Twelve scenarios
Each scenario below lists every vendor's stamp, the supporting excerpt and the source.
S1. Answered, customer confirms it worked
The AI answers and the customer says thanks or that it solved the problem. Of 16 vendors: 14 bill it, 0 do not, 2 verify, 0 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | "Fin gives an AI answer and no further help is requested." → Resolution, Yes. (Intercom help scenario table) | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | VERIFY | Verified Resolution: "The AI agent successfully resolved the interaction." Only after an LLM "evaluates the text of the conversation to confirm that the customer's request was satisfactorily resolved." Only this tier draws on the allowance. | Zendesk help, "About automated resolution tiers" (updated 2026-09-30) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | BILLED | Counted when the customer "doesn't use escalation, search the knowledge base, ask more questions, or indicate that they need more help." | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | BILLED | "Pay only when it resolves a conversation." An automated interaction is "a customer request that's fully resolved without a human agent". Customer confirms it worked. | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | BILLED | "The AI directly solved a customer question." | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | BILLED | Billed on "a resolved conversation": "Customer agent: Resolve one conversation (text-based channels)", 50 credits. | HubSpot Products & Services Catalog, HubSpot Credits Rate Sheet OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | Reported: "charging for interactions regardless of outcome" (Intercom). Ada's own page is silent. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | BILLED | "Only when the agent actually closes the conversation." | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | BILLED | "Resolve a conversation: finished end to end, with nobody on your team involved." | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S2. Answered, then 24 hours of silence
The AI answers. The customer never replies and gives no feedback. Of 16 vendors: 9 bill it, 1 do not, 4 verify, 2 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | "...exits the conversation without requesting further assistance (assumed resolution)." The 24-hour trigger for the assumed case is per Varley; Fin's help page as read does not state the window. (our reading) | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | VERIFY | Contained Resolution: "The AI agent handled the interaction to completion without the customer requesting further assistance. This tier does not count against your resolution allowance." The LLM check did not confirm it. | Zendesk help, "About automated resolution tiers" (updated 2026-09-30) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | BILLED | Silence satisfies the counted-only-if rule: no escalation, search, question or request for help. Our reading of the same text. (our reading) | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | VERIFY | Billed as an automated interaction unless an agent replies within 72h; but "fully resolved" is not tested against silence on the page. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | VERIFY | Third parties say resolved means no handoff or negative feedback within 72 hours; silence would pass, but this is a gloss on HubSpot's knowledge base, not HubSpot text we read. (our reading) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | Reported: "charging for interactions regardless of outcome" (Intercom). Ada's own page is silent. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | NOT BILLED | "A customer going quiet" is always free. | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S3. Customer says "I still need help"
After the AI answer, the customer asks for more help or for a person. Of 16 vendors: 7 bill it, 6 do not, 1 verify, 2 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | NOT BILLED | "Standard workflow: Fin will hand over if ... a customer asks for human support ..." → Escalated, No. (Intercom help scenario table) | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | NOT BILLED | "Without any escalation to a human agent." Escalations do not count against the allowance (Varley). | Zendesk pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | NOT BILLED | "If a customer requests more help ... by selecting the 'I still need help' button, the conversation won't count as a resolution and you won't be charged." | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | NOT BILLED | A hand-off is not a resolution under the 72-hour gloss. (our reading) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | Reported: "charging for interactions regardless of outcome" (Intercom). Ada's own page is silent. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | NOT BILLED | "Conversations the agent handed to a teammate don't appear on this bill at all." | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | NOT BILLED | "A hand-off to your team" is always free. | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S4. Escalated by rule, human resolves
The AI cannot answer and routes to a person under the general escalation rules. Of 16 vendors: 7 bill it, 8 do not, 1 verify, 0 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | NOT BILLED | "Fin escalates due to workspace level guidance or escalation rules." → Escalated, No. | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | NOT BILLED | Assisted Escalation: "The AI agent contributed to the interaction before a human agent completed the resolution. This tier does not count against your resolution allowance." | Zendesk help, "About automated resolution tiers" (updated 2026-09-30) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | NOT BILLED | "Resolved by AI Answers without human assistance." | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | NOT BILLED | "Pay only when it resolves a conversation": a human-resolved one is not resolved by the AI. Our reading. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | NOT BILLED | "The AI directly solved a customer question." A human-solved one is not. Our reading. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | NOT BILLED | No hand-off (third-party gloss). (our reading) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | "Not Resolved at once" for hand-offs, yet the conversation may still be billed on a per-conversation contract (DevRev). (our reading) | DevRev, "What counts as an autonomous resolution?" (DevRev sells a rival) RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | NOT BILLED | "A handoff is free." | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | NOT BILLED | "A hand-off to your team" is always free. | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S5. Procedure ends in a hand-off
