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Learn to work with Price Plans

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Navigating to Price Plans

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BILLING APPLICATION > PRICE PLANS > MANAGE PRICE PLANS

Using Price Plans

Price Plans are used to define prices and rates for every billable Product that is added to a Subscription, Job or Activity, with the exception of Usage Services, whose prices are defined in Usage Service Catalogs. There ca be multiple effective Price Plans in the System, and the applicable one can be selected when creating an entity (Subscription or Job).
Discounts can be offered to customers through Price Plans by defining rates lower than the standard rate, for a defined period or specific quantities. 

Note

All rates defined in a Price Plan are inclusive of VAT.

  • Navigate to Price Plans and explore existing entries via the Summary page
  • Click on the link (name or number) of the entry of your interest to enter the Data Entry page and see more detail. 
  • Use the Actions Menu to create a NEW Price Plan or modify (EDIT) an existing one.
  • Go to Rates tab and add or select Products from the Left List menu to update Rate information for each Product.
  • Use BACK to return to the Summary page and CANCEL to revert any unwanted changes made to the Price Plans. 
  • Click on ACTIONS to discover other possibilities available for Price Plans.

 

View the Attributes Table below for a comprehensive description of the Price Plans fields. Refer to the Rate Models Table for an overview of the different Types of Rate Models that can be used when setting up Rates for Products in the Price Plan.
Check the Validations & Restrictions Table for a list of available Actions when working with Price Plans including each Action's related restrictions, validations and additional information.

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ActionValidationsRestrictionsAdditional Information
Create
  • Mandatory fields have been defined
    • At least one rate has been defined
  • No overlapping rates exist for the same Product within a single Price Plan
  •  Not Applicable
Edit
  • Mandatory fields have been defined
    • At least one rate has been defined
  • No overlapping rates exist for the same Product
  • Each Product is only added once unless a different rate is to be defined when part of a bundle
  • No otherPrice Plan exists with the same Code or Name
  • Expired Price Plans cannot be modified
  • Rates of already added Products cannot be updated if the Price Plan is already added on a billable entity
  • New Products can be added using respective action
  • To change the rates of an existing Price Plan the Price Plan must be Replaced using respective action
Delete
  •  Not Applicable
  •  Price Plans cannot be deleted
  •  Price Plans cannot be deleted
Add new Product
  • Mandatory fields have been defined

 

  • Action is only available for Base Price Plans
  • The Product is not already defined in the Price Plan
  •  Not Applicable
Amend / Replace Price Plan
  • Mandatory fields have been defined
  •  Not Applicable
  • Both +ve and -ve numbers are accepted in the "Adjust Rates by '%.' "
  • When the action is saved the following occurs:
    • A new Price Plan version is created
    • The new Price Plan version is updated as follows:
      • Effective date is set equal to the specified date
      • Price Plan code is set equal to the previous Price Plan’s code (it is used to identify related Price Plans)
      • All Price Plan rates are copied to the new plan
      • All Price Plan conditions are copied to the new plan (If conditional)
    • The previous Price Plan instance is updated as follows:
      • The expiration date is set equal to the new Price Plan’s effective date
Calculate Amount
  •  Not Applicable
  •  Not Applicable
  • Both +ve and -ve numbers can be used in the calculation utility
    • +ve will deduct money from the specified amount
    • -ve will add money to the specified amount
Create Conditional Price Plan
  • Mandatory fields have been defined
  • At least one Base Price Plan exists in the System.
  •  Not Applicable

 

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An * indicates a field is mandatory.

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Name

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Description

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The type of the Price Plan is either:

  • Base, or
  • Conditional 

It is generated automatically by the System when creating the Price Plan.

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The code of the Price Plan which is used throughout the System together with the Name, when referring to Price Plans.

Note

Due to constant price changes, Price Plans usually have multiple versions, each applicable for a specific period. The Code is always the same, for all versions of the Price Plan.

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An auto-generated number which is used to specify the version of each Price Plan every time a Price Plan is replaced.

"VIEW PREVIOUS VERSIONS" link allows the user to search and view previous versions of the Price Plan.

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The date that the Price Plan becomes effective and its rates can be used for billing.

Note
A new Effective Date is set in each version of the Price Plan.

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The date that the Price Plan expires and its rates should no longer be used.

Note
  • The Expiration Date is set in each version of the Price Plan. Every time a new version is created it, the Expiration Date of the System is automatically set equal to the Effective Date of the previous version.
  • Rates from expired Price Plan versions may still be used if the customer made a binding contract with the business, and the System is configured to apply the rates applicable during sign up. This applies even if the Price changes due to a change in VAT.

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This is defined when the Price Plan is a conditional one. The Base Price Plan rates will be applied if the conditions specified in the conditional Price Plan are not met.

Note

If a Base Price Plan is selected then, Selection Conditions and Validity Condition Tabs become available.

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Rates

Define the Rates of the business Products. The rates are categorised and can be filtered by Product Classification: Physical Good Rates, One Time Services Rates, Termed Services Rates, Expenses Rates.

...

The Physical Good or Service that is rated, along with Product Type and Product Classification.

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Product

Bundle

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The Product bundle related with the selected Product. This information is visible only if the specified Product is used as a component belonging to a Product with a Type classified as Flexible Bundle Product.

Note

Only applicable for Termed Services. 
View Setting Product Bundle Pricing for more information regarding the different pricing models available for Product Bundles.

