# Built-in Monetization

## Charge for your AI agents from day one

Subscriptions, per-use billing, one-time payments — pick a pricing model and start collecting revenue through Stripe. No custom billing code required.

[Start Building Free](https://pickaxe.co/builder) [See How It Works](https://pickaxe.co/learn/monetization)

## Stripe Payments Integration

Connect your Stripe account and start collecting payments in minutes. Set up subscription plans, one-time charges, or usage-based billing for your AI agents.

## Your agents should make you money

Pickaxe handles the billing infrastructure so you can focus on building great agents. Connect Stripe, choose a pricing model, set your rates, and let users pay directly through your agent or portal.

## Flexible pricing models

Offer subscriptions (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly), pay-per-use credits, one-time payments, or link to external payment providers.

## Built-in upgrade paths

When users hit their usage limit, prompt them to upgrade to a higher tier or purchase more credits. Turn free users into paying customers.

## Stripe-powered payments

All payments process through Stripe. You get a real merchant account, proper invoicing, and full control over your revenue.

## Tiered access control

Create free, starter, and premium tiers with different usage limits and features. Each tier can have its own pricing and capabilities.

## Plus everything else you need to build and scale

Powerful features designed to help you create, deploy, and monetize AI tools that deliver real results.

### No-Code Agent Builder

Build AI agents with simple drag-and-drop configuration. No coding, no terminal, no boilerplate.

### Client-Ready Portals

Showcase your AI agents in professional, branded portals for your clients and users.

### Auto-Updating Knowledge Base

Keep your agents powered by the latest data with automatic knowledge sync from documents and URLs.

### Manage Users & See Activity

Track how users engage with your agents, monitor conversations, and manage access controls.

### Automatic Prompt Testing

Optimize agent performance with AI-powered prompt improvements and real-time testing.

### Built-in Monetization

Monetize access to your agents with integrated subscription and usage billing via Stripe.

### Embed Anywhere

Deploy your agents on any platform — websites, mobile apps, Slack, WhatsApp, email, or API.

## Frequently Asked Questions

- How do I set up payments?
- What pricing models are available?
- What percentage does Pickaxe take?
- Can I offer a free tier?
- How do upgrade paths work?

## How to monetize AI agents

Monetizing AI agents typically requires building custom billing systems, managing subscriptions, handling payment processing, and implementing access control. Pickaxe eliminates all of that by providing built-in monetization tools that work out of the box.

With Pickaxe, you connect your Stripe account, create access groups with your desired pricing, and start collecting payments. Users can purchase access directly through your agent deployments or portals. The entire billing flow — from checkout to access provisioning — is handled automatically.

Pickaxe supports multiple pricing models to fit your business. Offer monthly subscriptions for steady recurring revenue, pay-per-use credits for usage-based billing, one-time payments for premium access, or combine models for maximum flexibility.

The upgrade path system turns free users into paying customers. Set usage limits on free tiers, and when users hit their limit, they see your custom upgrade prompt. This creates a natural conversion funnel without requiring any sales effort.