Smartie AI uses a unit-based model aligned directly with Microsoft CoPilot Studio billing rates to manage query usage across your firm. This guide explains how Ask units are calculated, how they are consumed per interaction, what each plan tier includes, and how to manage usage during peak periods.
How Ask Units Are Consumed
Smartie AI tracks usage based on response type and conversation status:
First Question in a Session (New Conversation): Consumes 3 Ask units (2 units for the generative answer + 1 unit for the initial greeting/conversation start-up).
Follow-Up Questions: Consume 2 Ask units per response.
All members of your firm draw from the same centralised pool of Ask units each billing cycle.
Best Practices to Optimize Your Units
Keep Related Questions in a Single Session: Because starting a new conversation incurs 3 Ask units while follow-ups only cost 2 Ask units, continue your session when asking related follow-ups rather than refreshing or opening new chats.
Combine Related Queries into One Prompt: Structuring a comprehensive multi-part question (e.g., asking about concessional cap limits and bring-forward eligibility together) uses 1 answer interaction (3 units for a new chat) instead of splitting them across multiple separate turns.
Leverage the Playbook: Use the 59 pre-built prompts to get clear, well-structured answers on your first attempt without needing multiple clarifying turns.
Monitor Account Usage: Account administrators can track real-time monthly Ask unit consumption in the Smarter SMSF platform dashboard to determine if a tier upgrade or a top-up block is required.
Case studies
Here is a breakdown for a firm with 3 users across 21 business days in a month.
Monthly & Daily Unit Allocations
Total Monthly Pool: 1,000 Ask units
Daily Firm Allowance: ~47.6 units per day (1,000 units ÷ 21 business days)
Daily Allowance Per User: ~15.8 units per user per day (47.6 units ÷ 3 users)
Scenario Examples: What This Looks Like in Daily Usage
Depending on how your team uses Smartie AI, 1,000 units translates to the following daily query volumes:
Scenario A: Mixed Usage (1 New Topic + 6 Follow-Ups per User/Day)
If each user starts 1 new conversation thread and asks 6 follow-up questions within that same thread throughout the day:
Cost per user/day:$3 \text{ units (new thread)} + (6 \times 2 \text{ units}) = 15 \text{ Ask units}$
Monthly Total:$45 \text{ units} \times 21 \text{ days} = 945 \text{ Ask units}$(fits comfortably within the 1,000 unit limit)
Total Questions Asked:21 questions total per day across the firm (7 questions per user/day).
Scenario B: Standalone Questions Only (New Chat Every Time)
If users start a brand new conversation thread for every single question (costing 3 units each):
Daily Questions per User: ~5 questions per day ($5 \times 3 \text{ units} = 15 \text{ units}$)
Total Questions Asked:~15 standalone questions per day across the firm (5 questions per user/day).
Scenario C: Extended Deep-Dive Conversations (Fewer Threads, More Follow-ups)
If the firm starts fewer new threads and mostly asks follow-up questions in ongoing sessions:
Example per User/Day: 1 new thread (3 units) + 11 follow-up questions ($11 \times 2 \text{ units} = 22 \text{ units}$) = 25 Ask units total.
Total Questions Asked:~23 to 24 questions total per day across the firm (~8 questions per user/day).
Key Takeaway for the Firm
On the Starter plan, a 3-user firm can comfortably ask 15 to 21 questions per business day in total (about 5 to 7 questions per user each day), provided users keep related follow-ups within the same chat session to optimize their unit usage.
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