The AI runs a workflow you configured (check an order, collect details) and then hands to a person. Of 16 vendors: 8 bill it, 5 do not, 1 verify, 2 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | "Fin handoffs to a human because of instructions you added in Procedure-specific guidance." → Procedure Handoff, Yes. | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | NOT BILLED | A hand-off is an escalation; "without any escalation to a human agent" (own page). Reading, not a quote about procedures. (our reading) | Zendesk pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | NOT BILLED | A hand-off is human assistance: "without human assistance." (our reading) | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | NOT BILLED | No hand-off (third-party gloss). (our reading) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | "Not Resolved at once" for hand-offs, yet the conversation may still be billed on a per-conversation contract (DevRev). (our reading) | DevRev, "What counts as an autonomous resolution?" (DevRev sells a rival) RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | NOT BILLED | "A handoff is free." | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | NOT BILLED | "A hand-off to your team is always free" whatever caused it (Varley's own article). | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S6. Human steps in before the customer asks
A teammate replies on their own while the AI conversation is open. Of 16 vendors: 6 bill it, 6 do not, 2 verify, 2 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | Customers who had not asked for a person first: "each reply counted as a Fin resolution" (Intercom forum case quoted by Varley). | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | NOT BILLED | "The AI agent contributed to the interaction before a human agent completed the resolution." (Assisted escalation tier.) | Zendesk help, "About automated resolution tiers" (updated 2026-09-30) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | NOT BILLED | "Without human assistance." | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | NOT BILLED | "If a support agent ends up replying within 72h of an AI Agent resolution, that interaction is only charged as a billable helpdesk ticket instead." So no automated-interaction charge. | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | NOT BILLED | No human hand-off (third-party gloss). (our reading) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Ada pricing page (shows no prices, only a demo/consultation form; re-checked 2026-11-10) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | VERIFY | Billed if the agent "actually works on" the ticket; a human-only reply is not discussed. (our reading) | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | VERIFY | Not discussed. (our reading) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | NOT BILLED | "Answered end to end ... with no teammate stepping in." (Talvo article) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | NOT BILLED | Billed only when "nobody on your team" was involved. | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S7. Follow-up question, AI answers again
The customer asks a second question in the same conversation and the AI answers it. Of 16 vendors: 10 bill it, 1 do not, 3 verify, 2 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | "A maximum of one outcome per conversation, regardless of how many questions the customer asks." | Intercom, "Intercom Pricing" (Fin outcomes) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | VERIFY | Verification runs when the conversation ends (email 72h after the first email, messaging 2h after the first message by default); a second answer in the same conversation is not discussed as a separate check. (our reading) | Zendesk help, "About automated resolution tiers" (updated 2026-09-30) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | NOT BILLED | Not a resolution if the customer will "ask more questions". | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | BILLED | "Multiple questions in the same chat still count as one." | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | VERIFY | Not discussed. (our reading) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | Reported: "charging for interactions regardless of outcome" (Intercom). Ada's own page is silent. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | BILLED | "Once per conversation." (Talvo article) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S8. Same issue returns within 72 hours
The same customer comes back about the same problem after a first AI answer. Of 16 vendors: 4 bill it, 0 do not, 3 verify, 9 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | DOCS SILENT | Varley and DevRev say the charge is deducted only if the customer returns to the same conversation; a new conversation is a new outcome. Intercom's page we read does not say. (our reading) | DevRev, "What counts as an autonomous resolution?" (DevRev sells a rival) RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Zendesk pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "Even if ... the customer leaves the chat window and returns to it at a later time, that still counts as a single conversation." | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | VERIFY | Email sessions run 72 hours from the first email (own FAQ), so a return inside 72h on email is the same session; chat sessions run 24 hours per third parties, so a later return is a new session. Depends on channel and timing. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | HubSpot Products & Services Catalog, HubSpot Credits Rate Sheet OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | VERIFY | A new 24-hour session if the customer returns after the window; "New session; no refund published." (DevRev) | DevRev, "What counts as an autonomous resolution?" (DevRev sells a rival) RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Ada pricing page (shows no prices, only a demo/consultation form; re-checked 2026-11-10) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | VERIFY | A new ticket is a new credit; a reopened one is not discussed. (our reading) | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | DOCS SILENT | Varley's separate "How we count a resolution" page covers reopening; we did not read it. (our reading) | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S9. Answer was wrong, customer leaves
The AI gives a wrong or unhelpful answer and the customer silently gives up. Of 16 vendors: 9 bill it, 1 do not, 4 verify, 2 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | "A resolution is counted when ... the customer ... exits the conversation without requesting further assistance (assumed resolution)." A customer who leaves after a wrong answer exits without requesting more help. | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | VERIFY | An LLM reads the transcript at the end; a silent unhappy customer is billed only if the LLM confirms the request was satisfactorily resolved, otherwise it is a free Contained resolution. (our reading) | Zendesk help, "About automated resolution tiers" (updated 2026-09-30) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | BILLED | Rests on the customer not asking again (Varley): a frustrated customer who leaves is not distinguished. (our reading) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | VERIFY | "Fully resolved without a human agent" is the test; the page does not say how a wrong answer the customer abandons is judged. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | VERIFY | Negative feedback is only counted if given. (our reading) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | Reported: "charging for interactions regardless of outcome" (Intercom). Ada's own page is silent. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | NOT BILLED | "A customer going quiet" is always free. | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S10. AI only looks up or acts
