Unlocking AI revenue: the pricing paradox

m3ter, a provider of infrastructure for implementing usage-based pricing, has collaborated with PwC UK on a survey examining how UK businesses are adapting to AI-driven pricing models.

The findings highlight a gap between growing adoption of AI and organisations’ ability to accurately charge for usage. While pay-per-use models are increasingly being adopted, nearly half (44%) of UK business leaders report challenges in capturing and measuring customer usage effectively.

As companies shift towards consumption-based pricing to reflect how AI features are accessed, the research shows that around two-thirds of UK software executives lack full confidence in their finance systems to manage customer usage data and ensure accurate invoicing, creating potential revenue risk.

The joint m3ter and PwC report, Revenue Integrity and Optimisation in the Era of AI and Usage-Based Pricing, outlines how UK businesses are adapting pricing strategies. Over a third have introduced pay-per-use pricing alongside traditional models, while half have changed pricing at least twice in the past year. AI has commonly been introduced through premium products or integrated into standard offerings with associated price increases.

Despite these developments, core financial systems have not kept pace with more complex pricing structures. The survey found that 87% of respondents report a lack of integration between billing systems and ERP or general ledger systems, while 48% report no integration between billing and CRM systems. Many organisations still rely on manual workarounds, including spreadsheets, to manage pricing, usage tracking, and revenue reconciliation.

PwC’s 2026 Global CEO Survey found that 30% of respondents experienced an increase in revenue from AI in the past year.

The research also highlights operational and financial risks linked to current billing approaches, including billing disputes that can affect customer trust, and concerns around audit and regulatory scrutiny. Revenue leakage—defined as unrealised revenue due to factors such as unbilled usage, incorrect application of pricing terms, or missed discounts and credits—is estimated at 4–7% of annual recurring revenue.

Nearly two-thirds of UK executives report limited confidence in managing exposure to revenue leakage, rising to 72% among those using usage-based pricing models.

m3ter and PwC UK began their collaboration in 2025, aiming to support organisations in reducing commercial risk, modernising billing processes, and improving revenue integrity. The partnership combines m3ter’s technology with PwC UK’s expertise in commercial controls, contract governance, and managed services to address revenue management challenges at scale.