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Unit Of Time for the defined Base amount:

  • Day
  • Week
  • Month
  • Year
Note
  • UOT is applicable and mandatory for Termed Services and duration based One Time Services.
  • If necessary, the System will convert a rate from monthly to daily. Businesses which bill on a daily basis are recommended to add a Daily rate for more precise results. 

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This is applicable for Termed Services only and is used to determine when the recurring charge will become active. The following options are available:

  • Binding start date: The Price Plan Rate will become active on the date that the binding period (as specified at the Billing Term) begins.
  • Service Effective date: The Price Plan Rate will become active on the date that the Service will become effective.
  • Agreement date: The Price Plan Rate will become active on the date that the customer accepted the Billing Terms.

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Tiered Rates

Tiered Rates are used to define a different Rate than the Base Rate either for a particular period or quantity, according to the Rate Model selected.

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A level number to identify the order by which levels are considered.

...

The value from which the Tier level applies.

Note
  • According to the selected Rate Model and the UOT, the unit for the From value may differ.
    • If it refers to a Tiered Service whose Base Rate is defined in days, the From field refers to the number of days.
    • If it refers to a Tiered Service whose Base Rate is defined in months, the From field refers to the number of months.
    • If it refers to a duration based One Time Service and the UOT is hours then, the From field refers to the number of hours.
    • If it refers to a quantity based Physical Good, then the From field refers to the number of items.

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Note
  • If Specific Number is selected, then a value must be defined. According to the selected Rate Model and the UOT, the unit for the To value for may differ.
    • If it refers to a Tiered Service whose Base Rate is defined in days, the To field refers to the number of days.
    • If it refers to a Tiered Service whose Base Rate is defined in months, the To field refers to the number of months.
    • If it refers to a duration based One Time Service and the UOT is hours then the To field refers to the number of hours.
    • If it refers to a quantity based Physical Good, then the To field refers to the number of items.

View /wiki/spaces/WIP/pages/10008534 for more information on using Tiered Rate Levels.

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No.

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Rate Model

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How it works

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Applicable for Product Classification

...

  • Expenses

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2

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Flat Rate, Quantity Based

 

...

If this Type is used for Termed Subscription Services, then the logic changes according to the number of the distributors.

The quantity of the Service will be measured based on the number of authorised and initialised distributors of the Service. The Service will be billed only once, taking into consideration the applicable price.

For example, if from 1 to 1 unit the price is €10 and from 2 to unlimited units the price is €8 then:

  • A Service distributed once will be billed €10
  • A Service distributed twice will be billed €8 (8*2)
  • A Service distributed more than two times will again be billed €8 (8*x)

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  • Termed Services
  • Physical Goods

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Applies a single fixed price based on the duration of the Services, which starts from a Base Rate and changes as the duration that was required to provide the Service increases.
This model is NOT cumulative; if the duration falls into multiple Flat Rate levels, then the final price is equal to the Flat Rate price of the highest level. If the duration does not fall into any quantity range, then the final price is equal to the Base Rate Price

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  • One-Time Services

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4

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Tiered Rate, Quantity Based

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Applies a price which starts from a Base Rate and progressively changes as the quantity increases, using a price table made up of multiple tiers. Each tier defines a quantity range and the rate that will be applied to a Product if the quantity of the purchased Product falls within that range.
This model is cumulative; if the purchase of a Product falls into multiple tiers, then the final price is calculated by adding up the Base Rate and the rates of each tier.

...

Applies a price which starts from a Base Rate and progressively changes as the duration that was required to provide the Service increases, using a price table made up of multiple tiers. Each tier defines a duration range and the rate that will be applied to a Service if the duration of the Service falls within that range. This model is cumulative, meaning that, if the duration of the Service falls into multiple tiers, then the final price is calculated by aggregating the Base Rate and the rates of each tier.

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  • One-Time Services

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6

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Tiered Rate, Maturity Based

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Applies a price which starts from a Base Rate and progressively changes as the subscription maturity (age length) increases, using a price table made up of multiple tiers. Each tier defines a period range and the rate that will be applied on a Product if the subscription age falls within that range.
This model is cumulative; if the subscription age falls into multiple tiers, then the final price is calculated by adding up the Base Rate and the rates of each tier. The “To” field, in tiered pricing, includes the binding end as an extra option (free text Integers and unlimited option). “From – To” periods can also be extended, if a customer subscribed to a recurring Service is in a 'Resting' or 'Not Effective' state for a period.

...

  • Termed Services

Additional Actions for Price Plans

Automatically Calculate Discount Amount

An organisation has the option to offer a discount on already defined Base or Tiered Rates. By using the Calculate Amount feature, the System will calculate and set the new discounted price as an amount or percentage (%). The action is available on adding new Products or editing rates.

  1. Select the Product whose rate should be updated.
  2. Click on CALCULATE AMOUNT, either on the Base Rate or Tiered Rate.
  3. The Calculate Amount modal will open.
    1. Provide a number in the Initial Amount text box (this can be the same or different than the Base/Tiered Amount).
    2. Select between Amount and Percentage.
    3. Provide a number in the text box below.
    4. Click anywhere outside the text box and check the calculated rate.
    5. Click on SAVE  to apply the change.
      • The System will set the amount that has been calculated, regardless if the Initial Amount provided was different to the Base or Tiered Amount.
Note
  • Positive numbers must be used in offering a discount.
  • If a negative number is used, then the System will ADD this to the initial amount instead.

