How to Implement Stair-Step (Retroactive) Pricing in Apigee Monetization?

Google Cloud Apigee
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Hello Apigee Community,

I’m working with Apigee Monetization (Private Cloud) and I need to implement a pricing model that seems different from the default volume-banded (graduated tiering).

My Requirement (Stair-Step Pricing)

  • Pricing should be retroactive per billing cycle.

  • If a customer’s usage falls into a higher tier, all units in that billing cycle should be charged at that tier’s rate.

Example:

  • 0–500 calls → 8 SAR per call

  • 501–1000 calls → 6 SAR per call

  • 1000+ calls → 4 SAR per call

If the customer uses 1,200 calls in a month:

  • I want to charge 1,200 × 4 = 4,800 SAR (all at the 1000+ rate),

  • Not the default graduated model of 7,800 SAR (500×8 + 500×6 + 200×4).

What I Understand So Far

  • Volume Banded plans in Apigee always apply the graduated model (different rates per tier).

  • Volume Bundled plans charge per block (e.g., 1000 calls bundle), but that behaves more like enforcing a minimum fee rather than true stair-step.

  • One workaround I considered is external rating:

    • Let Apigee track usage,

    • At the end of the billing cycle, fetch total usage,

    • Apply stair-step math externally,

My Questions to the Community

  1. Is there a native way in Apigee Mint to configure stair-step pricing directly (all-units at last tier)?

  2. Has anyone implemented this through configuration, or is the external rating approach the only viable option?

  3. Are there recommended best practices for handling such models in a fully postpaid setup (no credits/adjustments)?

I’d really appreciate any advice, or examples of how others have solved this requirement.

Thank you in advance :folded_hands:

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I’m not aware of any way to do what you’re requesting directly within Apigee. As you’ve mentioned the way to do this seems to be outside of Apigee

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Do u have any recommendations to do it outside of apigee like which tool to use or Best practices to use .

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This kind of rating is not supported by Apigee Monetization. The supported similar type is volume banded rating where you can charge like this example: $1 for 1-1000, $2 for 2-2000 etc.

So if user would have consumed a volume of 1500, the charge would be $1000 (1000*1) for the first 1000 hits and another $1000 for (500*2=1000) the next 500, totaling $2000.

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The volume banded will not fullfill the requirment . I need to have something like top tie x unit price ,

But this is not suppptted by apigee , if anybody has a solution using external system to do it or guides it will be helpfull.