specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Prelude
providerId: prelude-so
created: '2026-07-11'
modified: '2026-07-11'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Number Verification
- OTP
- Anti-Fraud
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Prelude spend. Prelude is a hosted, usage-based service. The two
  dominant cost drivers are (1) a per-verification fee (from EUR 0.032 on
  Pay-As-You-Go) and (2) carrier message costs, which Prelude bills "at cost,
  zero markup" and which vary by destination country and channel (SMS, WhatsApp,
  RCS, Viber, voice). The Startup tier adds a fixed EUR 360 / month platform
  subscription on top of usage. Enterprise is committed-volume with automatic
  discounts, post-payment terms, and a 99.95% SLA. Lookup (Intel) and Watch
  (anti-fraud) calls may be metered separately. Because message cost is
  pass-through and country-specific, geographic mix of your users is the single
  biggest lever on total spend.
notes: >-
  Per-unit rates reflect prelude.so/pricing as of 2026-07-11 (EUR). Carrier
  message rates change by country/channel; treat them as pass-through variable
  cost. Confirm Lookup and Watch metering with Prelude.
sources:
- https://prelude.so/pricing
- https://prelude.so/verify
- https://docs.prelude.so
- 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: Prelude
serviceCategory: Identity and Anti-Fraud
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: EUR
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Prelude Verify
  ServiceCategory: Identity and Anti-Fraud
  ProviderName: Prelude
  PublisherName: Prelude
  InvoiceIssuerName: Prelude
  BillingCurrency: EUR
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: verifications
  description: One-time passcode verifications created, billed per verification.
  unit: verifications
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - channel
  - country
- name: messages
  description: Carrier messages sent (Verify and Notify), billed at cost per country/channel.
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - channel
  - country
- name: lookups
  description: Phone number intelligence (Lookup / Intel) queries.
  unit: lookups
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: watch_predictions
  description: Anti-fraud (Watch) predict calls.
  unit: predictions
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: platform_subscription
  description: Fixed monthly platform fee on the Startup tier.
  unit: months
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track verifications and messages by destination country and channel; message cost is pass-through and country-driven.
- name: Allocation
  description: Use correlation_id / metadata and per-product API keys to map verification, lookup, and watch spend to teams or products.
- name: Optimization
  description: Let Prelude's smart routing pick the cheapest working channel; use Watch and Lookup to suppress fraudulent or invalid numbers before paying to message them; prefer cheaper channels where deliverability allows.
- name: Accountability
  description: Review monthly usage against tier features; on Enterprise, negotiate committed-volume discounts and monitor against the 99.95% SLA.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com