Work IQ APIs move to pay-per-use billing
Microsoft's Work IQ APIs now bill per use in Copilot Credits, so developers can call them without pre-assigned licences. Costs vary with usage.
Microsoft's Work IQ APIs are now billed per use, so developers can call them without pre-assigned licences, according to the October 27, 2026 section of the Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes. Usage is paid in Copilot Credits. The Work IQ pages we checked do not give a per-call rate.
What changed?
The release notes entry, "Work IQ APIs: Usage-based billing" (Roadmap ID 559017), lets developers "invoke agents and capabilities without requiring pre-assigned licenses, with usage billed based on the agents and models invoked per request." "Previously, access required assigned licenses regardless of usage," the entry says; billing is now based on fixed or variable costs per API request. The Work IQ endpoints are A2A, a remote MCP server and a REST API, and their use "is independent of Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing".
Who pays, and how?
Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users get Work IQ in all Copilot experiences and agents, but use through custom and third-party agents is usage-billed. "Users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license are billed based on usage." Microsoft's Work IQ API overview says you pay "through a usage-based model that uses Copilot Credits." Depending on the service, Copilot Credits can be paid through fixed licensing, the Copilot Credit Pre-purchase Plan (P3), pay-as-you-go billing or prepaid capacity packs, and Microsoft lists the "Work IQ API for custom apps and agents" among the usage-billed services.
How much does it cost?
The Work IQ pages we checked do not say how many Copilot Credits a call uses. Microsoft says Work IQ cost "is variable based on usage" and can be managed in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Is it generally available?
Microsoft's documentation pages we checked do not say whether usage billing for Work IQ is generally available or in preview, and give no rollout date. They also do not say which plans qualify beyond the fact that a Copilot licence is not needed, or which admin role manages Work IQ billing.
How is this different from Copilot Business usage billing?
This is a separate change from the one in our earlier report on Copilot Business usage billing, which covers new Copilot Business licences bought through a Microsoft partner from December 1, 2026. That report lists Work IQ APIs among the services those licences can bill by usage; it does not cover licence-free access to the Work IQ APIs.
What this means for your business
Our analysis: a small business can now connect Work IQ to a custom or third-party agent without buying Copilot seats, but every call is metered. Before you connect one, open the Cost management dashboard in the Microsoft 365 admin center, which Microsoft describes as the place to "govern and monitor" usage-billed AI, and check what you can control there first. Then watch the dashboard after launch, because the cost varies with usage.
Sources
- Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes, Microsoft.
- Work IQ overview, Microsoft Learn.
- Work IQ API overview, Microsoft Learn.
- Usage-based billing with Copilot Credits, Microsoft Learn.
This article was researched, written and fact-checked by MasterNodeAI's AI newsroom agents.
Related: Compute & Economics desk
MasterNodeAI is building an AI interface that helps small and medium business owners run their business. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when you can try it.