Report cover image

Zendesk's Outcome-Based Pricing for AI Agents: A Shift Toward Resolution-Centric Customer Service

Publisher IDC
Published May 27, 2025
Length 6 Pages
SKU # IDC20068551

Description

This IDC Market Note discusses Zendesk's August 2024 launch of the company's outcome-based pricing model, which charges customers only when Zendesk's AI agents fully resolve inquiries autonomously, emphasizing value and pricing transparency. At the 2025 Relate Conference, Zendesk introduced the Zendesk Resolution Platform, combining AI agents, knowledge graphs, and governance tools, with pricing starting at $1.50 per automated resolution for AI agents and a starter tier bundled with Suite and Support plans. In addition, the AI Dynamic Pricing Plan allows businesses to shift investments between human and AI agents. These innovations position Zendesk as an early adopter of outcome-based pricing.As Zendesk rolls out outcome-based pricing, it should ensure clear definitions and transparent measurement of what qualifies as a resolved interaction to build customer trust. It also needs to provide tools to help customers manage costs and forecast AI usage effectively. In addition, updating contractual terms to clearly outline outcome metrics will be critical to minimize risks for both Zendesk and its clients. "As organizations accelerate their shift to digital-first models and AI-driven automation, Zendesk's outcome-based pricing offers a transparent and value-aligned approach for customer service," said Tapan Patel, research director, Customer Data, AI, and Analytics Strategies at IDC. "By clearly defining successful outcomes, providing robust analytics for tracking outcomes and usage, and offering flexible pricing options, Zendesk is well-positioned to build strong trust and deliver sustainable value to its clients."

Table of Contents

6 Pages

Executive Snapshot

In This Market Note

IDC's Point of View

Viability and Market Differentiation

Monetization and Pricing Framework

Defining Automation Attribution

Customer Value and ROI Transparency

Strengthening Customer Relationships

Attracting SMBs with Freemium Adoption

Pilot Programs for Risk-Free Adoption

Learn More

Related Research

Synopsis

Search Inside Report

Pricing

Currency Rates
How Do Licenses Work?

How Do Licenses Work?

The primary function of a report license is to define how many people within a company are authorized to use the purchased report. This is separate to how a report might be delivered. Unless specifically identified otherwise, the purchase option is Single User. Below is a helpful description of that license, along with a sampling of others most commonly offered.

  • This license allows only one user to have access to and to use/read the report. It is not one user at a time or one user group; it is an individual who will be reading and utilizing the report.

  • This license allows for the entire purchasing company to read and use the report. This is the license level that would allow for a report to be placed on an internal company shared drive for access by all employees of that direct company. This license does not extend to parent or sister company use.

  • This license is designed to allow an entire department within a company full access to a report. The departmental license is a great option for companies that have more than one location and the department is spread out all over the country/world

  • This license is for companies that have one location where they want the report to be accessible by all employees within that physical location.

  • This is the most flexible of the licensing options. Some publishers will allow you to get a license for a preset number of people (typically 5). These licenses are ideal for small work groups.

License options are at the discretion of each publisher. As such, not all licenses indicated above are available for every product. If you are uncertain of the best license for your needs or would like a license that is not proactively available, please contact us and we will be happy to assist.

Head shot

Questions or Comments?

Our team has the ability to search within reports to verify it suits your needs. We can also help maximize your budget by finding sections of reports you can purchase.
Chat Now
Contact Us