{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "surface_type": "guide_answer",
  "guide_id": "how-to-price-an-ai-agent",
  "question": "How should I bill AI feature usage when API costs vary by customer and workflow?",
  "canonical_url": "https://www.unitcostai.com/guides/how-to-price-an-ai-agent",
  "related_tool_url": "https://www.unitcostai.com/tools/ai-break-even-price",
  "formula": "required_price = blended_cost_per_user_month / (1 - target_margin_pct / 100); p90_cost_per_user_month <= price * (1 - target_margin_pct / 100)",
  "assumptions": [
    "Blended cost includes normal users and heavy users, not just one average demo path",
    "Customer-facing credits or allowances can be simpler than the internal provider-cost ledger",
    "Stripe records money events while the app records usage, credits, and provider cost",
    "Willingness to pay is validated separately from cost math"
  ],
  "example": "If typical users cost $8/month, 10% of users cost $80/month, and target margin is 80%, blended cost is $15.20 and required_price is $76. A $49 unlimited plan needs usage caps, credits, or top-ups."
}