pay-as-you-go

adjective

ˈpā-az-yü-ˈgō How to pronounce pay-as-you-go (audio)
: of or relating to a system or policy of paying bills when due or of paying for goods and services when purchased

Examples of pay-as-you-go in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Analyst Brian Nowak said investors underappreciate the impact of Amazon Web Services — the company's cloud computing platform that offers pay-as-you-go infrastructure services — on Amazon's business and shares. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026 The pay-as-you-go option is perfectly timed for Grand Theft Auto VI, allowing those who don’t own an Xbox, or who primarily play from a phone, to stream the game by paying for a bundle of hours. — Tom Warren, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026 Public cloud rewards bursty, variable demand, but for always-on workloads, pay-as-you-go premium and data egress fees compound fast. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026 More expensive induction cookers are financed through carbon credits and short-term pay-as-you-go plans that spread payments over several months. — ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pay-as-you-go

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pay-as-you-go was in 1840

Rhymes for pay-as-you-go

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Browse Nearby Words

Payan
pay-as-you-go
pay attention to
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pay-as-you-go.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay-as-you-go. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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