Outcome-based pricing is on the rise
There is rising debate over how agentic AI will be priced. One model, outcome-based pricing, was first introduced to the CRM market in August 2024 by Zendesk for its increasingly autonomous AI agents. Zendesk said at the time, “Our pricing is now directly tied to the outcomes delivered by AI agents, meaning customers will only incur costs for issues that are resolved autonomously by AI.”
Keith Kirkpatrick, research director at the Futurum Group, says, “Outcomes-based pricing offers benefits for both vendors and customers by guaranteeing value and aligning costs with results. Zendesk, for example, plans to charge for successfully resolved interactions, while Workhuman has introduced guarantees tied to broader metrics such as employee retention.”
He adds, “Though still in its early stages, outcomes-based pricing is gaining attention as AI agents become more widespread. It addresses customer demands for ROI-driven investments and flexibility, especially compared to traditional fixed licensing fees. As AI agents improve and become integral to business processes, this pricing model could increase vendor stickiness and reshape SaaS market dynamics.”
