
|---|---|
sonar-deep-research | 5 |
sonar-reasoning-pro | 50 |
sonar-reasoning | 50 |
sonar-pro | 50 |
sonar | 50 |
POST /async/chat/completions | 5 |
GET /async/chat/completions | 3000 |
GET /async/chat/completions/{request_id} | 6000 |
What Happens When You Hit Rate Limits?
When you exceed your rate limits:- 429 Error - Your request gets rejected with “Too Many Requests”
- 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
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.