๐ช๐๐ข ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ?
Users quit your AI plugin at the billing screen. They fear invisible costs. You have two paths.
Path one: You pay the provider. You risk loss from heavy users. Path two: Users bring their own API key. This creates a wall at the start.
I chose the second path. I fixed the drop-off with these steps:
Offer one free chat. Use a free tier for onboarding. Let users see the value first. Ask for the key later.
Set hard limits. Use a daily ceiling. Set a minimum time between requests. This stops error loops.
Route by request weight. Use cheap models for simple questions. Use strong models for complex tasks. This saves money.
Show the cost. Give users a rough estimate. Anxiety comes from the unknown. Clear numbers stop the fear.
The token bill always lands in a wallet. Know whose wallet you target. Design for the person paying.
Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi