GPT Image -vip is unstable: switch routes

Published: October 23, 2026
Last checked: October 23, 2026
Status: Monitoring. The three -vip models are still listed, but many requests fail and a quick recovery is unlikely

The three per-call GPT Image VIP models are badly short on upstream capacity, and many requests fail. The quickest fix is the web route at the same price: change model and nothing else. For a fixed Flare or Sunburst model or native high resolution, use official forwarding, or move to the Nano Banana models.

Your options

Option	What changes	Price	Best for
1. Web route (recommended)	`model` only	$0.03 per call, same as `-vip`	Most generation and editing jobs
2. Official forwarding	A token in an official-forward group; same API	Per token	Fixed Flare or Sunburst, native high resolution, official parameters
3. Nano Banana	Model and request format	$0.045–$0.09 per call	Jobs that can accept a different model’s style

Current prices are on Models and pricing.

Option 1: the web route (recommended)

Keep your token and endpoint, and swap the model ID:

Current model	Switch to
`gpt-image-2-vip`	`gpt-image-2-web`
`gpt-image-2.5-flare-vip`	`gpt-image-2.5-web`
`gpt-image-2.5-sunburst-vip`	`gpt-image-2.5-web`

How the web route differs from -vip:

It supports generation and editing on the same endpoints as -vip, with common size values such as 1024x1024, 1536x1024, and 1024x1536.
It returns b64_json only, so decode the Base64 before saving. The GPT Image 2.5 guide has a save script.
gpt-image-2.5-web cannot pick Flare or Sunburst.
Do not reuse every VIP parameter as is; check the web route section of the GPT Image 2.5 guide.

export LAOZHANG_API_KEY="your LaoZhang API key"

curl https://api.laozhang.ai/v1/images/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LAOZHANG_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "gpt-image-2.5-web",
    "prompt": "An orange cat sitting on a windowsill, afternoon sun, film look",
    "size": "1536x1024"
  }'

Option 2: official forwarding

Official forwarding sends your request on to the official API, so endpoints and parameters match OpenAI’s. You can pin Flare or Sunburst, which suits production work that needs consistent output.

Create a token under Token management in the Sora2Official or GPTImage2 Sora2 Enterprise group, with the billing mode set to Usage first or Usage-based. A default token never takes the official-forward route.
Set model to gpt-image-2, gpt-image-2.5-flare, or gpt-image-2.5-sunburst.
Official forwarding is billed per token, so the cost of an image depends on its size and quality. See GPT Image 2.5 official-forward billing and the GPT Image 2 guide.

Option 3: Nano Banana

Nano Banana is billed per call, at the same price from 1K to 4K:

Model	Model ID	Price
Nano Banana 2.1	`gemini-nano-banana-2.1`	$0.045 per call
Nano Banana 2	`gemini-3.1-flash-image`	$0.055 per call
Nano Banana Pro	`gemini-3-pro-image`	$0.09 per call

The request format differs from GPT Image, so changing model alone is not enough. 2K and 4K output needs the native Gemini generateContent API; the OpenAI-compatible /v1/chat/completions returns 1K images. Expect a different visual style, too. See the Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana 2, and Nano Banana Pro guides.

Who is affected

Affected: generation and editing requests to gpt-image-2-vip, gpt-image-2.5-flare-vip, and gpt-image-2.5-sunburst-vip.
Not affected: the web route (gpt-image-2-web, gpt-image-2.5-web), GPT Image models in the official-forward groups, and the Nano Banana models.

Check the switch

Send a few test requests, open the saved images, and check the size and content.
Confirm the model, group, and charges in the usage log.
Then move the rest of your traffic. If you stay on -vip for now, retry failed requests with backoff and lower your concurrency.

FAQ

Will the -vip models be removed?

Not for now; the model IDs still work. We will update this page and post on the announcements page once they are stable again.

Does the web route cost the same as -vip?

Yes. Both are $0.03 per call, for generation and editing alike. The differences are in parameters and output: the web route returns b64_json only, and gpt-image-2.5-web cannot pick Flare or Sunburst.

I need full 2K or 4K detail. Which option?

Use official forwarding (option 2), or Nano Banana through the native Gemini API (option 3). The web route can return large sizes, but official forwarding is the better fit when you need native high-resolution detail.

I switched to official forwarding but was still billed per call. Why?

The route follows the token’s group, not model. Check that the key belongs to Sora2Official or GPTImage2 Sora2 Enterprise and uses a usage-based billing mode.

GPT Image 2.5 guide: parameters, billing, and examples for official forwarding, -vip, and the web route
GPT Image 2 guide: how gpt-image-2 is billed in each token group
Models and pricing, usage log

​Your options

​Option 1: the web route (recommended)

​Option 2: official forwarding

​Option 3: Nano Banana

​Who is affected

​Check the switch

​FAQ

​Will the -vip models be removed?

​Does the web route cost the same as -vip?

​I need full 2K or 4K detail. Which option?

​I switched to official forwarding but was still billed per call. Why?

​Related pages