PAYG (pay-as-you-go) pricing charges for measured AI coding usage instead of relying only on a fixed allowance. The measured unit can be API tokens, provider-priced model usage, or a product-specific credit, so “PAYG” does not identify one universal rate.
Independent comparison note: Verdent is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the third-party products and providers referenced on this page. Product and company names are the property of their respective owners. Details were checked against the linked official sources; current account pages remain authoritative.
Current official examples show several structures. Cursor combines subscriptions and included usage with optional additional usage. Codex can be used through included ChatGPT-plan usage or, for local CLI/SDK/IDE work, an API key billed at standard OpenAI API rates. Claude Code includes usage with Pro and Max, while Console and supported cloud-provider access are metered. Verdent sells non-expiring top-ups alongside subscription credits and states that model costs have no markup.
Estimate the bill in separate layers:
Expected monthly cost = fixed subscription + metered usage or top-ups + human review and repair time.
Run a representative task set that includes planning, repository reading, implementation, tests, and one repair cycle. Track accepted tasks rather than requests. PAYG can fit variable workloads; a fixed allowance can simplify steady budgeting. Neither is automatically cheaper.
Checked August 28, 2026. Sources: Cursor Models & Pricing, OpenAI Codex pricing, Anthropic Claude Code costs, and Verdent pricing. Confirm the live account page before purchase because eligibility and rates can change.
Related reading: How to control AI coding-tool costs and How credits work in AI coding tools.
