Why Research Labs Need Shared AI Illustration Credits
Research is collaborative. Whether you're running a university lab with ten graduate students or coordinating a cross-institutional project, everyone needs access to quality AI academic illustrations — but managing individual subscriptions for each researcher is impractical and expensive.
PaperBanana Team Mode solves this. One subscription, one shared credit pool, and full control over who uses what — so your team can focus on generating publication-ready figures, not managing accounts.
How PaperBanana Team Mode Works
1. Choose a Team Plan
Choose from three tiers on the Pricing page:
| Team Basic | Team Pro | Team Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Credits | 120,000 | 240,000 | 600,000 |
| API Rate Limit | 120 RPM | 300 RPM | 600 RPM |
| API Keys | 3 | 10 | 25 |
| Price / Year | $999 | $1,499 | $2,999 |
All plans include advanced AI figure generation, unlimited image dimensions, priority support, and yearly credit rollover.
2. Add Your Team
After purchase, go to Settings → Team. Add members by email — no invitation links, no approval flow. They're in immediately.
Assign roles:
- Owner — Full control. Manages everything.
- Admin — Can add/remove members, set credit limits, manage API keys.
- Member — Uses the shared credits within their allocated limit.
3. Set Credit Limits
Give each member an individual credit budget. A PhD student working on one paper might get 500 credits, while a postdoc managing multiple projects gets 5,000. Set the limit to 0 for unlimited access.
You can see each member's usage at a glance and reset counters anytime.
4. Members Start Creating
Team members simply log in and use PaperBanana as usual. The system automatically:
- Prioritizes team credits — consumed first from the shared pool
- Respects individual limits — each member stays within their allocation
- Falls back to personal credits — if the team pool is exhausted, members can still use their own credits seamlessly
No switching, no toggles, no configuration needed on the member's side.
What Team Members See in Their Dashboard
On the Credits page, team members see two clear numbers:
- Team Credits — their remaining team allocation
- Personal Credits — their own credit balance
Both work the same way. Both show a purchase button. Clean and simple.
Team API Keys and Rate Limits
Each team gets dedicated API keys (sk-team-* format) with plan-specific rate limits. Create multiple keys for different projects or team members.
Rate limits are enforced per-team, not per-key — so your full allocation is always available regardless of which key is used.
Check the API Documentation for integration details.
Designed for Academic Lab Workflows
We designed Team Mode with academic workflows in mind:
- No invitation friction — PIs and lab managers add members directly
- Budget control — prevent any single member from draining the pool
- Transparent usage — see exactly who used what
- Flexible roles — delegate admin tasks to trusted lab members
- Rollover credits — unused credits carry over, no waste
Frequently Asked Questions
Can members use personal credits if the team pool runs out?
Yes. When team credits are exhausted, PaperBanana automatically falls back to the member's personal credit balance — no manual switching needed.
Can I change a member's credit limit after setting it?
Yes. Owners and admins can update any member's credit limit at any time from Settings → Team. You can also reset their usage counter.
What happens to unused credits at year end?
Unused credits roll over to the next year. Nothing is wasted.
Can one person belong to multiple teams?
No. Each user can only be a member of one team at a time.
What's the difference between Owner, Admin, and Member roles?
| Role | Manage Members | Set Credit Limits | Create API Keys | Use Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Admin | Yes (members only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Member | No | No | No | Yes |
Start Using Team Mode Today
- Visit the Pricing page
- Choose a Team plan
- Add your team in Settings → Team
- Start generating publication-ready figures together
Questions? Reach out at support@paper-banana.org.