specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Auto.dev
providerId: auto-dev
created: '2026-06-21'
modified: '2026-06-21'
reconciled: true
tags:
- Automotive
- Vehicle Data
- VIN Decoding
- Vehicle Listings
- Recalls
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Auto.dev spend. Auto.dev bills a monthly plan base fee
  (Starter $0, Growth $299, Scale $599) plus per-call data fees charged on
  every request, with per-call rates that vary by product and decline at
  higher tiers. The Starter plan includes 1,000 calls/month; Growth and
  Scale are uncapped. Cost is driven primarily by request volume per product.
notes: >-
  Per-call rates are subject to change; verify against the Auto.dev pricing
  page during reconciliation.
sources:
- https://www.auto.dev/pricing
- https://docs.auto.dev/v2/products
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Auto.dev
serviceCategory: Web and Data
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Auto.dev API
  ServiceCategory: Web and Data
  ProviderName: Auto.dev
  PublisherName: Auto.dev
  InvoiceIssuerName: Auto.dev
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: plan_base_fee
  description: Monthly subscription base fee for the selected plan (Growth $299, Scale $599).
  unit: months
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
- name: vin_decode_calls
  description: VIN decode requests, billed per call (rate varies by plan).
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
- name: listings_calls
  description: Vehicle listings search and lookup requests, billed per call.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
- name: photos_calls
  description: Vehicle photos requests, billed per call.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
- name: specifications_calls
  description: Specifications requests, billed per call.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
- name: recalls_calls
  description: Vehicle recalls and open recalls requests, billed per call.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
  - product
- name: premium_product_calls
  description: Premium product requests (OEM Build Data, Total Cost of Ownership, Plate-to-VIN, Payments, Interest Rates, Taxes & Fees), billed per call.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
  - product
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track per-product call counts; high-cost products (OEM Build Data, TCO, Open Recalls, Plate-to-VIN) dominate per-call spend.
- name: Allocation
  description: Tag API keys per workload/team and map per-product call volume to internal cost centers.
- name: Optimization
  description: Cache stable VIN decode and specifications responses; right-size the plan so the base fee plus per-call rate minimizes total cost at your volume; avoid premium products where listings/specs data suffices.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign owners per project/key and review monthly base plus per-call spend against budget.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com