How to price AI video services for clients
Price AI video work with a method, not a guess: work out production cost in credits, value your time, add overhead and margin, and turn it into clear packages.
The short answer
Price AI video services by adding up your production cost, the value of your time and your overhead, then adding a margin and checking the result against what the video is worth to the client. Never price by the length of the clip alone. A 15-second ad that took three rounds of hooks and revisions costs you more than a simple 60-second explainer.
There is no standard market rate for AI video, and rates quoted online vary wildly. Use the method below to find a price that covers your costs and that you can explain to a client.
Work out production cost
Production cost is the part AI makes predictable. In ClickPop, the price of each generation shows before you generate, and failed renders are refunded, so you can estimate it per project.
Start with the plan price per credit. Starter is $15 for 750 credits, which is 2 cents per credit. Pop is $79 for 4,390 credits, which is 1.8 cents per credit. Supernova is $299 for 18,690 credits, which is 1.6 cents per credit, the lowest. Use whichever plan you are on.
Then count clips. A 10-second 720p clip costs about 72 credits on Auto and about 208 credits on Seedance 2.5, which opens on Pop. Multiply by the number of clips, then add retakes. A safe planning rule is to budget twice the final clip count for anything with people, hands or products, because you will throw some away.
A worked example
A client wants a 30-second product promo with sound, delivered in vertical and square. Here is how to price it on the Pop plan.
- Clips: three 10-second shots on Seedance 2.5 at about 208 credits each is 624 credits.
- Retakes: budget double, so about 1,248 credits.
- Cost of credits: 1,248 × 1.8 cents is about $22.46.
- Storyboard stills, any upscaling and a second aspect ratio: add a buffer in credits for these, based on what your last project used.
- Your time: brief call, script, storyboard, prompts, review, edit, revisions and delivery. Write down the hours. Say it comes to H hours.
- Labor: H × your hourly rate R.
- Overhead: your share of tools, music licenses, software and unpaid admin time.
- Margin: a percentage on top so the business can grow and absorb mistakes.
Price = credits + (H × R) + overhead + margin. The credit line is usually the smallest. Your time is the biggest, which is why scoping and revision limits matter more than which model you use.
Check the price against value
Cost sets your floor. Value sets your ceiling. Ask what the client will do with the video and what the alternative would cost them.
- An ad creative that runs on a large budget is worth more to the client than a one-off social post.
- A video that replaces a product shoot saves the client a studio, a crew and a day.
- Usage matters. A video licensed for paid ads across many markets is worth more than one for organic posts only.
- Speed has value. A three-day turnaround for a launch can justify a higher price.
If your cost-based price is far below the value, you can charge more. If it is above what the client can pay, cut scope, not your rate: fewer shots, Auto instead of a premium model, or one aspect ratio.
Turn the price into packages
Clients understand packages better than hourly rates. Build three from your cost model.
- Test: one short video, one format, one revision. Low risk for a new client.
- Campaign: several videos or hooks, multiple formats, two revisions, usage for ads.
- Monthly: a set number of videos each month, planned with the client, with a minimum term.
Write exactly what is included in each: length, formats, number of hooks, revisions, music, captions, languages, usage rights and turnaround. Anything outside the package is a change order with its own price.
Protect your margin
- Limit revisions, and define a revision as changes to the approved storyboard, not a new idea.
- Get approval on stills before full renders. Storyboard mode in ClickPop draws stills first.
- Charge for rush delivery and extra languages.
- Take a deposit before you start.
- Track actual hours and credits per project and update your rates every few months.
Pricing retainers and repeat work
Monthly work needs a slightly different calculation. You save time on each video because the brand style, characters and grade are already set, but you take on planning and reporting.
- Count the videos per month and estimate credits for each, including retakes.
- Add a fixed block of planning time: a monthly call, a content calendar and a short report.
- Discount per video modestly if the term is long enough to justify it, and keep a minimum term.
- Say what happens to unused videos at month end: roll over once, or expire.
Review the retainer every quarter. If the client keeps asking for more than the plan, propose the next tier instead of absorbing the work.
Mistakes to avoid
- Pricing per second of video.
- Copying a rate from a forum without knowing the seller's costs or clients.
- Forgetting the time spent on calls and emails.
- Promising performance, such as sales or views, as part of the price.
Questions
How much should I charge for an AI video?
There is no standard rate. Add production cost, your time, overhead and margin, then check the result against the video's value to the client and its usage.
How much does it cost to make an AI video in ClickPop?
A 10-second 720p clip costs about 72 credits on Auto and about 208 on Seedance 2.5. Plans start at $15 a month for 750 credits, and the price shows before you generate.
Should I charge less because AI is faster?
Charge for the result and your expertise, not the hours a camera would have taken. Your time on scripting, direction and revisions is still the largest cost.