Create a Usage Discount

Usage discounts can be applied to one or more usage charges during rating.

Before you begin

Create the decision tables the rate tables will use.

About this task

The amount of any discount must be positive or zero. Usually, fixed and variable rates for discounts should be entered as a positive value so that the discount is a positive amount. However, the value of a prepaid balance or an MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) field on which rating is based may be negative. In this case, the variable rate for the discount should be entered as a negative value so that the amount of the resulting discount is positive or zero.

Procedure

  1. In Price Components, click the Discounts tab, and click New Discount Component.
  2. In Create New Price Component:
    1. In Name, enter a unique name.
    2. (Optional) In Description, enter descriptive information about the item.
    3. (Optional) In External ID, enter any alphanumeric character to serve as a unique ID on this pricing object. The external ID can be used for any reason that is meaningful to your implementation of MATRIXX Engine. External IDs are saved to the pricing configuration file and loaded into the Pricing database.
    4. In Application, select usage.
    5. In Service Type, select the service type to which the price component applies.
    6. Click Create.
  3. In Start Date/Time, use the date picker to select the date on which the object becomes active in the pricing database and is first available for use. Alternatively, enter the date in the format YYYY-MM-DD. Optionally, enter a time for when the object becomes active. The default is midnight. If applicable, the range in which the start date/time must fall is listed. For example:
    • Choose a date on or before 2021-12-01.
    • Choose a date on or after 2020-01-27.
    • Choose a date between 2000-01-02 and 2021-10-04.
    Note: If you are creating a new revision of this object, the start date must be greater than the start date of the previous revision and less than the start date of the next revision.
  4. Click Save.
  5. In Quantity Selector, choose the quantity type to which the usage pricing applies.
    • Actual Duration — Use the entire duration of a session, including any stops between, for example, when a streaming video is paused and resumed at a later time.
    • Active Duration — Use the active duration of a session, excluding any stops between.
    • Monetary — Use the amount of currency spent during usage.
    • Total Data — Use the total quantity of data sent (out_data) and received (in_data) during usage. If the total_data field value is not set in the network message, the MATRIXX Engine sets it by adding together the in_data and out_data values.
    • In Data — Use the total quantity of data received from the client during usage.
    • Out Data — Use the total quantity of data sent to the client during usage.
    • Service Specific — Use the custom usage quantity type specified.
  6. Create a new rate table. For details, see the discussion about creating a new rate table.
  7. (Optional) To add a system attribute to the price component:
    1. In Edit Price Component for the price component, click the Attributes tab.
    2. Click Add Attribute.
    3. Select the system attribute from the list.
      Note: Add is disabled until you select an attribute.
    4. Click Add.
    5. In the Attributes tab, click Save.

      Repeat these steps for each system attribute to add to the rate table.

      To change the value of an attribute, click the cell in the Value column for the attribute, and select the value from the list (if the attribute has allowed values) or enter the value.

      To delete a system attribute, click Delete the selected object in the Delete column for the attribute.

  8. (Optional) Add parameters to the list of price component parameters on the Parameters tab.
    Note: You can use price component parameters in rating formulas. When you add a parameter to a rating formula, it is also added to the parent price component.

    When you assign a price component that has parameters to an offer or a bundle, MATRIXX also creates a default parameter binding between each price component parameter and a parameter with the same name in the offer or bundle. Any parameters that are not already assigned to the offer or bundle, are added to the list of offer or bundle parameters without you having to add them manually.

    For more information about adding parameters to a price component, see the discussion about adding a parameter to a price component.