Yes, if the price comes from the current price list or the business's pricing engine, and the quote says what it includes and how long it stands. The agent relays prices; it does not set them. Negotiated deals, bespoke prices and anything that needs a risk judgement the engine has not made stay with a person.
Why is a quote more than an answer?
Because customers act on it, and in many cases the business is held to it. A price stated in writing, accepted by the customer, can form part of a contract. An agent that quotes from an outdated page, forgets a delivery charge or rounds generously creates commitments nobody approved.
That is why the source matters more than the wording. The agent should quote only from a price list with a version and a date of effect, or from a pricing system that calculates the figure for this customer and order.
What must every quote include?
- The figure and what it covers: product, quantity, options.
- Taxes and charges: whether tax is included, plus delivery, installation or set-up fees.
- Validity: how long the quote stands.
- Conditions: anything that would change the price, such as a survey or credit check.
- Whether it is a quote or an estimate. An estimate based on partial information should be labelled as one, with what could change it.
What may the agent quote, and what stays with a person?
| Request | The agent | A person |
|---|---|---|
| Price of a listed product | Quotes from the current list | None |
| Price for a configured order | Quotes the pricing engine's figure | None |
| Volume or contract discount | Records the request | Sales decides |
| Price match to a competitor | Applies the price-match rule, if certified | Exceptions |
| Insurance premium or loan rate | Relays the engine's quote and explains its basis | Underwriter or lender for exceptions |
| "Can you do it cheaper?" | Explains real options, such as a smaller plan | Any discount outside the rules |
Price matching is its own rule-based process, covered in whether an AI agent can approve a price match.
What about risk-based prices?
Insurance premiums and loan rates are calculated from a risk assessment of the customer. The agent can relay the result and explain the factors in plain words; it should not set or adjust the figure. Under the EU AI Act, risk assessment and pricing for life and health insurance are listed as high-risk, as is credit scoring of individuals, which brings extra obligations. The lending side is covered in whether an AI agent can price a loan.
Care is needed with customers who may be vulnerable. Quoting a high-cost product to someone who has just said they are struggling with bills calls for a person, not a faster sale; see what a vulnerable customer is.
What does this look like in practice?
Take a business software company with a published per-seat price list. A prospect asks the price for 20 seats on the standard plan.
The agent quotes from the current list: the per-seat price, the total, tax shown separately, and validity of 30 days. It notes that the price assumes annual billing and gives the monthly alternative. The prospect then asks what the price would be for 200 seats with a three-year term. That is a volume negotiation. The agent says the sales team handles larger agreements, records the request with the seat count and term, and books a call. It does not hint at a discount.
Which controls make it safe?
- Prices read only from the versioned price list or the pricing engine.
- A required quote format covering inclusions, charges and validity.
- No discounting authority unless a separate, certified capability allows it.
- Quotes filed with the price list version used.
- Sampled review of quotes, especially after price changes.
Where Pryme fits
In Pryme the price list and the pricing engine's output arrive as sealed facts from their systems of record, stamped with version and time. Attest's grounded gate checks, on your own past quotes, that every figure traces to one of those sources. The wider approach is in the guide to AI customer support agents.
Questions people ask
What if the agent quotes a wrong price?
The business decides how to handle it, often honouring small errors. The record shows which source was used, so the cause can be fixed.
Can the agent quote prices in other currencies?
Only where the business publishes prices in those currencies or the pricing engine converts them.
Should the agent quote prices before verifying the customer?
For published prices, yes. Customer-specific prices need verification first.