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

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

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 • Nov. 5, 2025

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 • Jul. 21, 2025

Indeed, Furchtgott-Roth tries to blur the definition of "public transit" to mean something entirely different, which sounds more like the pay-as-you-go private-sector options that already exist.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2024

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