Token is KESS3/Autotuner Master's pay-per-protocol pricing system. Instead of paying an annual fee for access to all protocols, you pay tokens for each ECU family you want to unlock.
Example pricing
- 100 token package: €300-€500
- 1 OBD protocol: 1-3 tokens
- 1 Bench protocol: 3-8 tokens
- 1 Boot protocol: 5-15 tokens
When has the token system makes sense
If you work mainly on 5-10 ECU families, the token is cheaper than the fee (€800-€1200/year). If you are a generic file service that covers everything, the fee is worth it.
Token versus fee
The token system monetizes access to the protocols for a single ECU family: you purchase a package and "spend" to unlock the OBD, the Bench or the Boot of a specific ECU, usually with increasing costs for the more complex modes. It is a pay-per-use model alternative to the annual fee that gives access to everything.
When it is convenient
For a workshop specializing in a few families of vehicles, tokens are cheaper than the fee, because you only pay for what you need. For a general file service that must cover any brand, the fee is worth it, which eliminates the marginal cost for each new protocol. The choice must be made on the real numbers of processes and on the mix of vehicles handled, not in the abstract.
How to decide
The choice between token and fee is purely economic and must be made on numbers: it is estimated how many families of protocols are needed in a year and the cost in tokens is compared with that of the fee. For a niche specialist, tokens avoid paying for useless protocols; for a general file service the fee eliminates the cost of each new job. Reviewing this choice periodically, as the mix of vehicles changes, avoids waste.
In short, the choice between token and fee is a cost decision to be reviewed over time: a few recurring protocols reward the tokens, total coverage rewards the fee. Real numbers count, not impressions.