Terms of use
Last updated 3 November 2026
The short version
- Fast and free mode is free. Smart AI counts use credits or a photo pass, bought with Stripe.
- Your credits belong to your access key. Keep the key private: whoever has it can use the credits.
- Counts are estimates. Check them before you rely on them, and never use them to dispense medicine or for anything where a wrong count could hurt someone.
- Only upload photos you are allowed to use.
- Unused credits can be refunded on request within 14 days of buying them.
- If you are a consumer in Quebec, the Consumer Protection Act applies and nothing here takes away its rights.
Who we are
Photo Counter is run by , based in Quebec, Canada. Our address, phone and email are on the business information page. By using the site you agree to these terms. The privacy page explains what happens to your photos and data.
The two ways to count
Fast and free runs in your browser and costs nothing. Smart AI sends the photo to our server and uses credits. Before each Smart AI count the page shows what it will cost, and nothing is charged until you press Run AI count. We may offer a number of free Smart AI counts per day; that number can change.
Credits and photo passes
- What a count costs. One credit covers up to 10 image tiles. A typical photo needs 1 credit; a photo of very small objects needs more, up to 10. A photo pass covers one count of any size.
- Buying. Credits and passes are sold in packs. Before you pay, Stripe's payment page shows the total price, the currency and any taxes (GST and QST where they apply). The credits are added to your access key as soon as the payment goes through, and Stripe emails you a receipt.
- Your access key. Credits and passes are added to an access key, a long random code kept in your browser. There is no account or password. We store only a scrambled form of the key, so we can't show it to you again. If you lose it, send us your Stripe receipt and we'll move the remaining balance to a new key.
- No expiry. Credits and passes don't expire while the service runs. They have no cash value and can't be sold or exchanged for money, except through a refund below.
- Failed counts. If a Smart AI count fails or times out, its credits are returned automatically.
- Not good enough? Within 30 minutes of a count you can press "Get your credit back", up to 3 credits a day per key. This is for counts that didn't work, not for regular free use, and we may change the limits.
Refunds and cancellation
You can ask for a refund of unused credits or passes within 14 days of buying them: write to us with your Stripe receipt. We refund the unused part to the card you paid with, within 15 days of your request. Credits you have already used are not refunded, except as described above.
If you are a consumer, the Consumer Protection Act of Quebec also gives you rights for contracts made at a distance, including the right to cancel in the cases it provides. These terms don't limit those rights.
If we close the service, we will refund unused credits bought in the 12 months before.
Results
The counts come from automatic image matching and an AI model. They can miss objects, count some twice, or count things that only look alike. The page shows every mark so you can check and fix the count. Check a count before you use it. Do not use Photo Counter to dispense or check medication, for safety-critical decisions, or as the only record for invoices, stock or legal purposes without checking.
Your photos
- Only upload photos that you took or are allowed to use, and that don't break any law.
- Avoid photos showing people's faces, documents or other personal details you don't need counted.
- You keep all rights to your photos. We use them only to count the objects, as described on the privacy page, and never to train models.
Fair use
Don't try to get around the limits or the prices, overload the server, use it from software other than this site without an API plan, or use it for anything unlawful. We may limit or block requests that do, and cancel credits obtained by abusing the service.
Plans, batch processing, API and custom models
Monthly plans, batch processing, API access and custom models are agreed with you in writing, by email or an order form, which sets the price, the monthly credits and how to cancel. These terms apply to them unless that agreement says otherwise. Ask for a quote on the contact page.
Availability and changes
We work to keep the site running but can't promise it will always be available or error-free. We may change, pause or stop features. Prices for new purchases may change; credits you already bought keep their value. If we change these terms, we'll update this page and the date at the top; the version in place when you bought credits applies to those credits.
Liability
As far as the law allows, we are not liable for indirect losses or for losses caused by relying on a count you didn't check, and our total liability is limited to what you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. If you are a consumer, this doesn't apply where the Consumer Protection Act or the Civil Code of Québec doesn't allow it.
Law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of Quebec and of Canada that apply there. If something goes wrong, please write to us first; most problems are quickly solved. A consumer can always take a dispute to the courts of Quebec, including the Small Claims Division, and nothing here requires arbitration or gives up the right to a class action. These terms are available in French and English; you may choose either.