How Does GPT-4 Vision Determine Image Limits and Does My Account Tier Affect It?

Below are the key points regarding how GPT‑4‑1106‑vision‑preview handles limits:

Token-Level Processing

• Every image counts: When you send an image, it is processed at the token level. That means the image’s data is effectively "tokenized" for analysis, and each image contributes to your tokens-per-minute (TPM) usage.
• Token calculations: The exact token count per image can vary because it depends on aspects like the image’s contents and how it’s processed. The detailed cost formula (which converts the image information into tokens) is outlined in the pricing/costs documentation.

Image Size Limit

• 20MB cap: Regardless of the token calculation, there is a hard limit on image upload size—each image must be 20MB or less. This ensures that images are within a manageable size for processing.

Account Tier Effect

• Rate limits tied to your tier: Your usage for the GPT‑4‑1106‑vision‑preview model is subject to rate limits as defined by your account’s settings. This means:
  • If you’re on a free tier, you will have a specific tokens-per-minute (TPM) quota that each image contributes to.
  • Higher tiers generally offer higher TPM limits, potentially allowing you to process more images within a given time period.
• Per-model limits: Beyond just the image-related considerations, the overall rate limits (which include tokens, requests per minute, etc.) are managed per model and are detailed in your account’s limits section.

In summary, GPT‑4‑1106‑vision‑preview determines limits primarily on a token basis (each image counts toward your TPM quota) and enforces a 20MB size limit per image. Your account tier can impact how many tokens (and therefore images) you can process within a given time period.