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Graduated pricing splits usage into tiers, and each tier is charged at its own rate. This means the price per unit decreases as usage increases — customers pay less per unit for higher volumes, but each range has its own rate.
Example
An API service charges:
  • First 1,000 requests: $0.01 each
  • Next 9,000 requests (1,001–10,000): $0.008 each
  • Everything above 10,000: $0.005 each
A customer who makes 15,000 requests pays: (1,000 × 0.01)+(9,000×0.01) + (9,000 × 0.008) + (5,000 × 0.005)=∗∗0.005) = **107**

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Setting up

Use the tiers array on a plan item price. By default, tiers use graduated behavior:
autumn.config.ts
import { feature, item, plan } from 'atmn';

export const apiCalls = feature({
  id: 'api_calls',
  name: 'API Calls',
  type: 'metered',
  consumable: true,
});

export const pro = plan({
  id: 'pro',
  name: 'Pro',
  price: { amount: 20, interval: 'month' },
  items: [
    item({
      featureId: apiCalls.id,
      reset: { interval: 'month' },
      price: {
        tiers: [
          { to: 1000, amount: 0.01 },
          { to: 10000, amount: 0.008 },
          { to: 'inf', amount: 0.005 },
        ],
        billingMethod: 'usage_based',
        interval: 'month',
      },
    }),
  ],
});
Push changes with atmn push.

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How graduated pricing works

At the end of the billing period, Autumn calculates the total charge by applying each tier’s rate to the usage that falls within that tier’s range:
Usage rangeRateCharge
0 – 1,000$0.011,000 × 0.01=0.01 = 10
1,001 – 10,000$0.0089,000 × 0.008=0.008 = 72
10,001+$0.0055,000 × 0.005=0.005 = 25
Total$107
Each tier’s rate only applies to the usage within that tier’s range. This is in contrast to volume-based pricing, where a single rate is applied to the entire usage.

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Tier configuration

Each tier has the following fields:
FieldTypeDescription
tonumber or "inf"The upper boundary of this tier. Use "inf" for the final tier.
amountnumberPrice per unit within this tier
flat_amountnumberOptional flat fee added when this tier is reached
Tiers must be in ascending order by to. The final tier should always use "inf" to capture all remaining usage.

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Graduated vs volume-based

GraduatedVolume-based
Rate appliedEach tier at its own rateEntire usage at a single rate
Total chargeSum of each tier’s chargeTotal usage × matching tier rate
Best forRewarding growth with lower marginal ratesSimpler pricing with volume discounts
See Volume-Based Tiers for the alternative model.