The pricing model for Live Assist for Dynamics 365 (LAD365) is called cost per interaction, or CPI. This means that your cost for Live Assist is based on the number of engagements, not on the number of agents and bots you have.
In this article, we explain how it works, why it benefits you, and answer a few common questions.
Table of Contents
- How does CPI billing work?
- What are the benefits of CPI billing?
- How can I see how many CPI credits my organization has used?
- What happens if I don't use all of the CPI credits allowed under my subscription?
- What happens if my organization exceeds our service level of CPI credits?
How does CPI billing work?
When you buy a subscription, it is for up to a certain amount of usage in the subscription period. With CPI pricing, you can have an unlimited number of agents and bots.
How buying a subscription works
- Our sales team, or your account manager, will meet with you to help you estimate your annual usage, if you don’t know it already. If you are a new customer, contact global-sales@cba-gbl.com for a quote.
- You will receive a quote for a subscription with a specified number of CPI (also called engagement credits) and a specified time period.
- The price per CPI is based on volume and subscription duration. Higher volumes or longer contract durations may result in a lower price per CPI.
- We have a minimum order quantity per year, which will be explained by our sales team.
- After you agree to the quote or place a Purchase Order, you will receive a first invoice. Thereafter, you will receive annual invoices for the same service level unless you request changes.
All subscriptions come with Tier 1 through Tier 3 support, available 24 hours per day. If you need a higher level of support, such as Tier 4, you can request that a Care Package be added to your quote. We also offer Professional Services at a reasonable price if you would like help to get set up, create bots, or do any advanced configuration.
Tip: Our article on getting support explains how to contact our support team.
How usage of your subscription works
We measure the use of Live Assist by the number of interactions. What is an interaction? It's a conversation on the same calendar day between your users (bot or human) and a customer.
Note: It doesn't matter how many messages are sent or how many agents or bots are involved. The whole conversation counts as just one interaction, as long as it happens on the same calendar day. However, if the conversation continues into the next day, it will count as another interaction. The start and end time for your calendar day is based on the time zone set for your Site ID. You can set this within the Engagement Portal.
As we measure your interactions, your CPI credit is consumed as follows:
- Each interaction normally consumes 1 CPI. However, if our Generative AI features are turned on for your organization, each interaction consumes 1.5 CPI instead.
- When you use the Intent Manager to listen to conversations, it will consume an additional 0.2 CPI per interaction.
- When you use the Performance Optimizer it will consume an additional 0.05 CPI per interaction.
- Features such as co-browsing or voice and video do not consume CPI. (Other than being part of a conversation that itself has resulted in a measured interaction.)
Note: There is an exception. If you use the Proactive Messaging feature, an interaction is only measured when an end user replies to an outbound message. An interaction will not be measured if the end user does not reply. However, you will be charged any service provider fees (SMS, WhatsApp, etc) for the outgoing message.
There are special considerations for certain channels and features. Some may carry additional service provider charges. Examples:
- SMS: SMS gateway & phone number costs are not included. You may use your own gateway (such as Twilio) or separately purchase use of our partner LivePerson’s provided gateway. Use of LivePerson’s provided SMS Gateway will be invoiced monthly in arrears at the list price rate of the SMS Provider and with a handling fee of 15%.
- WhatsApp: Use of WhatsApp messaging may incur additional cost known as WhatsApp Message Template Message or “MTM.” We will invoice you monthly in arrears for any MTM incurred in accordance with the WhatsApp MTM rate and with a handling fee of 15%.
What are the benefits of CPI billing?
With CPI billing, you have great flexibility in how you use our software. There are no limits on the number of agents and bots. Since you are billed for use, the number of seats (users) does not matter. This allows you to dynamically scale or adjust your contact center as needed.
- For example, some contact centers use several part time workers to cover a shift. Others may occasionally bring subject matter experts into a conversation to help. Under a “per seat” pricing model, each of these persons would need their own license. This could add up quickly or limit your operations.
- Another example is the use of bots, which is becoming more common than ever. Many have found it valuable to use specialized bots (for a specific process, task, or service level) instead of a single bot. Under a “per seat” pricing model, each bot would require its own license. This could add up quickly or limit your ability to experiment.
CPI pricing will also aid you in calculating ROI per sales or support engagement. You will be able to accurately calculate and analyze the value or cost of interactions as part of your KPIs.
How can I see how many CPI credits my organization has used?
You can access CPI usage data on your CPI billing dashboard, which is refreshed monthly.
What happens if I don’t use all of CPI credits allowed under my subscription?
Your subscription is for an agreed upon service level, and serves as your maximum usage limit. It is billed at that service level, not for actual usage. Therefore, if you use less CPI credits than your service level, they will not roll over to the next year.
What happens if my organization exceeds our service level of CPI credits?
You can continue to use Live Assist and handle engagements, even if you exceed your purchased service level. However, you will be charged an overage fee at a higher “per CPI” price than your subscription.
To avoid the overage fee, we encourage you to keep watch on your usage. If you think you will exceed your subscription service level, proactively contact your account manager. Your account manager may be able to suggest a solution. This may include renewing your subscription early or buying a “top up” subscription.