Home → Questions →

Can I ask a bunch of total newbie questions?

• Edit

Igor Papirov

24 Dec, 2010 07:34 AM

I'm a startup that has been in beta for the last 2 months, stabilized with the core product and ready to launch once payment processing is all set. Not knowing much about this, I thought that this would be super simple... boy was I wrong...

My requirements are:

1) be able to process subscription pricing with overage fees (metered billing) on a monthly (and preferably 1st of the calendar month) basis. I have 5 plans, from $0 to $550/month and each has an overage fee for usage over the plans limits.
1a) From what I've read on your site, I think your service can do this. Will your service be the one to calculate monthly totals? How do you calculate things like mid-month switching between plans and overages? If you expect ME to calculate monthly totals, can I do this once a month before the billing cycle, and will the API provide access to changes in subscription plans by user? If you expect me to provide usage data so YOU can calculate the totals, at what point must this usage data be provided? Can I provide it once a month before billing cycle?

2) I do not want to store CC's for my customers. I do have a customers data store (table) with usernames/passwords, so I do not want them to re-enter their credentials on some other site again. Will your API allow me to create/store customer records with CC's in your data store without my customers creating 2ndary profiles on your site?

3) PCI compliance. I do not want to be storing CC's for my customers. Do I need to worry about PCI compliance?

4) What other accounts do I need besides the Cheddargetter account to start with billing? Do I need a merchant account? Payment gateway?

Thank you kindly for answers and apologies for total newbiness :)

1. Support Staff 1 Posted by Marc Guyer on 26 Dec, 2010 09:50 PM

   

   1) be able to process subscription pricing with overage fees (metered billing) on a monthly (and preferably 1st of the calendar month) basis. I have 5 plans, from $0 to $550/month and each has an overage fee for usage over the plans limits. 1a) From what I've read on your site, I think your service can do this.
   

   No problem. This is what CG was built to do.

   Will your service be the one to calculate monthly totals?

   Yes. There is also some flexibility here with custom charges, tracked items, etc.

   How do you calculate things like mid-month switching between plans and overages?

   Prorating mid-month is automatic, however only the flat monthly rate is prorated. If you require some type of prorating at the usage level, this must be done externally. CG provides tools to do this. http://support.cheddargetter.com/kb/pricing-plans/pricing-plan-chan...

   If you expect ME to calculate monthly totals, can I do this once a month before the billing cycle, and will the API provide access to changes in subscription plans by user? If you expect me to provide usage data so YOU can calculate the totals, at what point must this usage data be provided? Can I provide it once a month before billing cycle?

   CG calculates the monthly invoices. All usage data must be provided to CG before the current billing cycle's bill datetime.

   • Edit

2. Dean closed this discussion on 16 Jan, 2013 03:43 PM.