Calculate the price for an AI automation project for a client in 7 minutes
A proven pricing formula based on 18 months of experience: get three pricing tiers, a monthly retainer, and an ROI justification for your proposal
- 1.Open ChatGPT and start a new chat - this will be your project cost calculator.
A free account is enough. If you have Plus, the estimate will be more accurate thanks to GPT-4, but it's not required.
ChatGPT ↗About this tool - 2.Gather project details: automation type, hours currently spent on manual work, number of employees involved, and their approximate hourly rate. Use only rounded ranges, not exact data.
IMPORTANT: client financial and operational data is confidential. Do not paste real employee hourly rates, company revenue, names, contract amounts, or NDA details into ChatGPT. Use generalized ranges (e.g. «$15 - 25/hr» instead of an exact figure) or abstract placeholders.
- 3.Copy the prompt below, replace the bracketed values with generalized project data, and send it to ChatGPT.
Use rounded estimates, not exact numbers from the client's finances. If unsure, go with the lower end of the range - you can fine-tune later.
ChatGPT ↗About this toolPromptYou are an AI automation consultant with 18 months of experience. Help me price a project for a client. Project type: [e.g. customer support chatbot / invoice OCR / lead qualification] Estimated hours to build: [e.g. 20 - 30] Client size: [e.g. small business / mid-size agency / startup] Manual hours saved per week: [e.g. 10] Number of people doing the manual work now: [e.g. 3] Approximate blended hourly rate (range, NOT exact client data): [e.g. $15 - 25] Maintenance level needed: [low / medium / high] Give me: 1. Three pricing tiers - Basic, Standard, Premium - with one-time setup fee for each 2. Monthly retainer / maintenance range 3. Client ROI: weeks to break even 4. What to include in each tier (bullet list) 5. Two common pricing mistakes to avoid Format as a table.
What this prompt doesThe prompt asks ChatGPT to calculate three pricing tiers (Basic, Standard, Premium), a monthly retainer, and the payback period for the client. Replace the bracketed values: project type, development hours, client size, weekly hours saved, number of employees, approximate hourly rate (as a range!), and support level. - 4.Review the response - ChatGPT will output a table with three tiers, a retainer, and an ROI calculation. Adjust the rates for your region: in CIS markets, base dollar rates are typically 1.5 - 2x lower than for US/EU clients.
The estimate is a guideline, not a final number. Consider integration complexity (CRM, payments, API) and client reliability.
- 5.If you want to refine the estimate, ask a follow-up question in the same chat, replacing [X feature] with a specific feature.
For example: analytics dashboard, CRM integration, multilingual support, A/B testing.
ChatGPT ↗About this toolPromptNow recalculate adding [X feature] to the Standard tier and offering quarterly strategy reviews. Increase value-based pricing by 30%.
What this prompt doesFollow-up: asks to recalculate prices with an additional feature in the Standard tier and quarterly reviews, increasing value-based pricing by 30%. - 6.Copy the final table into Google Docs, remove technical jargon, add a timeline (usually «setup - 2 weeks») and send it to the client as part of your proposal.
The client should see value first (hours and money saved), not just cost. Set an offer validity period of 14 days.
Google Docs ↗
- freeChatGPT FreeFree plan: full access to GPT-4o-mini with a message limit that's enough for this calculation.
- subscriptionChatGPT PlusSubscription at $20/month: access to GPT-4o and a higher message limit - gives slightly more accurate estimates, but is not required.
- freeGoogle DocsFree with any Google account, sufficient for formatting and sending a proposal.
Why today
AI services change fast - interfaces and free limits may differ from what's described.