AI Agent Monetization FAQ: The Basics

Charging for the work AI agents do, not just software access.

Instead of "$50/user/month," you charge "$5/email written" or "$100/meeting booked."

SaaS pricing assumes humans are the bottleneck. AI agents break this - one person can run 50 agents working 24/7. Seat-based pricing either loses you money or prices you out.

Here is an example of Usage-based vs. Per-agent pricing:

• Usage pricing: $0.01 per API call
• Agent pricing: $20 per report generated

Your customer will begin to prefer per-agent or outcome-based pricing over time, and that should be your long term strategy. Agent pricing captures value, usage pricing tracks costs.

1. Agent-Based (Digital Employee)

• Price: $2,000/month per agent
• When: Replacing a job function
• Example: "AI accountant handles your books for $2K vs $60K human"

2. Action-Based (Pay Per Task)

• Price: $0.50 per phone call
• When: Variable, unpredictable work
• Example: "Call center charges $2/minute, we charge $0.50/call"

3. Workflow-Based (Complete Process)

• Price: $25 per invoice processed
• When: Multi-step standardized work
• Example: "Invoice processing: scan → extract → validate → enter = $25"

4. Outcome-Based (Results Only)

• Price: $500 per meeting booked
• When: Clear, measurable results
• Example: "Sales meetings cost $1,000 each, we charge $500 and guarantee success"

Outcome-based pricing: 4-8x higher contract values. But requires proven results.

Agent-based pricing: Best balance of high value + easy implementation.

Agent-based. Everyone understands "digital employee for $2K vs human for $60K."

Our suggestions for a fast start:

1. Find what humans cost for same work
2. Price 30-50% below that
3. Add 100-200% margin for your costs
4. Test with 3 customers first!

You should price based on customer value, always. Your OpenAI bill isn't their problem.

• ❌ Bad: "Our API costs $10, so we charge $15"
• ✅ Good: "This saves you $1,000, so we charge $300"

Some suggestions to try out:

• Build 100-300% margins into pricing
• Set usage limits per customer
• Track costs by customer religiously
• Move to outcome pricing when possible

Read more in our article: How do you handle pricing predictability for Agentic AI?

How do you handle pricing predictability for Agentic AI?

Give your customers predictable pricing without compromising on profitability with our guide

June 22 2025 • Arnon

Show them your math, to prove the value

• "Human takes 2 hours at $50/hour = $100"
• "Our agent does it in 5 minutes for $30"
• "You save $70 and get it 24x faster"

Don't compete on price alone. Compete on:

• Better results (higher success rates)
• Faster delivery
• More comprehensive solutions
• Proven ROI with existing customers

Yes. Many successful companies use a hybrid pricing:

• Base platform fee ($1,000/month) + outcome pricing ($100/meeting)
• Agent fee ($3,000/month) + action pricing ($5/document over 500)

Every 6-12 months based on:

• Customer feedback
• Cost changes
• Competitive pressure
• Usage patterns

Yes, but with limits. Don’t give away too much

Good rules of thumb for AI agent free trials:

• 14-30 days maximum
• Usage caps (100 actions, 10 workflows)
• Require credit card upfront
• Clear conversion path to paid

B2Bs expect 15-30% discounts for a variety of reasons, and you should price those in to your models.

Some reasons B2Bs expect discounts for:

• Annual prepayment
• Large volume commitments
• Multi-year contracts
• Early adopter customers