How to Implement Pay-Per-Use Pricing Model

よくある質問

• How do I define a "resolution" in an outcome-based AI model?

  A resolution is a support interaction where the AI successfully answers a query without human intervention. Define clear technical criteria (such as customer positive feedback or the closing of a ticket without a follow-up) in order to ensure an effective and fair implementation.

• What is the most common metric for generative AI pricing?

  A token is the most common metric that represents fragments of words processed by a model. This can align your billing directly with Large Language Model (LLM) costs, as in the cases of providers like OpenAI and Anthropic, who charge per million tokens.

• How can I prevent "bill shock" for my SaaS users?

  The use of hard caps to suspend service when a budget is expended, and the provision of real-time usage dashboards are mechanisms that can influence customer cost predictability. Customer notifications at 80% and 100% consumption avoid significant billing surprises.

• Is pay-per-use better than a subscription for AI apps?

  Generally, pay-per-use is better indicated for AI apps because it protects your margins against high GPU costs while maintain low entry barrier for light users. However, some companies find that a hybrid model offers a blend of subscription revenue predictability and usage fee scalability.

• Do unused credits typically roll over to the next month?

  This change from business to business. While some SaaS companies allow rollovers to build goodwill, others enforce monthly expirations to maintain predictable revenue. In order to avoid customer contention, when planning your business strategy, you should clearly state your rollover policy in your terms of service.

• Can I implement usage-based billing with standard credit card processors?

  While most processors manage the transaction itself, they often do not encompass tracking and aggregation of usage data before billing, which may require businesses to manage these aspects independently. Platforms such as PayPro Global offer services for the “quote-to-cash” flow, encompassing global tax compliance considerations.

• How do I handle billing if my metering system goes offline?

  In order to prevent data loss and ensure fair billing for your customer, it is advisable to design your system to cache usage events locally on the application server and sync them once the database returns. 

• What is a "credit system" and why use it?

  A credit system simplifies the user experience, allowing the prepaying of a given amount (e.g., $20) for a set of “credits” that can be employed across different AI features. 

• How do I calculate the cost of a single request in a pay-per-use model?

  To find your unit cost, use the formula: Total Cost = (Inference Fee + Data Transfer + Storage) × Margin; so if an AI model call costs $0.005 and overhead is $0.002, a 30% margin would result in a final price of approximately $0.009 per request.