    Initial AmountDiscount AmountCalculated Amount
    10.005.005.00
    10.00-5.0015.00
    10.005%9.50
    10.00-5%10.50

 

Adding new Product to existing Price Plans

Price Plans cannot be amended once they have been added to a Subscription or Job. The ADD NEW Product action can be used to define rates in existing Price Plans for new Products introduced to the business.

  1. Navigate to PRICE PLANS.
  2. Search for the Price Plan in which a Product should be added.
  3. Click on the name of the entry you would like to access to go to the Data Entry page.
  4. From the Actions Menu click on Actions > ADD NEW Product to open the Add Product in the Price Plan modal.
  5. Use Quick Search or click on the magnifying glass to search for a Product using the search modal.
  6. In the modal provide all the necessary information for the creation of the Product as explained in the Attributes Table.

Amend Existing Price Plan Rates

Price Plans assigned on a Subscription or a Job can no longer be modified, as rates are agreed between the customer and the business when creating the Subscription or Job.
There are occasions however that even Price Plans that are already added to customers must be amended. For example, a change in VAT or the overall increase of rates regardless of the contract. 
When a Price Plan is replaced, the previous Price Plan receives an expiration date. 

Note

Customers that have the updated Price Plan on their Job or Subscription will be billed with the new Price Plan rates. Although this is the default behaviour of the System, the user has the option to define (via Billing Term Definitions) that until the Binding End Date, customers should be charged the previous Price Plan rates.

  1. Navigate to PRICE PLANS.
  2. Search for the Price Plan to update.
  3. Click on the number / name of the entry you would like to access to go to the Data Entry page.
  4. From the Actions Menu click on Actions > REPLACE  to open the Replace Price Plan Form modal.
    1. New Price Plan's Effective Date: Define the date from which the new Price Plan prices will take effect.
    2. Adjust Rates by '%': Add a % to update all rates in the Price Plan or leave empty to make manual updates.
  5. Click on SAVE to close the modal.
    If the Adjust Rates By % is defined then, all rates will be automatically updated.  
  6. From the Actions menu click on EDIT to start updating the Price Plan rates.

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Creating Conditional Price Plans

Conditional Price Plans as implied by the name) can be added to a Job or a Subscription only if two Types of conditions are met. These conditions are defined in the Price Plan.

  • Selection Conditions: If satisfied, the Price Plan will be available where a Price Plan is selected to be added to a Job or Subscription.
  • Validity Conditions: If satisfied, the rates from the applied Price Plan will be used by the Billing Engine when billing the Job or Subscription. Validity conditions are required because from the time that a (Job or Subscription) Price Plan is set until the time that is it is billed, the Selection Conditions may no longer be satisfied. It is recommended to have the same conditions defined for Selection and Validity.
    If during Billing the Validity Conditions are not met, then the System will get the rates from the Base Price Plan that was used when creating the Conditional Price Plan.
  1. Navigate to PRICE PLANS
  2. Click on NEW from the Actions Menu to create a new Price Plan.
    1. Main Information 
      1. Provide the information in the section as in the case of a Base Price Plan
      2. Base Price Plan: Select a Base Price Plan that the System will use in case the selected Conditional Price Plan conditions are not met during Billing
        When a Base Price Plan is selected, two extra sections become available:
        1. Selection Conditions
        2. Validity Conditions 
    2. Rates
      1. All the rates available in the selected Base Price Plan will be present here. Change the rates accordingly.

        Tip

        You can use the Replace Price Plan action to change all the rates simultaneously by a certain percentage.

    3. SELECTION & VALIDITY CONDITIONS

      1. The process for adding Selection or Validity conditions is the same. 
        Follow the steps below:
      2. In Evaluation Settings there are 2 options that can be set at 2 different levels to select whether all conditions or at least one condition should be met.
        View /wiki/spaces/V4Manual/pages/9831566 for more information on Evaluation Settings.

        1. General: Select whether conditions for all the Groups should be met or at least one.

        2. Condition Group Specific: Select whether conditions for all rows within each of the Groups should be met or at least one.

      3. Once the Evaluation Settings are in place, click on each of the Condition Groups in the Group List on the left to start defining the group row conditions.

        1. Click on ADD to add a new row.
          PRICE PLANS - CONDITION GROUPSImage Removed
          or 
          ADD FROM TEMPLATE to select an existing Condition Group row.

          Note

          Templates are Condition Group rows that have been previously saved to be reused. They already contain information such as Type, Operator and Value.

        2. Type: Select the Type of the Condition from the drop-down list.
        3. Operator: Select whether the values defined should be:
            1. Equal
            2. Not Equal
          1. Value: Click on the ADD VALUES link to open the modal to add Values for each Condition Group Row, i.e. for the Type you have selected.
            1. Like in Evaluation Settings, set whether all the values defined in the modal should be met, or at least one.
            2. Value 1 - Value 20: Use Quick Search or click on the magnifying glass for a search modal to select the values to be set as conditions.

