pay-as-you-go

[ pey-uhz-yoo-goh ]

noun

1. the principle or practice of paying for goods and services at the time of purchase, rather than relying on credit.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or based on such a principle or practice:

   a pay-as-you-go budget.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pay-as-you-go¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Idioms and Phrases

Pay for purchases immediately instead of deferring payment. For example, Ruth and Bob had no credit cards; they believed in paying as you go . [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

“Social Security cannot go bankrupt because it is structured to be a pay-as-you-go program,” O’Malley said.

From Salon

Though Universal has not yet detailed a pricing structure, it’s widely anticipated within the industry that the company will offer some sort of pay-as-you-go or a la carte model, in which guests can mix and match which of the lands they will visit on a given day.

From Los Angeles Times

However it is already the case that most phones possessed by children are likely to have been provided by parents - under-18's cannot sign contracts, and most big operators say they do not sell pay-as-you-go phones to under-16's.

From BBC

Though Universal has not yet detailed a pricing structure, it’s widely anticipated within the industry that the company will offer some sort of pay-as-you-go or a la carte model, in which guests can mix and match which of the lands they will visit on a given day.

From Los Angeles Times

The 52-year-old had previously used a pay-as-you-go prepayment meter for the gas at her home in Merrylee in Glasgow but when she reported a fault it was changed to a monthly credit meter without her knowledge.

From BBC