pay-as-you-go

American  

[pey-uhz-yoo-goh] / ˈpeɪ əz yʊˈgoʊ /

noun

1. the principle or practice of paying for goods and services at the time of purchase, rather than relying on credit.

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or based on such a principle or practice.

   a pay-as-you-go budget.

pay as you go Idioms  

1. Pay for purchases immediately instead of deferring payment. For example, Ruth and Bob had no credit cards; they believed in paying as you go. [First half of 1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of pay-as-you-go

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

The country’s tax code relies on a “pay-as-you-go” approach, where households incrementally pay their share of income taxes through the year.

From MarketWatch

He breaks the segment’s revenues down into cloud backlog, referring to the unrecognized revenue from long-term contracts, and on-demand, or the pay-as-you-go business.

From MarketWatch

"Nobody who signs up to Fused should be surprised that Unlimited Energy costs more than a traditional energy deal, in the same way you'd expect an unlimited mobile contract to cost more than a pay-as-you-go deal."

From BBC

Those on a pre-pay, or pay-as-you-go, electricity meter can also get the discount if they are eligible - for example via a voucher to top up the meter.

From BBC

But Mr Moodley was able to turn to a pay-as-you-go scheme that has kept the lights on and the medical equipment working.

From BBC