Before signing with any AI vendor, demand written answers to 4 questions: itemised pricing (setup vs. monthly plan), where your data is processed, the real time to production, and whether monthly minimums or lock-in obligations exist. These four questions filter out most vendors selling smoke. At Fluxr, the answers are: setup from S/ 349 to S/ 1,699 depending on the product, private self-hosted AI, 48 hours to production (under 2 weeks for automations) and pure pay-per-use with no minimums.
This checklist applies whether you're about to buy an AI voice agent, a WhatsApp chatbot, a process automation or a website — the questions are the same because the risks are the same.
Why do you need a checklist before buying AI for your company?
Because the business AI market grew far faster than regulation and pricing transparency. In 2026, serious vendors coexist with improvised integrations over public APIs, agencies billing by the hour with no cap, and freelancers who disappear after the first payment. None of those three models is inherently bad — the problem is signing before asking the right questions.
A vendor who avoids answering any of these 14 questions isn't necessarily acting in bad faith, but they are asking you to trust blindly in a contract you'll be paying month after month.
Block 1: Pricing and cost structure
| # | Question | What to look for in the answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Does the price include telephony, integrations and support, or are those extra? | A clear "yes"; if the answer starts with "it depends", ask for the exact breakdown |
| 2 | What is the initial setup and exactly what does it include? | A concrete figure, not a "$500 to $3,000 depending on scope" range |
| 3 | Are there monthly minimums even if I don't use the service? | Get it in writing whether the plan is pure pay-per-use |
| 4 | What happens if I need to scale (more agents, more automations)? | It should be a plan change, not a whole new quote |
At Fluxr setup runs from S/ 349 (chatbot/text agents) to S/ 1,699 (voice agents). Chat plans start at S/ 39/month (50 conversations) up to S/ 499/month (unlimited). Automations use a single module of S/ 199/month with a 90-day trial, no separate setup fee. Voice agents bill S/ 0.76/minute all-in, with no minimum. You can compare the full detail at /pricing or model your case in the ROI calculator.
Where are my data and my customers' data processed?
This is the question most often skipped in sales meetings and the one that matters most after signing. Many "AI solutions" are really a thin layer over OpenAI's or Google's public API: every customer conversation travels to external servers, and under many contracts that data can be used to train third-party models.
| # | Question | What to look for in the answer |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Where are my conversations and knowledge base hosted? | Own infrastructure or cloud contracted by the vendor, not third-party public APIs |
| 6 | Is my data used to train other companies' models? | The right answer is an explicit, verifiable "no" |
| 7 | How fast does the system respond? | Under 1 second is the competitive standard in 2026 |
| 8 | Which channels does it work on (web, WhatsApp, API)? | The more native channels, the fewer extra integrations to pay for |
Fluxr's text agents run on private self-hosted AI: conversations never leave for OpenAI or Google, they reply in under 1 second and they work on web, WhatsApp and API. We go deeper on that distinction in private chatbot vs ChatGPT and in local vs cloud AI.
How long does it actually take to reach production?
Don't confuse the date of the "first discovery meeting" with the date the system handles its first real call, message or flow.
| # | Question | What to look for in the answer |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | How many days or weeks until the first real customer interaction? | A concrete date, not "depends on scope" |
| 10 | Who builds the knowledge base, me or the vendor? | The vendor should guide the process, not leave you alone with a template |
| 11 | Does it include testing before going into production? | It should be part of the setup, not a separate charge |
Fluxr's standard is 48 hours from signing to the first real call or conversation (voice and text agents), and under 2 weeks for the first active automation flows. You can see what that first contact looks like in demo: what to expect from an AI voice agent or try it live at /voice-agents.
Block 4: Support, monitoring and lock-in
| # | Question | What to look for in the answer |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Is failure monitoring included or an upsell? | It should be included in any paid plan |
| 13 | Is there a minimum contract term? | Preferably no mandatory lock-in |
| 14 | What happens if the vendor (or freelancer) stops operating? | Insist that support is formalised in writing, not verbally |
The honest section: when this checklist isn't enough
No checklist replaces judgement in particular cases:
- If you need fully bespoke software (an internal ERP, unique business logic), these 14 questions still apply, but you probably also need a dedicated development team rather than a standard agent or automation vendor.
- If your volume is extremely low (under 50 calls, messages or runs a month), savings may take longer to show — though a pure pay-per-use model limits the risk while you validate real demand.
- If your company already has an internal AI team with budget for customised enterprise tooling, an in-house solution or a niche agency will likely fit better than a generalist vendor.
- Never sign with anyone promising guaranteed results (X% conversion, X% guaranteed savings): results depend on process and execution, not just the tool you buy.
A vendor who answers all 14 questions transparently — and who can name when they're NOT the best option for you — genuinely reduces the risk of the decision, whichever vendor you end up choosing. You can see how we apply that same standard in the honest Fluxr vs competitors comparison or review the full list of available connections at /integrations.
Apply the checklist to your case
- Request a custom quote and hold the answer up against these 14 questions.
- Review exact plans and pricing across voice, chat and automations, or model your savings in the ROI calculator.
- Want us to answer all 14 questions for your specific case? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll give you the breakdown the same day.
Pricing verified as of August 2026. Fluxr Pro builds AI voice agents, private chatbots and automations for businesses worldwide — native support in English, español and português.