Claude tokens are the real cost driver in the AI features:
- Card Assessor: ~$0.20 per query
- Grading Assistant: ~$0.30 per submission
- PSA cert verification (vision): ~$0.05 per attempt
A Free or Pro plan couldn't absorb those costs without hitting the price ceiling that makes Mintlytics affordable to most collectors. Elite at $29/mo with 200 Assessor queries and unlimited Grading + cert verification works out to a sustainable per-user margin for us.
If you only need AI features occasionally, an Elite month for $29 then downgrade to Pro is a valid pattern — your collection / alerts carry over.