Oracle NetSuite support levels, explained
NetSuite Basic vs. Premium Support: What Each Level Actually Covers in 2026
Every NetSuite subscription includes Basic Support, and Premium Support is Oracle's paid upgrade. The differences come down to coverage hours, response times, phone access, and the number of people who can open cases. This guide compares both levels using Oracle's own support policy, then shows where NetSuite support services from a partner fill the gaps neither level covers.
What is the difference between NetSuite Basic and Premium Support?
Basic Support is included in every NetSuite subscription. It covers critical (Severity 1) issues around the clock with a 2-hour response goal, and other cases during business hours. Premium Support is a paid upgrade that extends 24x7 coverage to Severity 2 issues, adds response goals of 1 hour for Severity 1, 2 hours for Severity 2, 8 hours for Severity 3, and 2 business days for Severity 4, lets you log lower-severity cases, and raises your authorized contacts from 2 to 4. Neither level covers your SuiteScript, customizations, or enhancement requests.
Key takeaways
- Basic includes 24x7 coverage for Severity 1 only; Premium extends 24x7 to Severity 2.
- Severity 3 and 4 cases are available only on Premium.
- Basic allows 2 authorized contacts; Premium allows 4.
- Both levels exclude custom scripts, configurations, and enhancement requests.
- Gold and Platinum are legacy names; Oracle's current policy defines Basic and Premium.
Comparison
NetSuite Basic vs. Premium Support, side by side
Every row below comes from Oracle's NetSuite Hosting & Support Delivery Policies, the document most NetSuite order forms reference for support terms.
| Feature | Basic Support | Premium Support |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included in your subscription | Paid add-on, priced on your contract (see our NetSuite support cost guide) |
| 24x7 coverage | Severity 1 only | Severity 1 and Severity 2 |
| Normal business hours | 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, in the time zone of your headquarters address on the agreement, excluding Oracle holidays | |
| Severity levels you can log | Severity 1 and 2 (Severity 2 has no response goal for current contracts) | Severity 1, 2, 3, and 4 |
| Severity 1 response goal | 2 hours | 1 hour |
| Phone reporting | Severity 1, when SuiteAnswers is unavailable | Severity 1 and 2, when SuiteAnswers is unavailable |
| Authorized contacts | 2 | 4 |
| Commerce and POS Response Services | Not included | Severity 1 help for SuiteCommerce, SuiteCommerce Advanced, and NetSuite POS, at no added cost (Oracle can discontinue it with notice) |
| Primary channel | Case submission through SuiteAnswers, with the knowledge base available 24x7 | |
| Language | English, with other languages at Oracle's discretion | |
| Mixing levels | Not allowed. The same support level must apply to all users, including licenses added later. | |
Source: Oracle NetSuite Hosting & Support Delivery Policies, effective October 3, 2025. Your Estimate/Order Form and Oracle's Exceptions Policy can change these terms for your account.
Coverage hours
When Oracle is working on your case, by severity
The biggest practical difference is what happens to a serious, but not critical, issue at 9 p.m. or on a weekend.
A typical business day, midnight to midnight
Business hours run in the time zone of your headquarters address. Weekends and Oracle holidays fall outside business hours, so only 24x7 severities are covered then.
Response time goals
NetSuite support response times by severity
Oracle calls these response time goals. They describe how quickly Oracle engages on a case, not how quickly it is resolved.
| Severity level | What it means (Oracle's definition, summarized) | Basic Support | Premium Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severity 1 (Critical) | Production use is stopped or so badly affected that business cannot reasonably continue | 2 hours | 1 hour |
| Severity 2 (Significant) | An important function is unavailable with no acceptable workaround; business continues but is seriously affected | No response goal* | 2 hours |
| Severity 3 (Less Significant) | A feature is unavailable but a workaround exists, a less important feature fails, or a question about basic functionality | Not available* | 8 hours |
| Severity 4 (Minimal) | Minimal impact on operations or basic functionality | Not available | 2 business days |
*Customers who purchased support before December 1, 2019 keep legacy goals: 4 hours for Severity 2 and 2 business days for Severity 3. Oracle assigns the final severity and can reclassify a case, or treat it as an enhancement request outside support. For how EPIQ classifies and responds to issues on managed plans, see our NetSuite support services page.
The gap both levels share
What neither Basic nor Premium Support covers
Upgrading to Premium makes Oracle respond faster. It does not change what Oracle will work on. Under the policy, Oracle has no obligation to support the following at either level.
Customizations and SuiteScript
Adaptations, configurations, or modifications made by you or any third party, including anything built with SuiteScript or JavaScript.
First Level Support
Answering your own users' questions and resolving user, network, and provisioning errors. The policy assigns this to the customer.
Enhancement requests
Anything that adds functionality or improves performance beyond NetSuite's specifications. Oracle can reclassify a case as an enhancement request.
Third-party applications
The support policies do not apply to Third Party Applications, so connectors, middleware, and SuiteApps from other vendors fall outside them.
