Usage Rate Plans Screen

Last verified with: 10.8.6.0

Overview #

The Usage Rate Plans screen is used to define the usage rate plans that the rating engine uses when pricing usage. A rate plan is made up of one or more usage rate groups, and each group contains the detailed rates that can be applied when usage is rated.

This screen is primarily used to build the group structure of a plan, control the order in which groups are evaluated, and maintain the plan name that will be referenced elsewhere in the application.

Because the order of groups in a plan affects which matching rate is found first, this screen is an important part of the overall rating configuration.

Rate Plan Selection #

When multiple usage rate plans could apply, the rating engine selects the most specific plan available. Lower-level plan assignments take precedence over higher-level plan assignments.

The article below lists the order in which plans can be selected. This is useful when troubleshooting why one plan was used instead of another.

• Bucket overage rate plan
• Price plan service usage rates
• Package service
• Account package
• Package frequency
• Account
• Owner

Rate Selection Within A Rate Plan #

After a usage rate plan has been selected, the rating engine evaluates the groups in the plan in priority order. The group at the top of the list is checked first. If that group does not produce a matching rate, the engine continues to the next group.

If a group has configuration that prevents it from applying, such as conditions or time-based restrictions, the engine skips that group and continues searching. When the engine finds a matching rate, it uses that rate and stops evaluating the remaining groups.

If no matching rate is found, the usage record goes into exception and must be reviewed and rerated after the underlying issue is corrected.

Prerequisites #

Usage rate groups and usage rates must be configured before a usage rate plan can be set up.

Usage Rate Plans Panel #

The Usage Rate Plans panel on the left displays the plans that already exist in the system. Select a plan to load its details in the edit panel on the right.

Actions #

Icon	Description
	Clones the selected rate plan
	Deletes the selected rate plan if not in use
	Adds a new rate plan

Edit Usage Rate Plan Panel #

The panel on the right displays the selected plan and is where you maintain the plan details and assigned groups.

Main Fields #

• Name: The unique internal name of the usage rate plan.
• Display Name: An optional user-facing name that can be shown in downstream areas such as reports or customer-facing output, depending on configuration.

Group Tab #

The Group tab is used to manage the usage rate groups that belong to the selected plan.

Group(s) To Add #

The Group(s) To Add search field is used to find usage rate groups that are not already attached to the current plan. After selecting a group, click Add to attach it to the plan.

Group List #

The list below the search field shows the groups that currently belong to the plan.

For each group, you can:

• review which groups are part of the plan
• remove a group from the plan
• move a group up or down to change its evaluation order
• drag and drop groups to reorder them

The order of this list matters because the rating engine checks the groups from top to bottom.

Adding Usage Rate Plans #

To add a usage rate plan:

1. In the Usage Rate Plans panel, click Add.
2. Enter the Name and, if required, the Display Name.
3. On the Group tab, use Group(s) To Add to find a usage rate group.
4. Click Add to attach the selected group.
5. Repeat this step until all required groups have been added.
6. Reorder the groups so the highest-priority group appears first.
7. Save the plan.

Editing Usage Rate Plans #

To edit an existing usage rate plan:

1. Select the plan in the Usage Rate Plans panel.
2. Update the Name or Display Name if needed.
3. Add or remove groups as required.
4. Reorder the groups to reflect the intended rating priority.
5. Save the changes.

Cloning Usage Rate Plans #

To clone an existing usage rate plan:

1. Select the plan in the Usage Rate Plans panel.
2. Click Clone Plan.
3. In the clone dialog, enter the new Name.
4. Update the Display Name if needed.
5. Set Amount Precision if the cloned plan should use a different precision value.
6. Complete the clone.
7. Review the copied group list and make any required adjustments.
8. Save the new plan.

Cloning is useful when you want to create a new plan that is similar to an existing one without rebuilding the group structure from scratch.

Importing Or Updating Rate Plans #

When rates need to change, it is common to update the group structure that the plan points to rather than making direct ad hoc changes to an active plan. A typical approach is to prepare the updated rate groups, attach the new groups to the plan, remove the older groups, and then verify the final order of evaluation.

Deleting Usage Rate Plans #

Usage rate plans should only be deleted when they are no longer referenced elsewhere in the application. Before deleting a plan, confirm that it is not being used by related entities such as price plans, services, packages, accounts, or owner-level configuration.

To delete a plan:

1. Select the plan in the Usage Rate Plans panel.
2. Click Delete.
3. Confirm the deletion when prompted.