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• pay-as-you-go
  pay-as-you-go

  noun

  the principle or practice of paying for goods and services at the time of purchase, rather than relying on credit.
• pay as you go
  pay as you go

  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]

pay-as-you-go

American  

[pey-uhz-yoo-goh] / ˈpeɪ əz jʊˈgoʊ /

noun

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

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of pay-as-you-go

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pay-as-you-go pay as you go

Exceeding the usage cap switches the user to pay-as-you-go rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The new Meta Model API offers every account $20 in free credits paired with a pay-as-you-go rate of $1.25 per million input tokens and $4.25 per million output tokens.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

This pay-as-you-go rule applies to everyone, including retirees and people who rely on Social Security Disability Insurance.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Companies sometimes opt for pay-as-you-go plans, while others might buy enterprise plans that include a certain amount of use per worker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

The dealers—led by Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs—came up with a clever solution: the pay-as-you-go credit default swap.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Verifymy said pay as you go numbers wouldn't be compatible - users would need to have a phone contract.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2025

“This is a pay as you go model,” Mr. Jia said.

From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2024

Like most "pay as you go" mobile games, there are several types of resources you need to progress.

From The Verge ● Aug. 4, 2014

America’s Pre-Pay Market Becomes Competitive One thing I am surprised about when I travel to the US is the relative lack of competition in the pre-ay / pay as you go market.

From Forbes ● Mar. 25, 2013

"You shall pay for all you get, and pay as you go."

From A Fascinating Traitor An Anglo-Indian Story by Savage, Richard