Oracle points customers to Professional Services or Advanced Customer Support (ACS) for this work, under a separate contract. Most mid-market companies hand it to a certified partner instead, because this is where most day-to-day NetSuite problems live: a saved search returning the wrong totals, a workflow firing twice, or an integration dropping orders. Common examples are in our top NetSuite support issues and fixes, and the scripting side is covered by our NetSuite customization services.
Often confused with support
The NetSuite uptime SLA is the same at both levels
Availability is governed by Oracle's service level commitment, which does not depend on your support level. Oracle commits to 99.7% monthly availability, excluding scheduled maintenance. If it falls short and you were affected, you can claim a service credit on the monthly fee for the service:
| Monthly availability | Service credit |
|---|---|
| Below 99.7% and at least 99.5% | 10% |
| Below 99.5% and at least 99.0% | 15% |
| Below 99.0% | 25% |
Credits are not automatic. You must email billing@netsuite.com within 30 calendar days after the end of the affected month. Oracle also reserves every Saturday from 10:00 to 10:20 p.m. Pacific Time for scheduled maintenance when needed, so plan batch jobs and integration syncs around that window.
Legacy tiers
What happened to NetSuite Gold and Platinum Support?
Older NetSuite support terms, including the January 2017 version, described Gold and Platinum Support levels, with Platinum offering access to a dedicated support team. Oracle's current Hosting & Support Delivery Policies define only two levels of Support Services: Basic and Premium. Advanced Customer Support is described separately as a managed service.
If your order form still references Gold or Platinum, you are likely on legacy terms that carried over at renewal. Check your Estimate/Order Form and ask Oracle which current terms apply before your next renewal, since response goals and contact limits may differ from the tables above.
Decision guide
Basic or Premium: which NetSuite support level should you choose?
Basic is usually enough when
- Your team works standard business hours in one time zone.
- Two people can handle all case submissions with Oracle.
- A partner or in-house admin handles configuration, scripts, and integrations.
- You do not run SuiteCommerce or NetSuite POS as a revenue channel.
Premium is worth a look when
- You run warehouses, ecommerce, or operations that cannot wait until morning for Severity 2 issues.
- You need Oracle to accept Severity 3 and 4 cases and questions.
- You need more than two authorized contacts across teams or subsidiaries.
- You sell through SuiteCommerce or NetSuite POS and want Oracle's response services.
- You are on ACS Optimize or Architect, which require Premium Support.
Many companies land on a hybrid: keep Basic, or Premium if they need the faster Oracle response, and use a partner for everything Oracle excludes. The cost side of that decision, including how Premium is typically priced, is covered in our guide to NetSuite support cost. If you want a team that owns the whole picture, see NetSuite managed services.
Not sure your support level matches your risk?
EPIQ Infotech, an Oracle NetSuite Alliance Partner since 2013, will review your order form, open cases, and integrations, then tell you whether Basic or Premium fits and what partner coverage you need around it. Or explore our NetSuite support services.
FAQ
NetSuite Basic and Premium Support: frequently asked questions
What are NetSuite Premium Support response times?
Under Oracle's current policy, Premium Support response time goals are 1 hour for Severity 1, 2 hours for Severity 2, 8 hours for Severity 3, and 2 business days for Severity 4. These goals measure Oracle's response, not resolution.
Does NetSuite Basic Support include phone support?
Only in limited cases. Basic Support customers may report Severity 1 incidents by phone when SuiteAnswers is unavailable. All other cases are logged through SuiteAnswers. Premium extends phone reporting to Severity 2 under the same condition.
Is NetSuite Basic Support available 24/7?
For Severity 1 (critical) issues, yes. Other cases are handled during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on business days in your headquarters time zone. The SuiteAnswers knowledge base is available around the clock.
Does NetSuite still offer Gold and Platinum Support?
Oracle's current Hosting and Support Delivery Policies define only Basic and Premium Support, with Advanced Customer Support offered separately. Gold and Platinum appear in older support terms, so a contract that references them is likely on legacy terms.
How many people can open NetSuite support cases?
Basic Support allows 2 authorized contacts and Premium Support allows 4. Authorized contacts are the named people who submit cases and communicate with Oracle, and you can substitute them with written notice.
Does Premium Support cover SuiteScript or customizations?
No. At both levels, Oracle has no obligation to support configurations or modifications made by you or a third party, including SuiteScript and JavaScript, or enhancement requests. That work typically goes to a NetSuite partner, Oracle Professional Services, or ACS.
Can I buy Premium Support for only some users?
No. Oracle's policy requires the same support level for all users of the service, including licenses added later, for the full term.
Is Premium Support required for Advanced Customer Support?
For ACS Optimize and ACS Architect, yes. Oracle's ACS service descriptions require customers on those tiers to maintain Premium Support under a separate contract.
Related NetSuite support resources
Santosh Krishnamoorthy is a Principal ERP Consultant at EPIQ Infotech, with extensive experience in NetSuite and enterprise systems. He works with finance and operations teams to improve reporting accuracy, streamline workflows, and build ERP environments that support sustainable growth. His writing focuses on practical insights drawn from real implementation and support experience.
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