docs: remove single-option hedging from creative pricing

Creative vendors offer multiple pricing options per creative: volume tiers,
context-specific rates (premium vs standard), different models per product
line (CPM for rich media, per-unit for social variants). Updated all docs,
schemas, and training to reflect this rather than hedging with "typically
a single option."

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: bokelley

docs/creative/specification.mdx

@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ Creative agents that charge for their services expose pricing through the same d
 ### Pricing flow
 
 1. **Account setup** — rate card agreed. Determines pricing for all subsequent operations.
-2. **Discovery** — `list_creatives` with `account` and `include_pricing: true` returns `pricing_options[]` on each creative. For creative agents with predetermined rate cards, this typically contains a single option. The pattern is the same as signals (`get_signals` returns `pricing_options[]`) and content standards.
+2. **Discovery** — `list_creatives` with `account` and `include_pricing: true` returns `pricing_options[]` on each creative. Vendors may offer multiple options (volume tiers, context-specific rates, different models per product line). Same pattern as signals and content standards.
 3. **Build** — `build_creative` with `account`. The agent computes the cost and returns `pricing_option_id`, `vendor_cost`, `currency`, and `consumption` in the response.
 4. **Report** — `report_usage` with `creative_id` and `pricing_option_id` for reconciliation.
 
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ Browse and filter creative assets in a creative library. Implemented by any agen
 - Agents SHOULD support filtering by `concept_ids` and `format_ids` when the platform organizes creatives into concepts
 - Agents MAY include dynamic content variable definitions when `include_variables=true`
 - Agents MAY include a lightweight delivery snapshot when `include_snapshot=true`. The snapshot provides lifetime impressions and last-served date for operational use — detailed analytics belong in `get_creative_delivery`.
-- When `account` and `include_pricing=true` are provided, agents that charge MUST include `pricing_options` on each creative — an array of [`vendor-pricing-option`](https://adcontextprotocol.org/schemas/latest/core/vendor-pricing-option.json) objects. For agents with predetermined rate cards, this typically contains a single option.
+- When `account` and `include_pricing=true` are provided, agents that charge MUST include `pricing_options` on each creative — an array of [`vendor-pricing-option`](https://adcontextprotocol.org/schemas/latest/core/vendor-pricing-option.json) objects. Vendors may offer multiple options per creative (volume tiers, context-specific rates, different pricing models).
 
 **Account requirements:**
 - Creative agents that charge for their services MUST implement the [Accounts Protocol](/docs/accounts/overview). This applies to any creative agent with pricing — ad servers, generation platforms, and transformation agents that bill for usage.

docs/creative/task-reference/list_creatives.mdx

@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ The response provides creative data with optional enrichment:
 | `snapshot` | object | Delivery snapshot (when `include_snapshot=true`) |
 | `snapshot_unavailable_reason` | string | Why snapshot is missing — `SNAPSHOT_UNSUPPORTED`, `SNAPSHOT_TEMPORARILY_UNAVAILABLE`, or `SNAPSHOT_PERMISSION_DENIED` |
 | `items` | array | Items for multi-asset formats (when `include_items=true`) |
-| `pricing_options` | [VendorPricingOption](/docs/creative/specification#pricing)[] | Pricing options for this creative (when `include_pricing=true` and `account` provided). Same pattern as `get_signals` and `list_content_standards`. For agents with predetermined rate cards, this typically contains a single option. |
+| `pricing_options` | [VendorPricingOption](/docs/creative/specification#pricing)[] | Pricing options for this creative (when `include_pricing=true` and `account` provided). Vendors may offer multiple options (volume tiers, context-specific rates, different models per product line). Same pattern as `get_signals` and `list_content_standards`. |
 
