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Performance

Cost Transparency

Show the price of an operation (tokens, credits, dollars) before or as it runs. Visible cost is how people choose depth, models, and tools without surprise bills.

Interactive demo

Before you run

Est. $0.12

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Overview

How might we design cost transparency so people can trust and act on AI output?

When to use

  • Ideal for applications with usage-based pricing, credit systems, and platforms where cost awareness helps users manage spending and optimize usage.

When to skip

  • Flat unlimited consumer plans where showing micro-costs adds anxiety with no decision value.
  • Internal demos on company-paid keys where cost UI distracts from the task.
  • When estimates are so wrong that displaying them destroys trust.

Rules

  • Hiding cost until after a large agent run finishes.

  • Inconsistent units (credits vs dollars) across model picker and usage page.

  • “Free” labeling for actions that still burn shared team quotas.

  • No warning when a tool call will spend an order of magnitude more than a normal reply.

Evidence

ProductImplementation
OpenAI / Anthropic consolesToken and dollar usage visible per request and in billing dashboards.
CursorSurfaces premium model and agent usage against plan limits.
Perplexity / Claude ProMakes plan limits and upgraded modes legible at choice time.
Cloud LLM gatewaysPer-team budgets and cost estimates before high-spend agent jobs.

Real-world examples

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FAQ

What is cost transparency in AI product UX?

Cost transparency means showing users what an action will spend (tokens, credits, or money) before or during the run so they can pick the right model depth and avoid surprise usage.

Where should cost appear in the UI?

Near the decision: model or mode picker, agent confirmations, and any tool that multiplies spend. Mirror the same units on settings and billing for consistency.

How does cost transparency relate to autonomy budgets?

Autonomy budgets limit unattended steps or time. Cost transparency limits or shows spend. Agent products often need both so users control how far and how expensive a run can go.