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Volume-based pricing uses tiers to determine a single flat charge based on the total usage volume. Unlike graduated pricing, where each tier has its own rate, volume-based pricing charges a single flat amount based on which tier the total usage falls into.
Example
A data platform charges:
  • 0–1,000 records: $100 flat
  • 1,001–10,000 records: $500 flat
  • 10,001+: $1,000 flat
A customer who processes 15,000 records falls into the 10,001+ tier and pays a flat $1,000 Compare this to graduated pricing, where each tier is charged separately and summed together

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Setting up

Use the tiers array with tierBehavior: 'volume' on a plan item price:
autumn.config.ts
import { feature, item, plan } from 'atmn';

export const records = feature({
  id: 'records',
  name: 'Records Processed',
  type: 'metered',
  consumable: true,
});

export const pro = plan({
  id: 'pro',
  name: 'Pro',
  price: { amount: 50, interval: 'month' },
  items: [
    item({
      featureId: records.id,
      reset: { interval: 'month' },
      price: {
        tiers: [
          { to: 1000, flatAmount: 100 },
          { to: 10000, flatAmount: 500 },
          { to: 'inf', flatAmount: 1000 },
        ],
        tierBehavior: 'volume',
        billingMethod: 'usage_based',
        interval: 'month',
      },
    }),
  ],
});
Push changes with atmn push.

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How volume-based pricing works

At the end of the billing period, Autumn:
  1. Looks at the total usage for the feature
  2. Finds the tier the total falls into
  3. Charges the flat amount for that tier
Total usageMatching tierCharge
5000–1,000$100
5,0001,001–10,000$500
15,00010,001+$1,000

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Tier configuration

Each tier has the following fields:
FieldTypeDescription
tonumber or "inf"The upper boundary of this tier
flat_amountnumberFlat fee charged when total usage falls in this tier
amountnumberOptional per-unit price applied to the total usage when this tier is the matching tier
Tiers must be in ascending order by to. The final tier should use "inf".

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Combining flat and per-unit amounts

Each tier can include both flat_amount and amount — a fixed fee plus a per-unit charge when that tier is the matching tier. This is useful for combining a base fee with per-unit volume pricing. 
price: {
  tiers: [
    { to: 1000, amount: 0.10, flat_amount: 0 },
    { to: 10000, amount: 0.08, flat_amount: 50 },
    { to: 'inf', amount: 0.05, flat_amount: 100 },
  ],
  tierBehavior: 'volume',
  billingMethod: 'usage_based',
  interval: 'month',
}
A customer with 5,000 records would pay: (5,000 × 0.08)+0.08) + 50 = $450

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Graduated vs volume-based

GraduatedVolume-based
Rate appliedEach tier at its own rateSingle flat amount for the matching tier
Total chargeSum of each tier’s chargeFlat amount of the matching tier
Best forRewarding growth with lower marginal ratesSimpler pricing with volume discounts
See Graduated Pricing for the alternative model.