Dimensional pricing model

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Dimensional pricing model

The dimensional pricing model is a pricing model that sets a separate price for each combination of usage attributes.

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Map of concepts

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Related modules

The dimensional pricing model uses the following modules: The following modules use the dimensional pricing model:

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Dimensional pricing model: a price for each combination

The dimensional pricing model is the pricing model that charges each combination of dimension values with its own price. Some usage costs different amounts depending on its attributes. For example, an SMS to the US costs more than an SMS to India, and a WhatsApp message costs less than an SMS. The dimensional pricing model sets one price for each such case in a single pricing preset. For each period, Zenskar splits the quantity by combination. It charges the quantity of each combination with the combination price of that combination, or with the fallback price. The amount of the period is the sum of the amounts of all combinations. Each combination is charged on its own. The tiers of one combination count only the quantity of that combination.

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Dimensions and dimension values: what usage varies by

A dimension is an attribute of usage by which the dimensional pricing model sets separate prices. A dimension value is one value of a dimension. For example, the dimension region can have the dimension values US and IN, and the dimension channel can have the dimension values SMS and WhatsApp. In the UI, Dimensions lists each Dimension with its Values. A pricing preset with the dimensional pricing model has one to four dimensions. Each dimension has a unique name and at least one dimension value. The dimension values of one dimension are unique, and none of them can be *. Zenskar compares names and dimension values without regard to case or to spaces at the start and the end. “Region” and ” region ” are the same name, and “US” and ” us ” are the same dimension value. The same comparison applies when Zenskar matches usage to dimension values.

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Combinations: one value of each dimension

A combination is a set of dimension values that has exactly one value for each dimension. The number of combinations is the product of the numbers of dimension values. With the dimensions region (US, IN) and channel (SMS, WhatsApp), there are four combinations: A pricing preset can have at most 625 combinations. For example, four dimensions with five dimension values each give 625 combinations.

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Combination prices: a pricing model for each combination

A combination price is the price, with its own pricing model, that the dimensional pricing model charges for one combination. Each combination price uses the per-unit, percent, volume, or tiered pricing model. A combination price cannot use the dimensional pricing model. A new combination price uses the per-unit pricing model with a price per unit of 0. A pricing preset with the dimensional pricing model has at least one combination price. Each combination has at most one combination price. Zenskar rejects two combination prices for the same combination. For a point-in-time product, a combination price with the volume or tiered pricing model has its own tier-reset period. Each combination price belongs to its dimension values. Removing a dimension value also removes every combination price that uses it. An uncovered combination is a combination that has no combination price. A pricing preset does not need a combination price for every combination. Usage of an uncovered combination goes to the fallback price.

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Fallback price: usage without a combination price

The fallback price is the price, with its own pricing model, that the dimensional pricing model charges for usage that matches no combination price. Unmatched usage is usage that matches no combination price. The fallback price is optional. Like a combination price, it uses the per-unit, percent, volume, or tiered pricing model. Unmatched usage comes from the following cases:

• The usage belongs to an uncovered combination.
• The usage has a value that is not one of the dimension values, such as BR for the dimension region.
• The usage is not split by combination.

Zenskar groups unmatched usage by its values and charges each group on its own with the fallback price. The tiers of the fallback price count only the quantity of one group at a time. Without a fallback price, Zenskar lists unmatched usage with an amount of 0. The usage stays visible in the details of the charge. The following pricing preset charges SMS and WhatsApp messages by region: One month of usage gives the following amounts: Without the fallback price, the last two rows show an amount of $0.00, and the total is $170.00.

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Quantities of each combination

The dimensional pricing model charges the quantity of each combination. The quantity of each combination comes from one of two sources:

• A billable metric reports it, for a pricing preset with metered usage. See Billable metrics.
• A fixed quantity of the line item splits its units across the combinations. See Line item: quantity.

The usage carries exactly the dimension names of the pricing preset. If the names differ, this can affect contracts and invoices. See Line item: quantity.

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Period-of-time products: one pricing period for all combinations

For a period-of-time product, the pricing period belongs to the whole pricing preset. A combination price and the fallback price cannot have their own pricing period. Each combination is charged with its own pricing model and the pricing period of the pricing preset. The period ratio, the partial-period handling, the recurring quantity strategy, and the on-demand quantity strategy apply to each combination as they apply to a pricing preset with that pricing model.

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Dimensional pricing model on a line item

A price override on a line item can change the dimensions, the combination prices, the fallback price, and the pricing period. The pricing model stays dimensional, and some line-item features do not apply. See Line item: minimum commitments and Line item: discounts.