The AI checks an order or runs an action and reports the result, with no confirmation. Of 16 vendors: 8 bill it, 0 do not, 3 verify, 5 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | "Fin gives an AI answer and no further help is requested." → Resolution, Yes. A completed Procedure counts the same way. | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | VERIFY | Action Builder is "billed based on consumption exceeding applicable plan allowances" (own page), separate from automated resolutions. | Zendesk pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | HubSpot Products & Services Catalog, HubSpot Credits Rate Sheet OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | Reported: "charging for interactions regardless of outcome" (Intercom). Ada's own page is silent. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | VERIFY | Priced separately as "Ask Varley: a question or task, including the actions it takes", $0.10, not as a resolution. | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S11. Spam, test or bot message
A message that is not a real customer request but the AI replies to it. Of 16 vendors: 3 bill it, 3 do not, 2 verify, 8 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | NOT BILLED | "Fin determines a conversation is spam and routes it to the Spam view in your Inbox." → Spam, No. (Intercom help scenario table) | Intercom help, "Fin AI Agent outcomes" (scenario table: what is billed) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Zendesk pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | NOT BILLED | "Gorgias filters out newsletters, spam, and auto-responders automatically, so you only pay for tickets that actually need a response." | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | VERIFY | "Unanswered greetings use sessions" (DevRev). Spam replies are not discussed. | DevRev, "What counts as an autonomous resolution?" (DevRev sells a rival) RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | HubSpot Products & Services Catalog, HubSpot Credits Rate Sheet OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | DOCS SILENT | Whether a spam message opens a billable session is not stated. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Ada pricing page (shows no prices, only a demo/consultation form; re-checked 2026-11-10) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | VERIFY | "Do I pay for spam ...? No, only for tickets your agent actually works on." Tell the agent to leave them alone and they never count: depends on your setup. | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | NOT BILLED | "What never costs credits? ... spam, notifications and auto-replies, handoffs to a person after an AI attempt, and testing in the Playground." | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Talvo pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
S12. Three questions in one chat
The customer asks three separate questions and the AI answers all three. Of 16 vendors: 10 bill it, 0 do not, 2 verify, 4 silent.
| Vendor | Stamp | Excerpt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom) | BILLED | Same rule: one outcome per conversation however many questions. | Intercom, "Intercom Pricing" (Fin outcomes) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Zendesk AI agents | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Zendesk pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers) | VERIFY | "You'll only be charged for one resolution per conversation, even if AI Answers responds to multiple questions." but "ask more questions" voids the resolution. The two sentences point different ways. | Help Scout pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Gorgias AI Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Gorgias pricing page (FAQ: AI Agent $0.90 annual / $1.00 monthly per interaction; robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Tidio (Lyro) | BILLED | "A Lyro conversation is a customer interaction ... that has at least one reply from our AI Agent. ... that still counts as a single conversation." Billable whenever Lyro replies. | Tidio pricing page (Lyro definition quoted from this page; Lyro add-on tier prices not shown on it) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Crisp (Hugo) | BILLED | "Billed. Usage runs until the conversation is resolved, routed or escalated." Nobody decides it counted; it is metered usage. (Varley) | Varley, "AI support billing" articles (Varley sells one of the vendors), read 2026-09-23 and 2026-11-04 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| LiveChat (Text) AI Agent | BILLED | "Multiple questions in the same chat still count as one." | LiveChat pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Freshworks Freddy AI Agent | BILLED | "A session is a unique interaction between an end-user and an AI Agent." Sessions are used at the first reply and billed per session, not per resolution. (our reading) | Freshworks Freshdesk pricing page (robots.txt checked 2026-11-10 and allows /freshdesk/pricing/) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | HubSpot Products & Services Catalog, HubSpot Credits Rate Sheet OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Salesforce Agentforce | BILLED | "Every session is billed regardless of whether the issue was resolved. A deflected one-line FAQ counts the same as a complex multi-turn interaction." If the AI escalates "you still pay." | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Ada | VERIFY | Reported: "charging for interactions regardless of outcome" (Intercom). Ada's own page is silent. (our reading) | Intercom, "AI Agent Pricing: Cost of Customer Support AI Agents" (written by Fin's vendor about rivals), 2026-07-08 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| eesel AI | BILLED | "A ticket is 1 credit however many replies go back and forth, and whatever the agent does inside it." | eesel pricing page and FAQ OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Helply | BILLED | "One credit is one simple AI action ... resolving a conversation end to end uses more." Credits are spent per AI action, not per outcome. | Helply pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Talvo | BILLED | "Once per conversation." (Talvo article) | Talvo, "AI resolution pricing compared: 10 vendors" (Talvo sells one of the ten), 2026-10-21 RIVAL-WRITTEN viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Varley | DOCS SILENT | Not addressed in the sources we read. (our reading) | Varley pricing page OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |
| Chatbase | BILLED | "Each request made to the AI model costs a certain number of message credits depending on your chosen model." A credit is spent each time the agent asks the model for a reply. | Chatbase pricing page (read 2026-11-10; robots.txt allows /pricing) OWN DOCS viewed 2026-11-10 |