1. AI accounts for your team
This is the monthly subscription for each person who uses AI. Business plans are sold by the seat: one seat is one person's account. It is a fixed fee per seat, so it is the easiest cost to predict, and business plans keep your company data out of the provider's AI training.
The two plans most NZ small businesses start with are Claude (by Anthropic) and ChatGPT (by OpenAI). Both offer a standard seat for everyday use and a larger seat for people who use AI heavily.
Claude plans
| Plan | Paid monthly | Paid yearly | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Pro | US$20 | US$17 | One person on their own account |
| Claude Team, standard seat | US$25 | US$20 | Most staff. Shared company workspace and admin controls. Minimum 2 seats |
| Claude Team, premium seat | US$125 | US$100 | Heavy users who need much higher usage limits and extra tools |
ChatGPT plans
| Plan | Paid monthly | Paid yearly | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Plus | About US$20 | – | One person on their own account |
| ChatGPT Business, standard seat | NZ$41 | NZ$33 | Most staff. Shared company workspace and admin controls. Minimum 2 seats |
| ChatGPT Business, larger seat | NZ$205 | NZ$165 | Heavy users who need much higher usage limits and extra tools |
Claude prices from claude.com/pricing, checked 30 September 2026; Claude charges in US dollars, so the NZ dollar amount moves with the exchange rate. ChatGPT Business prices from OpenAI's NZ pricing page, checked 1 October 2026; the page does not say whether GST is included. The ChatGPT Plus price is approximate. Providers change their plans often, so check the current price before you buy.
Standard seats or larger seats?
Most businesses give everyone a standard seat and upgrade only the one or two people who use AI all day, such as whoever writes most of the proposals or reports. You can mix both seat types in one team, so you only pay the higher price where it is needed.
Other AI options
Claude and ChatGPT are not the only choices. Google Gemini is built into Google Workspace, Microsoft Copilot works inside Microsoft 365, and Grok (from xAI) is another option. The right one depends on the tools your business already uses. See how they compare.
2. The one-off set-up
This is the work of getting AI to fit your business. It is a one-off cost, and it is where prices vary most. These are our own typical prices, excluding GST. You get one fixed price in writing after a free consultation.
| Type of work | Typical price | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| AI Set-Up & Training for a team of up to 10: accounts, connections, one-on-one training and a return visit | $2,500–6,000 | About 4–6 weeks, including the return visit |
| A first automation (for example, drafting replies to enquiries) | $1,500–6,000 | 2–4 weeks to build, then a drafts-only period |
| Each later automation on the same set-up | From about $800 | Quoted with the job |
| A small custom software tool | From $5,000 | 4–12 weeks |
| A full business system, such as a CRM | $15,000–40,000 | 4–12 weeks |
Larger teams, and businesses that want every system connected, get a quote after a discovery session. We compared these prices with the published prices of other New Zealand providers in October 2026, and they sit within the usual market range.
What moves the price: how many systems need connecting, how messy the information is, how many people need training, and how much checking a person needs to do before anything is sent. A single, well-defined job costs far less than a large project.
3. Running costs
Once it is set up, there are three small ongoing costs to know about.
- AI usage for automations. Automations that run in the background pay for AI by the amount they read and write. For everyday office tasks this is tiny: under one US cent to draft an email reply, and a few cents to summarise a 20-page document. At small-business volumes, that is usually a few dollars a month.
- Automation tools. If the automation runs on a platform such as Zapier or n8n, entry plans start at about US$20–25 a month.
- Support and hosting. Some automations need hosting, monitoring and small changes after launch. We quote any monthly support with the build, so you see it before you start.
4. A worked example
Here is what a typical five-person office might pay. Every business is different, so treat this as a guide, not a quote.
5. How to keep costs predictable
- Start with one job. Pick the task that takes the most time each week and automate that first. Add more once it is paying for itself.
- Use fixed monthly plans for your team. A per-person plan costs the same every month, however much people use it.
- Set spending limits on automations. AI providers let you set a monthly limit and alerts in your own account, so usage costs cannot creep up unnoticed.
- Get a fixed written quote. Know the full one-off cost before any work starts.
6. How Nexron prices its work
We keep it simple. After a free consultation, you get one fixed price in writing for the set-up, training or automation, before anything starts. Your team's AI accounts are paid straight to the provider, not through us, and we set spending limits and alerts on any automations we build.
See what is included in AI Set-Up & Training and AI Automation, or read how Nexron Connect ties them together. Using customer information with AI? Read Using AI in your business under the NZ Privacy Act.
Sources
Questions about cost
Is AI automation worth it for a small business?
It usually is when it takes over a job that uses hours every week, such as answering enquiries, entering orders or chasing invoices. Start with that one job and measure the time it saves before adding more.
Why are AI plan prices in US dollars?
The main AI providers are American and bill in US dollars, so the cost in NZ dollars moves a little with the exchange rate. Microsoft and Google show NZ dollar prices.
What is a seat?
A seat is one person's account on a business AI plan. You pay a monthly fee per seat, and you can add or remove seats as your team changes.
Do I need to pay for everyone in the business?
No. You only need AI accounts for the people who will use them. Many businesses start with two or three people and add more later.
Are there hidden costs?
The ones to ask about are AI usage for automations, automation tool subscriptions and any monthly support fee. A good provider lists all three in the quote.