              Note

              Different values will be available for selection for each Type selected in the Condition Group.
              The available Types are:

              • Subscription Type: Evaluated against the Subscription Type
              • Billable Entity Maturity: Evaluated based on the maturity of the billable entity 
                • 2 options are available - new and existing billable entity
              • Billable Entities Existing Products: Evaluated against existing Physical Goods or Services
              • Billable Entities Products To Be Added: Evaluated against Physical Goods or Services that will be added
              • Billable Entities Existing Price Plans: Evaluated against existing Price Plans
              • Billable Entities Owner Groups: Evaluated against the group that owns the billable entity
              • Accounts Receivable Classifications: Evaluated against the Accounts Receivable Classification
              • Accounts Receivable Credit Ratings: Evaluated against the Accounts Receivable Credit Rating
              • Accounts Receivable Payment Preference: Evaluated against the Accounts Receivable Payment Preference
              • Billing Term Scheme: Evaluated against the Billing Term's Billing Term Scheme
              • Billing Terms Binding State: Evaluated against the Billing Terms binding state 
                • in and out of binding
              • Billing Terms Binding Period: Evaluated against the Billing Terms binding period
              • Billing Terms Billing Frequency: Evaluated against the Billing Terms billing frequency
              • Segmentation: Evaluated against the Accounts Receivable owning the billable entity. 
                • Note that only Accounts Receivable Segments can be selected.

              PRICE PLANS - CONDITION GROUP VALUESImage Removed

        4. Description:  Describe the Group row condition.
        5. Save as Template: There is the option to save the values per Condition Group as a template so that it can be reused in other Condition Groups of the same Type.
          1. Click on the SAVE AS TEMPLATE link and provide a name and description.
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      4. Once all the Condition Group rows are complete, repeat the process for a new Condition Group.
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    4. Allowed Organisational Units
      1. Add the organisational units that can select and assign the Price Plan
  3. Click on SAVE to save the Price Plan
Note

View /wiki/spaces/V4Manual/pages/9831566 for business examples related to Using Price Plans.

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Learn to work with Price plans

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Overview

Price plans are the set of rates at which a company offers goods and services.  The plans are used by the billing engine to charge customer accounts receivables for purchases. 

Every billable product that is added to a subscription, job or activity must belong to at least one price plan, with the exception of usage services whose rates are defined in Usage Service Catalogs

Price plans functionality 

  • Suitable for promotions and discounting; Price plans can be subject to conditions that result in special rates (such as discounts for employees).
  • Ideal for making price reductions; rates that are lower than the base rate can be defined for a specific period or purchase quantity.
  • Simplify overall price adjustments when tax rates change.

Setting Up Price Plans

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 Finance Application > Products and Pricing > Price Plans > Manage Price Plans

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Price plan rate models

The classification of each product determines the rate models available when adding a product to a plan.  Billing handles each model differently.

 Products are classified as: 

  • Expenses
  • Termed services
  • One-time services
  • Physical goods.

Rate Model

Application

Intended for Classifications

Calculation LogicExample
Flat RateA single fixed price.

Expenses

Price = Base rate

A €20 setup fee

Flat Rate, Quantity Based

 

A single fixed price based on purchased quantity, starting from a base rate, and adjusted as the quantity increases according to preset tiers.

The purchased quantity of termed services depends on the number of service distributors. I.e., if the same channel is available from two different boxes, the quantity of the services is two.

Termed services, physical goods

  • Not cumulative
  • Price is that of the highest tier
  • If the quantity does not fall in a tier, the price is equal to the base rate.

A channel is accessible through several TV decoders (in different rooms).  If the price for accessing the channel is €10 from one TV decoder and €8 from two or more, then:

  • Access from one decoder is billed €10 (1*10)
  • Access from two decoders is billed €16 (2*8)
  • Access from three TV decoders is billed  €24 (3*8).
Flat Rate, Duration Based

A single fixed price based on the duration of the service, starting from a base rate, and adjusted as the duration of the service provided increases, according to preset tiers.

One-time services

  • Not cumulative
  • Price is flat rate price of last/highest level tier
  • If the duration does not fall in a tier, the price is equal to the base rate.

An installation service is billed €10 for the first hour and €8 for each consecutive hour.

  • An installation that takes one hour is billed €10
  • An installation that takes two hours is billed €16 (2*8)
  • An installation that takes three hours is billed €24 (3*8).

 

Tiered Rate, Quantity Based

A price starting from a base rate, which can be progressively adjusted as the quantity increases, according to preset tiers.  Each tier defines a quantity range and the rate for the product within that range.

Termed services, physical goods

 

  • Cumulative
  • Price is the sum of tiered rates, according to the purchased quantity
  • If the quantity does not fall in a tier, the price is equal to the base rate.

The price of an antenna is €10 for one and €8 for two or more.

  • One antenna is billed €10
  • Two antennas are billed €18 (10+8)
  • Three antennas are billed €26 (10+(8*2)).
Tiered Rate, Duration Based

A price starting from a base rate, which can be progressively adjusted as the duration required to provide the service increases, according to preset tiers.  Each tier defines a duration range and the rate for the product within that range.

One-time services

  • Cumulative
  • Price is the sum of tiered rates, according to the duration of the service.
  • If the duration does not fall in a tier, the price is equal to the base rate.

An installation service is billed €10 for the first hour and €8 for each consecutive hour.

  • An installation that takes one hour is billed €10
  • An installation that takes two hours is billed €18 (10+8)
  • An installation that takes three hours is billed €26 (10+(2*8)).

Tiered Rate, Maturity Based

A price starting from a base rate, which can be progressively adjusted as the subscription matures, according to preset tiers.  Each tier defines a period and the rate for the product in that period.

Termed services

  • Cumulative
  • Price is the sum of tiered rates, according to the duration of the subscription.
  • If the maturity does not fall in a tier, the price is equal to the base rate.

A channel is free for the first month, €10 for the second and third month, and €20 for each consecutive month until the binding end.

  • A subscriber with an annual binding period will be billed €80 ((0*1)+(2*10)+ (3*20)) for the first six months and €120 (6*20) for the next six months.
Flat Rate, Maturity Based

A price which changes according to the rated period, using a price table made up of multiple flat rates.

