A Model Tier is the processing-quality level an account runs extraction on. There are three tiers — Standard, Advanced, and Premium — and they differ in which AI model processes your files and in how many credits each processed file costs.
What a Model Tier is
Every account carries one tier at a time. The tier decides which model handles the extraction for that account's files, and therefore what each file costs. There are three tiers:
| Tier | What it runs | Credits per processed file |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | The default level, used by every account until another tier is set for it. | 1 credit |
| Advanced | Runs on a higher-capability model than Standard. | 3 credits |
| Premium | Runs on the highest-capability model of the three. | 6 credits |
The cost is charged per processed file. A single image is one file; each page of a PDF counts as its own file, so the tier rate applies to every page. The tier does not change how many columns are extracted or how many files a batch can hold — only which model runs and what each file costs.
Tiers and plans are different things
A plan and a Model Tier are independent. Changing one does not change the other.
| What it controls | |
|---|---|
| Plan (Free, Basic, Pro, Max, or a team plan) | Account capacity: how many files a single batch can hold, how many uploads can run at once, and the credits included with the plan. |
| Model Tier (Standard, Advanced, Premium) | Which AI model processes the files, and how many credits each processed file costs. |
Upgrading a plan does not move an account to a higher tier, and a tier change does not alter the plan. See Plans & Credits for what each plan includes, and Limits & Specs for the batch-size and concurrency numbers behind each plan.
How an account's tier is set
A tier is assigned to an account by the ImageToTable.ai team. There is no tier selector in account settings — you cannot choose or change your own tier. A new account runs on Standard until a tier is set for it. If a workload needs a different tier, ask the ImageToTable.ai team to set it for the account.
Because there is no tier screen, the clearest place to see the tier a run used is the Credits Usage History in your profile. There, an Advanced or Premium run is labelled with its tier — for example, Batch Deduction (Advanced Tier) — while a Standard run is shown without a tier label.
The tier is fixed when processing starts
Credits are charged, and a tier is recorded for each file, at the moment you start processing — not when you upload. From then on, that file runs on the recorded tier. If the account's tier changes afterward, files that were already submitted keep the tier they were given: they are not re-run on the new tier and they are not re-charged.
So if an account is on Standard when a batch starts processing and is moved to Premium afterward, the files in that run still process on Standard. Starting a new run afterward uses the new tier. If a batch is processed in more than one pass, each pass records the tier that was in effect at the time it was submitted.
What this means for refunds
When a task is canceled or fails, the credits it cost are returned. The amount returned is based on the tier recorded for that task when processing started, not on the tier the account is on now. Each task is refunded at its own recorded tier, so a batch whose files were submitted at different tiers is refunded per file at the rate each file was charged.
A tier change never rewrites what was already charged, and it never changes what a later cancellation returns.
This is what keeps a refund matched to its charge: because the original charge was calculated at the tier recorded at submission, the return is calculated the same way, even if the account's tier changed in between.
Common questions
Can I switch my own tier?
No. Tiers are assigned to accounts by the ImageToTable.ai team, and there is no self-service selector. Contact the team if an account needs a different tier.
Will upgrading my plan give me a higher tier?
No. Plans and tiers are separate. A plan sets capacity and included credits; a tier sets which model runs and what each file costs. A plan change leaves the account's tier where it was.
What happens if the account's tier changes while a batch is running?
Nothing changes for the files already submitted — they finish on the tier recorded when processing started, and any refund for them follows that same tier. The new tier applies to files submitted in a later run.
Do I need a higher tier for my documents?
A higher tier is worth requesting when the extraction is genuinely hard for a model, rather than when the workload is simply large. The kinds of documents where the extra model capability tends to matter are:
- Handwritten forms — forms filled in by hand, where the handwriting varies from one document to the next and may run over stamps or other marks.
- Sparse or irregular layouts — a form where the values you want are scattered instead of arranged in a neat table, with no fixed label marking where each one sits.
- Dense tables — many rows and columns, cells that wrap onto several lines, and small print.
- Columns that need complex inference or a multi-step calculation — for example, checking a calculated total against a printed one, or deriving a value from several others. See Custom Columns for how that kind of column is written.
- Work where accuracy matters much more than per-file cost, and the higher per-file credit rate is acceptable.
These are the situations the different model behind Advanced or Premium is intended for. Treat them as a guide to which tier tends to suit which work, not as a promise of a particular result — every document set is different, so judge by your own files. If most of your runs look like the list above, ask the ImageToTable.ai team for a higher tier.
When is the Standard tier enough?
Standard is the right level for most routine extraction. It is usually enough when:
- Your documents are clean and machine-printed in a standard layout — typical invoices, receipts, and bank statements.
- You are doing straightforward direct extraction, where the value is printed and easy to locate on the page.
- You run at high volume and the per-file cost matters more than the last increment of accuracy.
In these cases the default model handles the work without a tier change. Because a higher tier costs more credits per file, there is no reason to request one for work that does not call for it. If you are unsure, start on Standard and review the results before asking the team for a change.