Selling Services that were Acquired for Free

3-12-2025 | IslamWeb

Question:

I use online tools to provide AI services to businesses.The AI services cost like $1 every hour to run, but the online tools give me 60 hours for free every month.Is it permissible for me to charge the business the full 60 hours ($60) with $200 as fixed profit or as a fixed maintenance fee, as a fixed subscription every month
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

From what we understood from the question, you are selling these services to businesses. If that is the case, then there is no harm in selling such services for whatever price you mutually agree upon, even if you calculate the price based on the total number of hours, as long as there is no lying or deception. Thus, do not say, that you purchased all the hours, when you actually acquired some of them for free.

It is mentioned in an authentic hadith regarding buyers and sellers: “If they speak the truth and make clear [the defects of the goods], their transaction will be blessed for them. However, if they lie and hide [some facts], their transaction would be deprived of Allah's blessings”.

Allah knows best.

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