(I.e. Prepaid: pre-rate period, Normal - billable period)

 

Termed services

  • Not cumulative
  • Price is that of the highest tier
  • The maturity is evaluated against the period for which the service will be rated.

A channel costs €10 when billed for 1 month, €50 when billed for 6 months and €90 when billed for a year.

 

Flat Rate, Maturity & Quantity Based

 

A combination of flat rate maturity and quantity.

Termed services

  • Not cumulative
  • Price is that of the highest tier
  • If the maturity or quantity does not fall in a tier, the price is equal to the base rate.

 

A channel is accessible through several TV decoders (in different rooms). If channel access is free for the first month, and '€10 a month for one TV decoder' or '€8 a month for two or more decoders' for the second month onward:

  • Access from any number of decoders for the first month is free
  • Access from one decoder for the second month is billed €10
  • Access from two decoders for the second month is billed €16 (2*8)

Tiered Rate, Maturity & Quantity Based

 

A combination of tiered rate maturity and quantity.

Termed services

  • Cumulative
  • Price is the sum of tiered rates, according to the duration of the subscription.
  • If the maturity or quantity does not fall in a tier, the price is equal to the base rate.

A channel is accessible through several TV decoders (in different rooms).   If channel access is free for the first month, and '€10 a month for one TV decoder' or '€8 a month for two or more decoders' for the second month onward:

  • Access from any number of decoders for the first month is free
  • Access from one decoder for the second month is billed €10
  • Access from two decoders for the second month is billed €18 ((1*10)+(1*8))

 


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Price plan fields

The table describes the sections of the Price Plans Data Entry page and explains how the fields on the page are used.

 Mandatory   Configurable

Main Information

Code & Name: Price plan identifiers that are used interchangeably in the system and remain constant across versions.

Version: Reflect price changes in specific periods for the same price plan.

Type: 'Base' or 'Conditional', selected by the system when creating the price plan. The value is 'Conditional' if a price plan is defined in the base price plan field.

Effective Date: The day from which the rates can be used for billing. A new effective date is automatically set for each version.

Expiration Date: The day from which the rates can no longer be used for billing. 

  • Based on the agreement between the customer and company, the system can be configured to keep the rates from an expired price plan version effective (even if the price is adjusted to reflect a change in VAT).
  • Whenever a new price plan version is created, the expiration date of the current version is set equal to the effective date of the new version.

Base Price Plan: Used when creating a new conditional plan. If the conditions specified in the new conditional plan are not met during billing, the rates from the base plan are applied on subscriptions.
When a base price plan is selected, 'Selection Conditions' and 'Validity Condition'
sections become available.

Note

Conditional price plans consist of a different set of rates (usually discounted) for the same products defined in a base price plan. These conditional rates are used for billing (instead of the base rates) provided the conditions defined in the plan are met. For example, customers are billed the conditional discounted rate, as long as their account receivable satisfies the defined requirement of VIP classification.

Accounts Receivable: The corporate customer account for which the price plan is used according to the pricing agreement.

Rates

Including information on the type and classification of the rated product

Rates are grouped by (and can be filtered on) product classification.

 Products are classified as:

  • Expenses
  • Termed services
  • One-time services
  • Physical goods.

Code: Used by the system to identify rates. It is automatically generated and can be edited.

Applicable only if part of a Bundle: Makes it possible to define a lower rate for the for termed service components of flexible bundle products when offered in a bundle.

Rate Model: Available rate models depend on the classification of the product, as described in the Rate Model Table. 


 Base Amount: The rate that is applied in the absence of tiered rates.

UOT: The unit of measurement of the period during which the base or tiered amounts are applied, for termed and one-time services.

Although the system can convert a monthly rate into a daily one, it is recommended that businesses that bill on a daily basis select a daily UOT. This produces more precise results than subsequently converting a monthly rate into a daily one.

Currency in which the price plan's base rate is specified for the plan and product (cannot be the same as the system currency defined in 'Global Settings').

Note

If multi-country network is enabled in 'General Settings', then additional rates in other currencies can be specified. Same product can be defined multiple times as long as it is in a different currency.

Note

A UOT must also be defined for termed services. A fixed rate can be defined to apply for a specific period, e.g., 30 days, 3 weeks, 2 months, 1 year. The following values can be set depending on the selected UOT:

  • From 1 to 6 days,
  • From 1 to 4 weeks,
  • From 1 to 11 months
  • From 1 to 3 years

 

Effective Starting From (applicable for tiered rates of termed services): the date on which the rating period is considered to start again. The options are:

  • Binding Start Date: On the date that the binding period begins (as specified in the Billing Terms).
  • Service Effective Date: On the date that the service will become effective.
  • Agreement Date: On the date that the customer accepted the Billing Terms.
Note
titleEffective Starting From Example

If 'Binding Start Date' is selected and you have a maturity model with 2 tiers, with tier 1 starting from the 1st month, then when the binding of a subscription is renewed, the rating will consider that the service is back to the 1st tier, even if it was activated 1 year ago.

Tax Model: Define whether the base and tiered rates of the specified price plan are tax inclusive. By default, the tax model of the price plan is that which is defined in Tax Definition.

 

Tiered Rates

Used to define a rate other than the base, for a particular period or quantity, depending on the selected rate model. Refer to the Rate Model Table for information on the application of tiered rates.

Level: A number that determines the order in which levels are considered.

