NeoAI
Menu

NeoAI / Metric

Cost per accepted task: the LLM cost metric that price per token hides.

Cost per accepted task is the model spend plus the staff time spent on rework, divided by the number of outputs that passed your acceptance criteria. It measures what you pay for work that is actually done, so it exposes cost that price per token hides: retries, fixing and re-asking.

Get the free audit → See how ↓

Last updated 25 Oct 2026 · By NeoAI

Scroll

Cost per accepted task counts the work that is actually done.

Cost per accepted task =
Model spend+Rework hours × hourly rate
Accepted tasks

Model spend

Every attempt, including the ones that were sent back.

Rework time

Staff time fixing and re-asking, valued at a loaded hourly rate.

Accepted tasks

Outputs that passed the acceptance criteria you set for that task.

Same period, same workflow. It is the NeoAI cost equation expressed per outcome.

Model spend is the small part of what a task costs.

Price per token only sees the blue slice. Retries and rework are the rest, and a cheaper model can make that rest bigger.

Option A stronger model$1,690
Option B cheaper model$2,530
Model spendRework time

100 tasks a week, staff time at $60 an hour. Worked example Illustrative

Option A stronger model

Option B cheaper model

Option A, per accepted task
$16.90
Model $190 + rework $1,500
Option B, per accepted task
$25.30
Model $130 + rework $2,400

Option B cuts cost per attempt by 50% and still costs 50% more per accepted task.

A cheaper model can cost more per accepted task.

Drag the sliders. The defaults are the worked example from the full text, with 100 tasks accepted either way.

Worked example Illustrative Invented round numbers to show the trade-off, not a result.

Attempt log · one workflowSample data
TaskModel costReworkOutcome
#1 · attempt 1$0.506 minSent back
#1 · attempt 2$0.505 minEdited
#1 · attempt 3$0.501 minAccepted
#2 · attempt 1$0.501 minAccepted
#3 · attempt 1$0.505 minEdited
#3 · attempt 2$0.501 minAccepted
Model spend$3.00
Rework at $60/h$19.00
Accepted3
Per accepted task$7.33

Sample data for 3 tasks, to show the method.

Start with one workflow and an attempt log.

  1. Pick one workflow with steady volume.
  2. Write the acceptance criteria. Make them checkable.
  3. Log attempts with model cost and outcome.
  4. Sample rework time, then apply a loaded hourly rate.
  5. Divide total cost by accepted tasks, every week.

Four measures sit around it.

Attempts per task

The average number of tries before an output is accepted. Lower is better.

Pilot: to measure

First-pass acceptance

The share of tasks accepted on the first attempt.

Pilot: to measure

Quality pass rate

The share of outputs that meet the quality bar on an evaluation set.

Pilot: to measure

Staff hours on rework

Time spent fixing and re-asking.

Pilot: to measure

These are the measures NeoAI reports in a pilot. The gainshare fee is calculated from the change in cost per accepted task between a baseline period and a NeoAI period on the same tasks.

Questions buyers ask before they book.

What is cost per accepted task?

Model spend plus staff time spent on rework, divided by the number of outputs that passed your acceptance criteria, over the same period and workflow.

How is it different from cost per token?

Cost per token ignores retries and rework. Cost per accepted task includes them, so it shows whether a cheaper model really saves money.

Do I need special tooling to measure it?

No. You can start with a log of attempts, their model cost and whether each was accepted, plus a sample of rework time for one workflow.

Prefer to read it? The full page is here.

Every table, definition and source from this page, as plain text.

Read the full page

Definition and formula

Cost per accepted task = (model spend + rework staff time valued at a loaded hourly rate) ÷ accepted tasks, over the same period and workflow. An accepted task is an output that passed the acceptance criteria you set for that task type, whether by a person or an automatic check.

It is the same equation as the cost model on the NeoAI overview, expressed per outcome: people time plus attempts times cost per attempt, divided by the number of accepted outputs.

Why price per token misleads

A cheaper model lowers cost per attempt. If it fails your bar more often, attempts and rework rise. The worked example below uses invented round numbers to show how the cheaper option can cost more per accepted task. Worked example Illustrative

100 tasks per week, staff time valued at $60 per hour.
Option A: stronger modelOption B: cheaper model
Attempts for 100 tasks380520
Cost per attempt$0.50$0.25
Model spend$190$130
Rework time25 hours ($1,500)40 hours ($2,400)
Total$1,690$2,530
Cost per accepted task (100 accepted)$16.90$25.30

Option B halves the cost per attempt and still costs about 50% more per accepted task. The metric makes the trade-off visible.

How to start measuring it

  1. Pick one workflow with steady volume, such as resume screening, support triage or code review.
  2. Write the acceptance criteria. What must be true for an output to count as done? Make it checkable.
  3. Log attempts. Record each attempt, its model cost, and whether it was accepted, edited or sent back.
  4. Estimate rework time. Sample a few tasks and time the fixing and re-asking, then apply a loaded hourly rate.
  5. Divide. Total cost over accepted tasks, per week. Track the trend, not one week.

Related measures

  • Attempts per task. The average number of tries before an output is accepted. Lower is better.
  • First-pass acceptance. The share of tasks accepted on the first attempt.
  • Quality pass rate. The share of outputs that meet the quality bar on an evaluation set.
  • Staff hours on rework. Time spent fixing and re-asking.

These are the five measures NeoAI reports in a pilot Pilot: to measure. The gainshare fee is calculated from the change in cost per accepted task between a baseline period and a NeoAI period on the same tasks.

See your own numbers in about 2 weeks, free.

A free audit maps where your AI spend and rework go and sizes the savings on your data. No measured savings, no fee.

Get the free audit → Email us

Keep reading

How to Reduce LLM Costs Without Lowering Quality (2026 Guide)Seven levers in order, with sourced numbers and common mistakes.NeoAI Pricing: Gainshare, No Measured Savings No FeeGainshare pricing, the three stages, and how savings are measured.Free AI Spend Audit: See Where LLM Cost and Rework GoWhat the audit covers, what we need, and what happens next.