Zendesk’s New Pricing Model Will Eliminate Your Wasted AI Spend
Zendesk has introduced a new outcome-based pricing model for AI agents. As announced by CEO Tom Eggemeier during his keynote at Zendesk Relate 2025, the new model ensures that businesses only pay when AI agents successfully resolve customer issues. It was reported by CX Today and is said to be the first in the industry. So, let’s take a closer look at Zendesk’s latest pricing model.
Zendesk’s Shift from Traditional Pricing Models
Today, most companies have started adopting AI agents. However, they currently have to follow a performance-based pricing model, defining a “successful outcome” has been a challenge. As a result, businesses have to pay based on interactions, often leading to businesses paying for incomplete or failed resolutions. Zendesk is addressing this issue by tying costs directly to resolved issues.
In addition to its pay-for-success model, Zendesk is introducing a no-cost starter usage tier. This allows businesses to experiment with AI agents before scaling them up. As companies refine their AI strategies, they can adjust how much of their customer service workload is handled by AI versus human agents.
Eggemeier explained Zendesk’s new price model by sharing a personal experience where an airline’s AI failed to complete a booking, yet the airline was still charged for the interaction. Under Zendesk’s system, such an unresolved case would not incur a fee.
Zendesk’s Other Announcements
According to the report, Zendesk also showcased its Resolution Platform, an AI service hub designed to improve customer interactions. It includes Pre-Built AI Agents, an AI Agent Builder, an Action Builder, a no-code App Builder, and a QA Module and AI Insights Hub.
A Bold Move in the CRM Industry
Zendesk’s latest pricing model could disrupt the industry by forcing competitors to rethink their approach to AI billing. While many vendors claim to be moving toward outcome-based pricing, Eggemeier asserts that no other company has fully embraced it at Zendesk’s scale.
As AI adoption grows, this model could become a new standard in the CRM and customer service sectors. Whether competitors will follow suit remains to be seen, but Zendesk has certainly raised the bar.