From and To are the inclusive integer values that determine the range of each tier level (expressed in the defined UOT)

One of the following can be defined for the 'To' field value:
  • A specific number which is valid up to a specific UOT
  • 'Unlimited', i.e., until the end of the customer's subscription
  • Binding period end, i.e., valid until the binding end date of the subscription (this option is only available in the tiered pricing of maturity based models).

Note

The unit for the From and To values may differ, subject to the selected rate model and UOT.

    • For tiered services whose base rate is defined in UOT, the fields refer to the defined UOT; e.g., the number of days or months.
    • For duration based one-time services defined as a UOT, the fields refer to the defined UOT; e.g., the number of days or months.
    • For quantity based physical goods, the fields refer to the number of items.

Amount: The rate applied to the tier level. 

Selection Conditions

(For conditional plans only)

Conditions that are used to validate whether the price plan can be selected for a subscription or a job.

Validity Conditions

(For conditional plans only)

Conditions that are used to determine if the price plan rates can be applied during billing.
Billing will revert to the respective base price plan rates if any condition in the conditional price plan is breached.

Additional Price Plan Rates

(Base rates in currencies other than the system default)

The rates of each price plan can be specified in as many currencies as necessary, but each additional rate can be specified only once per price plan and currency.

Price Plan Rate for which additional rates in other currencies are specified.

Note

The price plan rate includes the price plan and product information. So for each rate, multiple additional rates can be specified as long as they are in a different currency.

Base Rate: the price of the product in the specified currency.

Currency in which the price plan's base rate is specified for the plan and product (cannot be the same as the system currency defined in 'Global Settings').

Additional Price Plan Tiered Rates

The rates of each price plan can be specified in as many currencies as necessary, but each additional rate can be specified only once per price plan and currency.

Price Plan Rate: the tiered rate for which additional tiered rates in other currencies are specified.

Note

The price plan rate includes the price plan and product information. So for each rate, multiple additional rates can be specified as long as they are in a different currency.

Tiered Amount: the price of the product in the specified currency.

Currency for which the tiered rate is specified.

 
Allowed Organisational Units
Organisational units that are authorized to select and assign the price plan on billing term schemes, subscriptions, and jobs.

 

Related configuration areas

Mandatory modules must be configured for the Price Plan module to work. 

Optional modules may be configured for the module to operate at its full capacity.

Manual LinkAreaDescriptionConfiguration
ProductsProduct Types and Products

Products must be configured before they are rated. New products can be added to existing price plans from the Product page.

Mandatory
PlatformVAT and other Tax RatesVAT and other tax rates that will apply for the products added to the price plans. Through the tax rates area, it is possible to define whether or not the price plan rates include taxes.Optional

 

Back to top 

Using Price Plans

Note

Validations take place before an action is initiated (prerequisite) or after it is submitted (postcondition).

Several 'Effective' price plans can be present in the system. A price plan is selected when a subscription or job is created, reflecting the terms of agreement of the customer. 

If available, conditional price plans can be selected by users subject to 'Selection Conditions'. Whether the selected plan is used during billing depends on the 'Validity Conditions' of the price plan.

Selecting and creating a price plan

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Specify the criteria that match the price plan you are interested in or use NEW from the Actions menu to create a new plan.  Provide the information defined as mandatory in the price plan fields table and SAVE the plan.

Modifying a price plan

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Use EDIT from the Actions menu to edit price plans that have been created but not yet added to a subscription or job. You can add, remove or edit product rates and information already defined in a plan. Use the respective actions to add new product rates or amend price plans that are already in use by subscriptions or jobs.

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Amending existing price plan rates

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As a general rule, price plans that are already in use cannot be modified, as the company and customer agreed on the plan rates when the subscription or job was created. 

In exceptional cases it is possible to amend a plan, for example, to reflect a change in VAT or in rates across all contracts. When a price plan is updated, a new version of the plan is created including the previously defined products and rates.

Customers with updated price plans will be billed using the new rates (by default).  

Tip

The user can also, through billing term schemesdefine that customers are charged with the previous rates, until the binding end date.

  1. Find the price plan to amend and from its Data Entry page, click Replace in the Actions menu to open the Replace Price Plan modal.
    1. Define the New Price Plan's Effective Date.
    2. Input the percentage by which all price plan rates should be adjusted under Adjust Rates by '%', or leave the field empty for individual updates.
      Use a positive or negative number to increase and decrease rates, respectively.
  2. Click on SAVE to close the modal.
  3. Once a new price plan version is created including the products and rates from the previous plan, click on edit and update price plan rates. 

Calculating and applying a discount to rates

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As long as a price plan is not already in use, it is possible to provide a discount on defined base and tiered rates.  When adding new or editing existing product rates, use Calculate Amount to enter a discount, expressed as an amount or percentage.  The discounted price is calculated and set automatically.

  1. While on EDIT mode and select the product rate to update.
  2. Click on CALCULATE, on the base or tiered rate.
  3. In the Calculate Amount modal:
    1. Provide a number in the 'Initial Amount' text box (this can be the same or different than the base/tiered amount).
    2. Select between amount and percentage and provide a number in the text box below.
    3. Click anywhere outside the text box and check the calculated rate.
    4. Click on SAVE to apply the change.
      • The system will set the amount that has been calculated, regardless if the 'initial amount' provided was different to the base or tiered amount.
Note
  • Positive numbers are used in discount calculations.
  • Negative numbers have the opposite effect (making the product more expensive).

