Consumption Pricing Explained
Carbon Arc’s pricing model is built for precision, predictability, and scale. This guide outlines the principles behind our consumption-based model, how pricing is calculated, and examples to help user orient themselves.
For billing support, contact support@carbonarc.co or your Customer Success representative.
Overview: How Pricing Works
Carbon Arc charges based on output, not ingestion or storage. You pay for the data returned — not for compute, ETL, or upstream processing.
Pay for What You Use
Every query is metered based on the size and scope of the data returned. This ensures buyers only pay for what they consume.
Core Pricing Components
Each API call calculates an estimated price using this formula:
Pricing = (Tokens per MB) × (MB per Row) × (Row Count)
- Number of Records Returned - amount of records returned in the purchase
- Total Records the row count of the dataset
- MB per Row we use the median MB-per-row across tables available in the data asset.
- Tokens/MB Rate (Defined by dataset)
Price Formula
-
Step 1: Count Records Returned
Measure how many records your query processed. -
Step 2: Calculate Data Volume (MB)
Estimate total MB based on record structure and metadata. -
Step 3: Multiply by token/MB Rate
Use the defined price per megabyte to determine query cost.
Minimum Estimated Price
The platform has a minimum query price of 4.99 tokens.
| Scenario | Calculated Cost | Final Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small Query | 0.30 | 4.99 |
| Large Query | 249.50 | 249.50 |
This simplifies billing and eliminates micro-charges across long-tail usage.
Example Scenarios
Scenario 1: Small Query
- Records Returned: 10
- Total Records: 1,000
- MB in API: 5
- Rate: 4.99 tokens/MB
- Estimated: 0.24 tokens
- Final Price: 4.99 tokens
Scenario 2: Large Query
- Records Returned: 10,000
- Total Records: 100,000
- MB in API: 500
- Rate: 4.99 tokens/MB
- Estimated: 249.50 tokens
- Final Price: 249.50 tokens
Why the Minimum?
The 4.99 token floor ensures:
- Simpler billing
- Fewer disputes
- More predictable invoices
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I exceed expected usage?
Your cost scales with your usage. There are no surprise thresholds or hidden fees. Users cannot exceed usage past the token balance in their wallet.
Can I estimate my costs before querying?
Yes. The Insights Builder shows your estimated price before you hit an API.
For more help, contact support@carbonarc.co