jeffnv-metered-billing | Stripe Developers | Page 1

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 5:42 PM

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Hi there!

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 5:42 PM

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Hey!

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 5:43 PM

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So sounds like you will want multiple Products here. One metered and then one licensed.

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 5:43 PM

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ok

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how should I configure the settings?

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 5:45 PM

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gritty socket So sounds like you will want multiple Products here. One metered and then one li...

does licensed just mean I didn't check metered?

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 5:46 PM

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That's correct

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Have you given a read through https://stripe.com/docs/products-prices/pricing-models ?

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 5:47 PM

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Yes I did my best to understand that

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So what I've tried in the past was somethign like this

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can I link you to my dashboard?

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https://dashboard.stripe.com/test/prices/price_1LYffICbynXIt0oZ1ewyvPFz

Stripe Login | Sign in to the Stripe Dashboard

Sign in to the Stripe Dashboard to manage business payments and operations in your account. Manage payments and refunds, respond to disputes and more.

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So this will work for the basic X # credits per month and some price each after that

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but how can I factor in purchasing a "package" mid month?

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that's the bit I couldn't wrap my brain around

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like, in this model I have, it would be $1/credit, but let's say they then buy a $10 20 credit pack, when I report usage will it consume the package credits?

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 5:56 PM

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Sorry server got really busy

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Helping several folks at once

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Taking a look at your example above

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So if you are doing package credits then you would likely change the Price on the Subscription altogether.

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And you would track credits in your own database here.

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Or you would have a Product that gave a free amount of first credits

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Based on that package

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 5:58 PM

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so if they bought a package, I would just not report usage to stripe while they're using the package credits?

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:00 PM

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That's up to you.

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That would be one way to do it

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The other way would be to change the Price where you give a $0 amount for a certain amount of Usage

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Then charge again after they surpass that usage

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:01 PM

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how can I do that? i don't understand

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:07 PM

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So you would do tiers

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Where the first tier would be a $0 tier for a certain amount

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Which corresponds with your package

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And you can have a one-time cost for that for purchasing the package

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:12 PM

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isn't that what I already have?

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:16 PM

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You have two different options here, right?

errant plaza Aug 22, 2022, 6:16 PM

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I think bismarck's point is Stripe would not track the "threshold" for usage - your systems/database would. You would have a "usage subscription" you could add usage to (base cost: $0), and a separate "license" product for purchasing the "base amount"

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:16 PM

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You have 1 Price that is, for example, $1 per credit

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Then you have another Price that is $10 for 100 credits

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So for the $10 for 100 credits it would have tiered pricing where the first 100 of usage would not be charged per usage, however there would be a one-time cost of $10. Then after the first 100 usage it would start to charge at $1 per credit

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:18 PM

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ok let me configure this so I can see if I understand

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so first: i create 1 product "Bronze License" that is NOT metered

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Then I create another product: "Credit Package" that is metered

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:25 PM

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So for Bronze License that is your $1 for 1 credit type of product?

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And Credit Package... is your package ($20 for 100 credits for instance)

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If so, both of those would be metered.

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However, Credit Package would be using Graduated Pricing

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Which is what forces the tiers

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Then you have a third Product

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Which is a one-time Price

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Which is the actual payment for the Package credits

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Does that make sense?

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I know this is all a bit convoluted

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:27 PM

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i think im on the cusp of getting it

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just need to see it done

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let me try to set it up as you described

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:28 PM

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Yep test it out. Lot easier to look at it visually I think

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:28 PM

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for sure thank you

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Bronze Package Plan $50/month
* includes 250 credits per month
* if exceeding 250 credits used, will change $5/10 credits
* can buy package of 100 credits at any time for $20
* credits do not rollover

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so that's the summary of what I'm shooting for

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what I already set up maybe is making it more confusing

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sorry the prices for things are shifting around, but for the sake of this discussion let's stick with what's in my code block quote

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:39 PM

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That's helpful

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:39 PM

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apologies!

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:39 PM

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Not at all

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Let's go step by step

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:39 PM

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im happy to throw all the test crap I have away and start again

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yes please 🥺

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:40 PM

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So first, I'd create a $50/month Licensed Price

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Since you are always going to be charging $50 monthly

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:42 PM

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one sec

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done

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bronze license exists

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:43 PM

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Okay

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Now you want to create a Graduated pricing Price

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For the first 250 units it would be $0

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:45 PM

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gritty socket Now you want to create a Graduated pricing Price

not new product, a price within bronze license?

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:45 PM

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That's up to you really.

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Probably just a new Price

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Since this is all the same Product really

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:46 PM

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done, right?

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:47 PM

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Right so now it depends

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Are you okay with $0.50 per unit?

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Or do you want $5/10

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If you do $5/10 you need tiers

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With a flat fee

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:47 PM

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ok

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:47 PM

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But $0.50 would be easier

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:47 PM

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so I'd have to make infinity tiers?

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:47 PM

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So just depends what you want

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You would need a lot of tiers if you want that model. How much usage are you expecting?

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:48 PM

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let's leave it as is, understand the concept of adding tiers for flat fees

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let's move on to the real sticking point: packages that can be purchased at any time

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:49 PM

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Yep okay

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So for that part, the idea would be that if they purchase the batch, they would get essentially 350 credits for $70, right?

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Like it is always going to build on the 250 credits + 100 credits for the package, correct?

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:50 PM

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uh yes

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for example customer A pays for $50 subscription on day 1 and also buys 1 package for $20, they have 350 credits to consume before $0.50

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:52 PM

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Right, so the only way to really do this is to create new Prices with each amount of credits.

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So you would have one that is $0 for first 350

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And $0 for first 450

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Since all of these are metered, and $0 for the same interval (monthly), updating between these will not trigger any sort of proration.

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You can update at any point in the month and then charge based on the usage at end of month

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:53 PM

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ok so let me check my understanding

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:54 PM

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And you would have a one-time Price for purchasing the package that you would add as an invoice-item

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Do you want that purchase to happen immediately?

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Or upon next billing cycle?

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:56 PM

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immediately

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ok so lemme show you what i have

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one time package purchase

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then i would just switch from reporting usage to this new price

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which I named "1 package" to indicate they purchased 1 package

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:57 PM

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Yep

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Now if you want to charge immediately you would want to create a one-off invoice to scoop up the invoice item (if this wasn't at the very beginning of the Subscription creation)

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 6:58 PM

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oh i see

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ok

gritty socket Aug 22, 2022, 6:59 PM

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Ah actually you might be able to update the Sub with proration_behavior: always_invoice

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That should cut an invoice immediately

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And I don't believe that would influence the billing cycle

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Mostly at this point you are going to want to test out the different scenarios

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You can use Test Clocks to ensure that things work as you desire here: https://stripe.com/docs/billing/testing/test-clocks

broken plover Aug 22, 2022, 7:01 PM

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thank you

#jeffnv-metered-billing