Buying note 01 / billing units

A resolution is not
a conversation.

This is a decision checklist, not a statement of any vendor's current contract. Read the profile's primary pricing source and confirm the commercial terms before relying on a calculation.

Write the unit down first

When you compare offers, copy each plan's exact definition of a billable event. Ask what happens if a customer returns, a conversation reopens, an AI answer is abandoned or a human takes over. Do not assume the product's usage counter is the same as your helpdesk ticket count.

Separate three components

1. Fixed charges: workspace/platform fee, committed minimum and required add-ons.
2. Seat charges: which users require paid access and whether the minimum seat count applies.
3. Usage charges: billing unit, included allowance, metering window, overage and caps.

Model a range, not a result you want

Choose a monthly workload and several explicit assumptions about AI outcomes. Do not copy a vendor's headline resolution percentage into your business forecast without testing your knowledge base, policies and traffic. The same workload can yield different billable counts under different definitions.

Know when a simple calculator does not fit

The cost lab models a linear fixed + seat + unit scenario. It cannot represent every contract: annual commitments, prepaid blocks, tier breaks, minimum revenue commitments, separate human and AI meters, and “whichever is higher” terms need their own model. If the formula does not match the agreement, do not present its total as the bill.

Questions to send the vendor

• Which required charges are missing from the advertised unit price?
• What exactly causes an event to be billed, reversed or billed again?
• Are included units deducted before or after a minimum?
• Can I see and cap usage before an unexpected overage?
• What happens to pricing when I downgrade or cancel?