    Initial amountDiscountResulting amount
    10.005.005.00
    10.00-5.0015.00
    10.005%9.50
    10.00-5%10.50

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Adding a new product rate to existing price plans

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Use the Add New Product action to define rates for new products in existing price plans.

  1. Select the plan to which the new product should be added.
  2. In the Data Entry page, click Add New Product from the Actions menu.
  3. Use Quick Search or click on the magnifying glass to search for the product.
  4. In the modal, enter the information that is necessary to create the product (refer to the price plan fields table).
Tip

Add the new product to an existing price plan directly from the Products Data Entry page, when creating the product.


Creating a conditional price plan

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Conditional price plans can be used for billing jobs or subscriptions, subject to two types of conditions, defined in the price plan:

  • Selection Conditions must be met to make the price plan available.
  • Validity Conditions must be met in order to use the rates for billing.  
    Selection conditions can change from the time a price plan is set until it is billed. It is recommended to have the same conditions defined for selection and validity.
    If validity conditions are not met during billing, then the system will use rates from the base price plan that was used when creating the conditional price plan.

Specify the criteria that match the price plan you are interested in or use NEW from the Actions menu to create a new plan. Provide the mandatory information in the price plan fields table before you SAVE the plan.

  1. Click on NEW from the Actions menu to create a new plan.
    1. Provide the mandatory information in the price plan fields table (like in base price plans).  

      Note

      Important: Select a Base Price Plan for the system to use in case the selected conditional price plan conditions are not met during billing.

    2. Rates: Available rates from the selected base price plan are displayed. Change the rates individually or use the Replace Price Plan action to change all the rates simultaneously by a specific percentage value.
    3. SELECTION & VALIDITY CONDITIONS (The process for adding selection or validity conditions is identical) 

      Follow the steps below:
      1. Under 'Evaluation Settings' select:

        1. General: whether 'Criteria in all condition groups should be met' or 'Criteria in at least one condition group' should be met.

        2. Condition Group Specific: whether 'Criteria in all condition rows should be met' or 'Criteria in at least one condition row' should be met.

      2. Once Evaluation Settings are in place, click on each of the condition groups in the list to start defining group row conditions.

        1. Click to ADD a new row, or ADD FROM TEMPLATE (a saved row that was used previously with preset values, such as for type and operator) to select an existing condition group row.  

        2. Type: Select from the drop-down list.
        3. Operator: Select whether the defined values should be 'Equal' or 'Not Equal'.
          1. ValueADD VALUES from the modal for each selected condition group row.
            1. Specify whether all values, or at least one, defined in the modal should be met.
            2. Value 1 - Value 20: Use Quick Search or click on the magnifying glass for a search modal to select the values to be used as conditions.

        4. Save as Template: Save the values for each condition group as a template, so that it can be used again with condition groups of the same type.
          1. Click on SAVE AS TEMPLATE and provide a name and description.
          2. Once all the condition group rows are complete, repeat the process for a new condition group.
        5. Select the Allowed Organisational Units that are authorized to select and assign the price plan.
        6. SAVE the price plan.

 

Note
titleSelection and Validity Conditions

Each condition group type selected in the condition group has different available values:

TypeEvaluated against

Only available for 'Selection conditions'

Subscription TypeSubscription type of the subscription being billed.
Billable Entity MaturityMaturity of the billable entity; whether it is a new or existing subscription or job.
Billable Entities Existing ProductsPhysical goods or services added to the subscription or job. 
Billable Entities Products To Be AddedProducts that will be added to the subscription or job.
Billable Entities Existing Price Plans

The price plan already used by the subscription or job
(Applicable only when the billing term scheme is modified using the 'Amend Billing Terms' action through jobs or subscriptions).

Billable Entities Owner GroupsGroup that owns the subscription or job. 
Accounts Receivable ClassificationsClassification of the account owner of the subscription or job. 
Accounts Receivable Credit RatingsCredit rating of the account owner of the subscription or job. 
Accounts Receivable Payment PreferencePayment preference of the account owner of the subscription or job. 
Billing Term SchemeBilling term scheme of the subscription or job. 
Billing Terms Binding StateBinding state of the subscription; i.e., whether the subscription is in or out of binding. 
Billing Terms Binding PeriodBinding period of the subscription; e.g., for one or two years. 
Billing Terms Billing FrequencyBilling frequency of the subscription; e.g., monthly or annual. 
SegmentationAccounts receivable that belong to a selected segment. 

 

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Defining product bundle pricing

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A product bundle is a combination of component products offered for sale as one product, such as a single package including multiple channels.  Fixed Bundle Products have a fixed selection of constituent products as components.  Flexible Bundle Products are available for termed services and have a variable selection of constituent products as components.  The price of a fixed bundle product is set as that of a regular product.

Flexible bundle products allow the user to define prices at:

  • Bundle level; i.e., one price for all included products.
  • Product level, and differentiate when a product is sold as a stand-alone or part of a bundle.
  • Both bundle and product levels.

To add a rate at bundle product level:

  1. Add the product to the price plan.
  2. Provide the information required in the 'Rates' section.
  3. Leave 'Applicable Only If Part of Bundleempty. 

To add a rate for a product when provided through a bundle:

  1. Add the product to the price plan.
  2. Provide the information required in the 'Rates' section.
  3. Under 'Applicable Only If Part of Bundle' select the bundle that the product is part of.

To add a rate for a product that is sold as a standalone product and as part of a bundle:

  1. Add the product to the price plan.
  2. Provide the information required in the 'Rates' section.
  3. Leave 'Applicable Only If Part of Bundleempty
  4. Add the product to the price plan again.
  5. Provide the information required in the 'Rates' section.
  6. Under 'Applicable Only If Part of Bundle' select the bundle that the product is part of.

