Last verified with: 10.8.6.0
Overview #
An Account Price Plan (APP) allows you to apply negotiated or customer-specific pricing at the account level, without modifying the Product Catalog.
In practical terms, an Account Price Plan functions as an account-specific pricing layer that overrides Catalog pricing for a defined period of time.
This enables organizations to:
- Honor negotiated contracts
- Automate promotional or term-based pricing
- Reduce the need to duplicate or customize Catalog rate plans
- Manage complex enterprise pricing scenarios at scale
Instead of creating multiple versions of packages and rate plans in the Catalog, pricing differences can be handled directly on the account that requires them.
Where Account Price Plans Fit in the Pricing Hierarchy #
When pricing is determined, the system evaluates sources in the following order:
- Account Package Price Override
- Product Code Pricing
- Account Price Plan
- Catalog Pricing
There is only ever one active Account Price Plan applied to an account at a time.
If no valid Account Price Plan exists for the billing period, pricing automatically reverts to the Catalog.
This hierarchy ensures:
- Maximum flexibility for special cases
- Clear traceability of where pricing originates
- Protection of standard Catalog pricing
What Can Be Overridden in an Account Price Plan #
An Account Price Plan allows business users to override multiple types of pricing at the package and service level.
1. Recurring Charges (MRC) #
You can override recurring charges, such as monthly service fees, for the duration of the Account Price Plan.
Business Example (SaaS):
A customer signs a 3-year contract at a discounted monthly platform fee. The Account Price Plan sets the contracted rate without changing the Catalog list price.
Business Example (Telecom):
A wholesale partner receives reduced monthly access charges for a defined contract term.
2. Non-Recurring Charges (NRC) #
One-time charges such as setup or activation fees can be overridden in the Account Price Plan.
Example:
A communications provider waives or reduces activation fees for a large enterprise onboarding 10,000 devices.
3. Transition Fees #
Transition charges, such as upgrade or downgrade fees, can also be customized.
Example:
A SaaS vendor agrees to waive upgrade fees when a customer moves from Basic to Enterprise tier within the first 6 months.
4. Usage Rates #
Account Price Plans support usage-rate amount and usage-unit overrides, and can also include tier-level overrides such as threshold and amount changes.
The system still determines which rate applies during rating. If an override exists in the Account Price Plan, that value is used instead of the Catalog rate.
This allows you to adjust:
- Rate amounts
- Tier thresholds
- Tier unit sizes
Tier Threshold Overrides #
You can modify tier thresholds directly within the Account Price Plan, rather than creating new Rate Plans in the Catalog.
Business Example (IoT / Connectivity):
A customer negotiates custom volume tiers for data consumption. Instead of building a new rate plan in the Catalog, the tier structure is customized in the Account Price Plan.
Usage Unit Overrides #
Usage units can also be overridden within the same measurement type, for example from MB to GB.
Business Example:
A high-volume enterprise customer prefers pricing in GB rather than MB for easier contract management and invoicing clarity.
This capability simplifies large-scale usage contracts without restructuring the Catalog.
Time-Based Pricing: Start and End Dates #
Account Price Plans support:
- Mandatory Start Date
- Optional End Date
- No overlapping plans for the same account
This enables organizations to automate pricing changes over time.
Key Principles #
- Only one Account Price Plan can be active for a given date range.
- Pricing applies only during the valid date window.
- After expiration, pricing reverts according to hierarchy rules.
- Multiple future-dated price plans can be configured sequentially.
Business Scenario: Contract Renewal #
SaaS Example:
- Year 1–2: Introductory discounted pricing
- Year 3 onward: Standard contracted rate
Both pricing models can be configured in advance, ensuring automatic transition without manual intervention.
Telecom Example:
- Promotional data pricing for first 12 months
- Standard rate thereafter
The system applies new pricing automatically when the start date becomes effective.
Product Codes and Contract Packaging #
Account Price Plans can include Product Codes tied to specific pricing entries. Product Code pricing is valid only while its associated Account Price Plan is active.
If the Price Plan expires:
- Product Code pricing expires with it
- Pricing reverts according to hierarchy rules
This is particularly useful for:
- Bundled offerings
- Contract-specific SKUs
- Regional or partner pricing structures
Parent and Child Account Hierarchies #
Account Price Plans support hierarchical sharing.
Price Plans can be configured to:
- Be shared down to child accounts
- Not be shared
Use Cases #
1. Enterprise with Subsidiaries #
A parent organization negotiates global pricing.
- If the plan is shared, subsidiaries automatically inherit pricing.
- If a subsidiary creates its own Account Price Plan, it overrides the parent.
- If the subsidiary plan expires, pricing can revert to the parent plan.
2. Wholesale Channel #
A carrier (parent) sets pricing for resellers (children).
- Shared plan: Resellers inherit wholesale pricing.
- Non-shared plan: Resellers maintain independent pricing.
This structure supports complex enterprise and channel models without duplicating Catalog data.
Discounts Within Account Price Plans #
Discounts can be configured on Account Price Plan pricing entries, including bringing forward applicable catalog discounts.
Key behaviors:
- Discounts can be copied from the Catalog into the Account Price Plan.
- Discount amounts and types can be modified at the Account Price Plan level.
- Discounts can be added even if none exist in the Catalog.
- Discounts in the Account Price Plan act as templates for new Account Services and do not retroactively change existing services.
Business Scenario: Promotional Credits #
A SaaS company offers:
- 3 months at 50% off
- Followed by full pricing
The discount is configured at the Account Price Plan level to align with contract terms.
In telecom:
- A 6-month service credit
- Waived upgrade fee
- Promotional rate per device
All can be structured without altering the Catalog baseline.
Operational Benefits #
Account Price Plans provide significant operational advantages:
1. Reduced Catalog Complexity #
Customizations are held at the account level instead of requiring duplicate rate plans.
2. Contract Alignment #
Negotiated pricing can be modeled precisely, including tier changes and unit conversions.
3. Automated Price Transitions #
Start and end dates allow for automated contract lifecycle management.
4. Clear Pricing Source Transparency #
The system explicitly identifies where pricing originates, removing ambiguity.
5. Enterprise Hierarchy Support #
Complex parent-child pricing scenarios are supported without manual intervention.
Summary #
Account Price Plans enable organizations in SaaS, IoT, and telecommunications markets to:
- Honor complex negotiated contracts
- Customize usage tiers and units
- Apply time-based pricing automatically
- Support enterprise hierarchies
- Manage discounts at scale
- Reduce Catalog maintenance
By separating standard product pricing from customer-specific commercial agreements, Account Price Plans deliver monetization flexibility while maintaining operational control.