Glossary
Definition
Consumption pricing charges for software by the work it performs, measured in units such as credits, rather than by the number of users who have access.
Consumption pricing ties cost to usage. For AI agents the natural unit is a completed action: a case resolved, a candidate screened, a contract redlined. Vendors usually express these in credits so that different actions with different costs to serve can share one meter. A plan includes a monthly allowance; usage beyond it is billed at an overage rate or draws from a prepaid pool.
For buyers, the advantage is alignment: the bill tracks outcomes rather than seats, and an agent that does nothing costs nothing beyond the platform fee. The risk is unpredictability, which is why reputable vendors publish a rate card, expose consumption by agent and cost center, and offer hard ceilings and alerts.
Meridian's rate card lists every metered action. The Registry attributes credits to agent, workspace, and cost center so finance can reconcile invoices to outcomes.
Read next
Long-form explainers and frameworks that use this term, dated and signed.
Buying and ROI
How credit-based pricing works for AI agents: what counts as a billable action, Meridian's published credit rates, three worked examples, budgeting, and guardrails against overage.
Aisha Bello6 min read
Buying and ROI
Formulas and four worked examples for AI agent ROI in HR and finance, using modeled design-partner outcomes: hours recovered, direct dollars, risk value, what to exclude, and a 90-day measurement plan.
Priya Raman6 min read
Get started
Start with one workflow, one approver, and one number to move. Most design partners were live in five weeks.