CASE 001
What counts as a resolution?
Every AI support vendor decides for itself. One bills a customer who went quiet. Another bills only after a second AI checks the transcript. We read each vendor's own words, file them, and run the same 12 conversations through all of them.
Same month, 5,000 AI conversations, six definitions
Default mix of the 12 scenarios. The range runs from "only what the text clearly bills" to "everything marked VERIFY or DOCS SILENT also bills". Seats and plan fees are not included.
| Vendor | Month at 5,000 conversations | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 | S9 | S10 | S11 | S12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fin (Intercom)Outcome | $3,367 to $3,614 | BILLED | BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | BILLED | BILLED | BILLED | DOCS SILENT | BILLED | BILLED | NOT BILLED | BILLED |
| Zendesk AI agentsVerified automated resolution | $0 to $7,002 | VERIFY | VERIFY | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | VERIFY | DOCS SILENT | VERIFY | VERIFY | DOCS SILENT | DOCS SILENT |
| Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers)Resolution | $1,613 to $2,401 | BILLED | BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | DOCS SILENT | BILLED | DOCS SILENT | DOCS SILENT | VERIFY |
| Salesforce AgentforceConversation (24-hour session) or action | $9,002 to $10,002 | BILLED | BILLED | BILLED | BILLED | BILLED | BILLED | BILLED | VERIFY | BILLED | BILLED | DOCS SILENT | BILLED |
| TalvoResolution | $299 to $1,034 | BILLED | DOCS SILENT | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | BILLED | DOCS SILENT | DOCS SILENT | DOCS SILENT | DOCS SILENT | BILLED |
| VarleyResolution | $550 to $1,225 | BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | NOT BILLED | DOCS SILENT | DOCS SILENT | NOT BILLED | VERIFY | DOCS SILENT | DOCS SILENT |
BILLED the vendor's text says it bills · NOT BILLED says it does not · VERIFY text is ambiguous, conflicts, or a vendor-side check decides · DOCS SILENT text we read does not say
NOTICE
Who wrote it?
Each excerpt is tagged OWN DOCS or RIVAL-WRITTEN. Several of the best comparisons are written by vendors who appear in them. We say so on every excerpt. Method
LATEST
Zendesk, May 2026
Three resolution tiers; only a "Verified Resolution" confirmed by a second model within 72 hours is billed. All changes
The 16 files
Fin (Intercom)
Outcome
$0.99 per outcome
BILLED NOT BILLED
Zendesk AI agents
Verified automated resolution
Not on the pricing page; $1.50 to $2.00 per resolution reported by rivals
VERIFY NOT BILLED
Help Scout (Envoy / AI Answers)
Resolution
$0.75 per resolution
BILLED NOT BILLED
Gorgias AI Agent
Automated interaction
$0.90 per interaction (annual) or $1.00 (monthly)
VERIFY NOT BILLED
Tidio (Lyro)
Lyro conversation
Tiers from $39 for 50 conversations to $700 for 1,000 (per Talvo)
BILLED BILLED
Crisp (Hugo)
AI usage credits per conversation
Credits; Crisp's own page puts $5 at about 90 automated conversations (about $0.06 each)
BILLED BILLED
LiveChat (Text) AI Agent
Resolution
$49.50 per 50 extra resolutions, about $0.99 each
DOCS SILENT NOT BILLED
Freshworks Freddy AI Agent
Session
$0.49 per session ($49 per 100 sessions)
BILLED BILLED
HubSpot Breeze Customer Agent
Resolved conversation (50 credits)
$0.50 per resolved conversation (50 credits at $0.01)
VERIFY NOT BILLED
Salesforce Agentforce
Conversation (24-hour session) or action
$2.00 per conversation; or $500 per 100,000 Flex Credits, 20 credits per action
BILLED BILLED
Ada
Conversation (custom contract)
Contact (no public price)
VERIFY VERIFY
eesel AI
Credit (one per ticket or chat)
Monthly credit blocks from $299 for 500; extra credits $0.80
BILLED BILLED
Helply
AI credit per action
Plans with pooled AI credits; unit price per resolution not stated
BILLED BILLED
Talvo
Resolution
$0.49 per resolution beyond plan allowance
DOCS SILENT NOT BILLED
Varley
Resolution
$0.50 per resolution; hand-offs free
NOT BILLED NOT BILLED
Chatbase
Message credit per AI reply
Plans from $40 a month for 700 message credits
BILLED BILLED