 

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Calculating the price of termed services for specific periods

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When a rate is provided for a termed service over a specific period (e.g., 2 weeks), the following steps are used to calculate the price:

    • The time period value and UOT are taken into consideration. 
    • If the price plan provides a rate for the exact period being rated, then that rate is used.
      E.g., if a termed service is rated for a 3-day period and the pri



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Helpful Links

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Price Plans Business Example

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Scenario

Company ZX wants to set rates for its products, according to its billing requirements:

  • TV Subscription Start-up fee.
    • Start-up fee: €5

  • Installation Service Fee, with a tiered rate, based on duration.

    • 1 hour: €20/hour
    • 2 to 5 hours: €15/hour
    • 6 or more: €10/hour
      E.g., a five-hour installation is billed €80 [(1*20)+(4*15)].

  • Repairs, with a flat rate, based on duration.

    • 1 hour: €20/hour
    • 2 to 5 hours: €15/hour
    • 6 or more: €10/hour
      E.g., a repair that takes five hours is billed €75 (5*15).

  • Antennas, with a flat rate, based on quantity.
    • 1 unit: €10
    • 2 units: €9
    • 3 units: €8
    • 4 units or more: €7.
      E.g., purchasing three antennas costs €24 (3*8).

  • Decoders, with a tiered rate, based on quantity.
    • 1 unit: €10
    • 2 units: €9
    • 3 units: €8
    • 4 units or more: €7.
      E.g., purchasing three decoders costs €27 (10+9+8).

  • VOD Service fee, with a flat rate, based on the number of distributors that the service is supplied to.

    • One Main Distributor (1): €5
    • Main and Twin 1 Distributors (2): €4
    • Main, Twin 1 and Twin 2 Distributors (3): €3
    • Additional distributors (4 or more): €2.
      E.g., viewing from three different boxes costs €9 (3*3).

  • PPV Service fee, with a tiered rate, based on the number of distributors that the services are supplied.

    • One Main Distributor (1): €5
    • Main and Twin 1 Distributors (2): €4
    • Main, Twin 1 and Twin 2 Distributors (3): €3
    • Additional distributors (4 or more): €2.
      E.g., viewing from three different boxes costs €12 (5+4+3).
  • Gold Service Subscription, based on a monthly fee with a free three-month trial period.

      • The subscription is free for the first three months.
      • From the fourth month onward, the subscription costs €20/month.


Solution

Create the following Base Price Plan

  • Create the price plan
  • Add the rates to the plan
  • Refer to the table below for the rate type and model used to satisfy each requirement.
Product NameProduct Rate TypeRate ModelBase AmountTiered PriceComments
    Tier LevelFromToTier Amount 
Start-up feeExpenseFlat rate€5    

Tiered rates are not allowed for 'Expense' rate type

 
RepairsOne-time serviceFlat rate, duration based€10     
    111€20 
    225€15 
    36Unlimited€10 
 
Installation service FeeOne-time serviceTiered rate, duration based€20    

Five hours of repairs costs:

(1*20) + (4*15) = 80

    111€20 
    225€15 
    36Unlimited€10 
 
AntennaPhysical goodFlat rate, quantity based€10    

Purchasing three antennas costs:

3*8 = €24

    111€10 
    222€9 
    333€8 
    44Unlimited€7 
 
DecoderPhysical goodTiered rate, quantity based€10    

Purchasing three decoders costs:

10+9+8 = €27

    111€10 
    222€9 
    333€8 
    44Unlimited€7 
 
GoldTermed serviceTiered rate, maturity based€20    

A subscription billed for a year is billed:

(3*0) + (9*20) = €180

    1130 
    23Unlimited€20 
         
VOD serviceTermed serviceFlat rate, quantity based€5    

Service is distributed on four distributors:

4*2 = €8

    111€5 
    222€4 
    333€3 
    44Unlimited€2 
         
PPV ServiceTermed serviceTiered rate, quantity based€5    

Service is distributed on four distributors:

(1*5) + (1*4) + (1*3) + (1*2) = €14

    111€5 
    222€4 
    333€3 
    44Unlimited€2 
Note
titleNotes

 

Glossary  

CRM.COM TermDefinition
Usage ServiceA product (usually a service) provided on customer request and billed based on its usage.
SubscriptionA collection of customer services billed on a recurring, usage or one-time basis.
JobA small project initiated by the operator for customers, involving the delivery and billing of services, products, and activities. Customer requests and orders, such as that for a new subscription, can be initiated and registered through a job.
ActivityA small task or action that is either stand-alone or must be completed as part of a larger project.
ExpenseA service that is provided (usually on customer request) and billed once for a fixed amount.
Termed ServiceA service that is provided continuously and billed for a recurring period, regardless of usage.
Physical GoodA tangible item that is provided to the customer, such as a camera, decoder or magazine (generally with exclusive ownership); can be traceable or non-traceable.
One-time Service

A service (usually requested by the customer), which is provided and billed once, based on duration.

  

Provisioning Distributors

An abstract layer used in CRM.COM to relate subscription services (e.g., broadband service) and subscription associated devices (e.g., modems) to a provisioning provider and to define what services will be available from each device (if more than one is available on a subscription).

SegmentsLists of records in CRM.COM based on conditions that are defined using CRMQLa CRM query language developed by CRM.COM.
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