Question 1

What data does the API return?

Accepted Answer

Each lookup returns the vehicle year, make, model, body type (sedan, hatchback, ute, etc.), engine displacement, a full description string, and alternative vehicle matches when the plate maps to multiple variants.

Question 2

Which Australian states and territories are supported?

Accepted Answer

All eight: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, and WA. Every plan covers every state at no extra cost.

Question 3

How fast are lookup responses?

Accepted Answer

Typical response time is under 3 seconds. Every response includes a duration_ms field so you can monitor performance in your application.

Question 4

Is there a free plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The free tier includes 20 lookups per month with a rate limit of 1 request per minute. No credit card required.

Question 5

What happens when I hit my monthly lookup limit?

Accepted Answer

All plans below Enterprise have a hard cap. Once you reach your monthly limit, further requests will be rejected until the next billing cycle. Upgrade your plan at any time to increase your allowance.

Question 6

Does PlateAPI integrate with Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Yes. PlateAPI offers a drop-in Shopify widget that lets your customers look up their vehicle directly on your store. All paid plans include full Shopify integration; the free tier includes the widget only.

Question 7

What format are API responses in?

Accepted Answer

All responses are JSON. The API uses standard HTTP status codes -- 200 for successful lookups, 404 when no vehicle is found, and appropriate error codes for invalid requests.

Question 8

Do I need an SDK to use PlateAPI?

Accepted Answer

No. PlateAPI is a simple REST API with a single GET endpoint. Any HTTP client in any language works -- curl, fetch, requests, or whatever your stack uses.

	Free	Starter	Growth	Enterprise
Monthly price	$0	$29	$79	$549
Lookups per month	20	400	2,000	Unlimited
Rate limit	1/min	10/min	10/min	45/min
All states & territories	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vehicle alternatives	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shopify integration	Widget only	Yes	Yes	Yes
Support	Community	Email	Email	Priority email
Overage	Hard cap	Hard cap	Hard cap	--

Pricing