 ### Pricing
 
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ When `include_pricing=true` and `account` is provided, each creative includes `p
 }
 ```
 
-The buyer passes the selected `pricing_option_id` in `report_usage` for billing verification. This is the same pattern used by [signals](/docs/signals/tasks/get_signals) and [content standards](/docs/governance/content-standards/index). For creative agents with predetermined rate cards, the array typically contains a single option.
+The buyer passes the selected `pricing_option_id` in `report_usage` for billing verification. Vendors may offer multiple options — volume/commitment tiers, context-specific rates (premium vs. standard placements), or entirely different pricing models for different product lines. This is the same pattern used by [signals](/docs/signals/tasks/get_signals) and [content standards](/docs/governance/content-standards/index).
 
 ### Delivery snapshot
 

docs/learning/specialist/creative.mdx

@@ -121,9 +121,7 @@ Passing earns the **AdCP specialist — Creative** credential.
 
 All vendor services use the same pattern: `pricing_options[]` on discovery responses, `pricing_option_id` in `report_usage`. Signals, content standards, creative agents, and property list agents all follow this.
 
-In practice, signal providers typically offer multiple options (CPM vs. percent-of-media) for the buyer to choose from. Creative agents with predetermined rate cards typically return a single-element array. The protocol surface is the same — the difference is how many options are in the array.
-
-For signals, the buyer selects a pricing option at activation time (`activate_signal`). For creative agents, the account's rate card has already resolved the option — there is nothing to select.
+Vendors often offer multiple pricing options per creative — volume/commitment tiers (lower CPM at higher spend), context-specific rates (premium vs. standard placements), or different pricing models for different product lines (CPM for rich media, per-unit for social variants). The buyer selects the appropriate `pricing_option_id` and passes it in `report_usage`.
 </Note>
 
 ### Cross-platform skills

docs/learning/specialist/signals.mdx

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ If your company works in the "not yet" areas, you can still publish the **audien
 - Reason about the signals ecosystem — who provides data, who consumes it, and how authorization works
 
 <Note>
-**Vendor pricing is consistent across protocols** — All vendor services use `pricing_options[]` on discovery responses and `pricing_option_id` in `report_usage`. Signals agents typically offer multiple options (CPM vs. percent-of-media). Creative agents with predetermined rate cards typically return a single option. The pattern is the same. See [S2: Creative mastery](/docs/learning/specialist/creative) for the creative pricing model.
+**Vendor pricing is consistent across protocols** — All vendor services use `pricing_options[]` on discovery responses and `pricing_option_id` in `report_usage`. Vendors may offer multiple options — volume tiers, context-specific rates, or different models per product line. Signals, creative, content standards, and property list agents all follow the same pattern. See [S2: Creative mastery](/docs/learning/specialist/creative) for the creative pricing model.
 </Note>
 
 ## Prerequisite reading

docs/storyboards/creative_ad_server.yaml

@@ -60,9 +60,8 @@ phases:
           do they cost?" This is the primary entry point for ad server interactions.
 
           With include_pricing=true and an account reference, the response includes
-          pricing_options on each creative — the available rates from the account's
-          rate card. For agents with predetermined rate cards, this is typically a
-          single-element array.
+          pricing_options on each creative. Vendors may offer multiple options —
+          volume tiers, context-specific rates, or different models per product line.
         task: list_creatives
         schema_ref: "creative/list-creatives-request.json"
         response_schema_ref: "creative/list-creatives-response.json"

specs/creative-agent-pricing.md

@@ -33,29 +33,25 @@ All vendor services use the same pattern: `pricing_options[]` on discovery respo
 | Creative governance | `get_creative_features` → pricing in response | `standards_id` |
 | Rights | `get_rights` → `pricing_options[]` per right | `rights_id` |
 
-In practice, signal providers typically offer multiple options (CPM vs. percent-of-media).
-Creative agents with predetermined rate cards typically return a single-element array.
-The protocol surface is the same.
+Vendors commonly offer multiple options per item — volume/commitment tiers, context-specific
+rates (premium vs. standard placements), or different pricing models for different product
+lines (CPM for rich media, per-unit for social variants).
 
 ## Design
 
-### Core principle: rate cards are predetermined per account
+### Core principle: pricing is account-scoped
 
-Creative pricing is established when the account is set up — it's a contractual
-relationship, not a per-call negotiation. The buyer doesn't shop for a price on each
-build. The account's rate card determines what applies.
+Creative pricing is scoped to the account relationship. The account's rate card
+determines the available options. `list_creatives` returns `pricing_options[]` reflecting
+the account's negotiated rates.
 
-This means `list_creatives` returns the **one pricing option that applies** to the
-requesting account's rate card for each creative. There's nothing to choose. The agent
-computed the applicable rate from the account relationship.
+Creative vendors commonly offer multiple options per creative:
+- **Volume/commitment tiers** — lower CPM at higher spend commitments
+- **Context-specific rates** — premium placements vs. standard
+- **Product-line pricing** — CPM for rich media, per-unit for social variants
 
-The pricing object represents the **current applicable rate** for the account. The agent
-may adjust this as volume thresholds are crossed (e.g., tiered rate cards). The
-`build_creative` response is always authoritative — what it returns is what you owe.
-
-Signals are different because a data provider may genuinely offer the same segment as CPM
-or percent-of-media, and the buyer picks based on campaign economics. Creative vendors
-don't work that way — you negotiate a rate card, and that's what you pay.
+The `build_creative` response is authoritative — `vendor_cost` is what the buyer owes
+for that specific build, computed from the selected pricing option.
 
 ### Core principle: if you charge, you're stateful
 
@@ -436,10 +432,9 @@ Include a brief conceptual section in the pricing lab:
 - All vendor services use `pricing_options[]` on discovery responses and
   `pricing_option_id` in `report_usage`. Signals, content standards, creative agents,
   and property list agents all follow this pattern.
-- Signal providers typically offer multiple options (CPM vs. percent-of-media).
-  Creative agents with predetermined rate cards typically return a single option.
-  The protocol surface is the same — the difference is how many options are in the
-  array.
+- Vendors commonly offer multiple options — volume tiers, context-specific rates,
+  or different models per product line (CPM for rich media, per-unit for social
+  variants).
 
 **Assessment dimensions:**
 

static/schemas/source/core/vendor-pricing-option.json

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
   "$id": "/schemas/core/vendor-pricing-option.json",
   "title": "Vendor Pricing Option",
-  "description": "A pricing option offered by a vendor agent (signals, creative, governance). Combines pricing_option_id with the pricing model fields. Pass pricing_option_id in report_usage for billing verification. For signals agents, get_signals returns an array of options and the buyer selects one at activation. For creative agents, list_creatives returns the single option determined by the account's rate card.",
+  "description": "A pricing option offered by a vendor agent (signals, creative, governance). Combines pricing_option_id with the pricing model fields. Pass pricing_option_id in report_usage for billing verification. All vendor discovery responses return pricing_options as an array — vendors may offer multiple options (volume tiers, context-specific rates, different models per product line).",
   "allOf": [
     {
       "type": "object",

static/schemas/source/creative/list-creatives-response.json

@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@
           },
           "pricing_options": {
             "type": "array",
-            "description": "Pricing options for this creative. Present when the request included include_pricing=true and account. For creative agents with predetermined rate cards, this typically contains a single option. The buyer passes the selected pricing_option_id in report_usage.",
+            "description": "Pricing options for this creative. Present when the request included include_pricing=true and account. Vendors may offer multiple options (volume tiers, context-specific rates, different models per product line). The buyer passes the selected pricing_option_id in report_usage.",
             "items": {
               "$ref": "/schemas/core/vendor-pricing-option.json"
             },