Zendesk only charges for verified AI resolutions

Zendesk split its outcome-based AI pricing into four tiers, and only one of them bills anything, per Futurum.

Three tiers, Unassisted Conversation, Assisted Escalation, and Contained Resolution, are free. Only Verified Resolution charges, at $1.50 to $2.00 per ticket plus $50 a month per agent.

That per-ticket price also requires Zendesk's Advanced AI add-on, a separate charge that presumably handles the verification step. Futurum's writeup doesn't say how Zendesk confirms the fix held after the conversation ends.

For anyone evaluating outcome pricing from any vendor, that's the actual lesson. An outcome isn't self-evident, and defining what doesn't count is as much product work as the part that bills.

The three free tiers are the real story. Zendesk built them because most AI-touched conversations don't end in a resolution worth billing for. Worth watching: whether Zendesk publishes what actually fails verification, and how often.

Futurum published the tier and pricing breakdown on July 19.