Cost per resolution

Cost per resolution (outcome pricing)

Support

Cost per resolution is a pricing model for AI support that charges each time the AI closes a customer conversation without a person stepping in.

What is Cost per resolution?

Per-resolution pricing, also called outcome pricing, ties the bill to conversations the AI finishes. It sounds like paying only for results, and in part it is. The catch is the definition. Each vendor decides what counts as a resolution, for example whether a customer who leaves without replying counts as resolved. Read that definition before comparing prices, and check whether help desk seats or ticket fees are charged on top. It also covers only customer conversations. Back-office work, such as building reports or checking orders on a schedule, is not a "resolution", so per-resolution products usually price it separately or don't do it.

Formula

Monthly AI cost = Conversations the AI resolves × Price per resolution (+ any seat or ticket fees)

Example

For example, at a price of $1 per resolution, a store whose AI closes 800 conversations in a month pays $800 for those resolutions, plus any help desk seats the plan requires.

Why Cost per resolution Matters

Knowing exactly what counts as a resolution keeps your AI support bill predictable and comparable with seat and credit pricing.

Cost per resolution FAQ

Is per-resolution pricing cheaper than credits?

It depends on your volume and on what you want the AI to do. Per-resolution suits customer conversations only; credits also cover internal work. Price your real monthly volume both ways.

What counts as a resolution?

Each vendor defines it. Common rules count a conversation as resolved when the customer confirms the answer helped or leaves without asking for a person. Check the definition in the vendor's help pages.

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