Flat plans rarely fit autonomous systems. Usage‑based pricing aligns spend to actual value delivered.
Common usage dimensions
- ▸Transactions per month (card authorizations)
- ▸API calls / compute minutes
- ▸Data processed or stored
- ▸Seats for human overseers
Good defaults
- ▸Predictable free tier to prototype agents end‑to‑end
- ▸Volume discounts to reward scale
- ▸Clear unit economics, published openly
Why it helps adoption
- ▸Lowers commitment risk for buyers
- ▸Makes ROI obvious in finance reviews
- ▸Encourages efficient agent design
Done right, usage‑based pricing makes both engineering and finance teams happy.