Salesforce’s New Agentforce Pricing: What Customers Should Know

Salesforce recently rolled out a major update to how it prices Agentforce, its AI offering, and it’s a meaningful shift that could benefit customers if handled wisely. Here, I will break down what the updates are, how the new credit system works, and what customers need to be aware of heading into negotiations.

From Conversations to Actions

Previously, Salesforce charged $2 per conversation for access to Agentforce and its AI functionality, a model that left customers with sticker shock and questioning what exactly counted as a “conversation.” The new pricing structure replaces this with a “flex credit” system, where customers pay based on actual outcomes and/or results like updating records, resolving support cases or automating workflows.

It is important to note that the previous $2 per conversation option is still available to customers and could be the best option for some customers depending on their particular circumstances.  Of course, this is assuming the proper deal was negotiated as well.

How Flex Credits Work: Pricing and Details

Here’s how the flex credit model breaks down:

• Customer buys 100,000 credits for $500
• 1 “action” consumes 20 credits (or 16 in a sandbox environment)
• Effective cost per “action” = $0.10

No rollover is allowed, and if you exceed your credit amount (100,000), you’ll be billed based on the rate outlined in your order form, so make sure that rate is clearly defined and negotiated. This should include volume discounting to account for the growing number of “actions” and the resulting growth of consumption.

It’s Still Consumption-Based, So Stay Alert

While there may be benefits tied to the new pricing model, it is important to remember that “Flex Credits” is still a consumption-based pricing model, and that model comes with risks. Without safeguards like volume discount structures, future usage caps, and clear contract definitions of items like “actions,” it’s easy for costs to spiral as usage grows. Internal tracking processes and proactive contract negotiations are essential, even if Salesforce is providing customers a Digital Wallet to help with tracking “actions” and the resulting credit usage.

More Changes: Flex Agreements

Along with the introduction to Flex Credits, Salesforce is introducing a “Flex Agreement” that provides customers with the ability to shift investments between user-based subscriptions and digital labor.

In practice, what this means is customers will have the ability to convert user subscriptions into Flex Credits or convert Flex Credits into new user subscriptions.  A construct like this should provide some peace of mind for customers because it allows for adaptability and flexibility should your envisioned AI needs change over time. This flexibility was not previously given to customers.

Still, it’s crucial to push Salesforce to provide clear language covering how this works and all the potential implications. For instance, is the customer required to maintain a particular spend like Salesforce requires as part of any swap rights granted? It would be a good idea to also have Salesforce include examples of the types of conversions that may occur over time along with their impact.

Looking Ahead: A User-Based Subscription Model

This summer, Salesforce will launch new user-based subscriptions that will include Agentforce.  From what we can tell, it will initially be tied to Sales, Service, Field Service and Industry plans. These new per user per month subscriptions will come with unlimited employee-facing agent usage. Pricing is not yet known for the expected “Agentforce” and “Agentforce 1” editions of these plans.

Overall, Salesforce’s Agentforce pricing update and flexible constructs seem to be a sign that Salesforce is listening to its customer base.  They are also clearly driven with a goal of landing more Agentforce customers and deals.

For Salesforce customers considering Agentforce, it’s essential, whether they’re pursuing the “conversations” path or the “actions” path, to ensure they have both the transparency needed to make the right decision and the right deal structure and pricing to support it. The pain that will come from not doing things right will likely be greater and tougher to overcome downstream.

Need help navigating Salesforce’s Agentforce Pricing? Have a renewal coming up? Our Salesforce Advisory Practice specializes in helping enterprises evaluate pricing models, negotiate favorable terms, and align Salesforce investments with business needs. Explore how we can help.