660 GPT Image 2.5 images at three quality tiers: $27.95 on Sume

A mixed batch of 500 low-quality 1K, 120 medium-quality 2K and 40 high-quality 4K GPT Image 2.5 images costs $27.95 on Sume: $12.375 + $6.675 + $8.90. The high tier is 6 percent of the images and 32 percent of the cost.

The arithmetic

GPT Image 2.5 is tiered by quality and size on Sume. The shared price list gives low at 1K as $0.02475, medium at 2K as $0.055625 and high at 4K as $0.2225. The catalog's default estimate for the model is $0.2225, the highest tier.

500 x $0.02475 = $12.375. 120 x $0.055625 = $6.675. 40 x $0.2225 = $8.90. Total $27.95, an average of about 4.2 cents per image.

Why the default estimate matters

Because the catalog's default estimate is the high-tier price, a naive check that assumes $0.2225 per image would size 660 images at 660 x $0.2225 = $146.85. The real mixed cost is $27.95, so the right quality value in the request matters. State quality and size explicitly in each request instead of relying on defaults.

Your balance has to cover the hold while a job runs, so an open-ended request is sized against the higher estimate.

Picking tiers

Use low for concepts and layout checks, medium for social posts, and high only for print or hero images. Moving 100 of the low images to medium adds 100 x ($0.055625 - $0.02475) = $3.0875. Moving 10 high to medium saves 10 x ($0.2225 - $0.055625) = $1.67.

The price list pairs low with 1K, medium with 2K and high with 4K. Check the Images docs page for the exact options before mixing.

• Low 1K: $0.02475
• Medium 2K: $0.055625
• High 4K: $0.2225

A second scenario

Compare with all medium. If all 660 images ran at medium 2K, the cost would be 660 x $0.055625 = $36.7125, which is $8.7625 more than the mixed plan. The mix saves money because 500 images run at the low tier. The mix also gives you 40 images at the top tier, which an all-medium plan would not.

Verifying

Run one image per tier first: $0.02475 + $0.055625 + $0.2225 = $0.302875. If the lowest tier is enough for most of your use, the batch cost falls to near the $12 range.

Reproduce the numbers

Open https://api.sume.com/v1/catalog, which needs no key, and find the entry for the product. Each model_pricing row carries price, unit, pricing_basis and the estimated, minimum and maximum cents. Multiply the unit price by your quantity and round only at the end. The catalog also has applied_* fields that include an agent fee of 550 basis points; the figures in this post use the base prices.