Pricing and model verification methodology

Purpose

This methodology explains where public model and pricing claims come from. It exists so customers, search engines, and AI agents can distinguish verified facts from marketing language.

Route verification

1. Confirm the exact authenticated upstream model route.
2. Run bounded chat, streaming, usage, and tool-call checks.
3. Compare response usage with the upstream per-request cost record.
4. Check for empty output, invalid tool calls, and reasoning metadata.
5. Publish the stable customer alias only after the route passes the required checks.

Pricing verification

The final customer rate is checked against the active route and usage records before it is published or sent with access details. Ledger amounts use integer minor units to avoid floating-point billing errors.

Source hierarchy

1. Authenticated upstream usage records for actual customer-route cost
2. Official provider documentation and public pricing pages
3. Repeated controlled test results
4. Third-party comparisons only as secondary context

Freshness

Machine-readable model and pricing files include a verification date. Material route or pricing changes should update the model page, pricing page, JSON files, sitemap modification date, and this methodology record.

Known limits

A verified route can still experience later availability or quality changes. Published checks are evidence from a point in time, not a permanent uptime or confidentiality guarantee.

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