# What is a Pricing Plan

Products are the basic unit at api.market that you use to sell APIs. Each Product needs to have **one or more Pricing Plans**.

Pricing Plan Config allows you to offer different types of Products suited for your Business Use-Case. You can offer a limited FREE version or offer a pay-per-use Plan.

{% hint style="info" %}
:bulb: **Flexible Configuration:** A Pricing Plan can be configured in many different ways to match your business needs. The examples below show some of the more frequently used configurations.
{% endhint %}

You can add Pricing Plans using the **"Manage Pricing Plans"** tab in your Product Settings.

**Example Pricing Plans for a Product**

<figure><img src="https://979396929-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJpzXHBiEL3zWqYljGVxS%2Fuploads%2FICBTJQMm43WOWeCICf1L%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1251ad0b-d8d1-4225-bb40-710d8ec43442" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### :closed\_lock\_with\_key: Pricing Plan Access

While creating a Pricing Plan, you can configure it to be accessible only through certain ways. These are the various types of visibility/access patterns we support.

{% hint style="info" %}
:bulb: **Need a different access pattern?** Let us know - it's quite easy to add new access ways!
{% endhint %}

#### Access Types

| Access Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                          |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **public**     | Anyone can see on Portal and subscribe                                                                                                                                               |
| **private**    | Only emails on the private access list added by the admin can be seen and subscribed. Users can always see products they have subscribed to.                                         |
| **restricted** | Anyone can see but only admin-approved users can subscribe. Users can request access by clicking on "Request Access" and once the admin approves, they can see the Subscribe button. |
| **enterprise** | A dummy product that links to a "Calendly" link or a Form. Used to display the "Talk To Us" button with that link.                                                                   |

### :moneybag: Various Types of Pricing Plans

These plans are not really types but various examples of the Pricing Plan configured differently. You can configure the Pricing Plan of a Product in whatever way you may like.

#### 1. FREE

**Settings:**

* **Pricing:** $0/month
* **Limited API Calls**
* **Hard LIMIT**
* **No Credit Card Required**

This Pricing Plan allows API Sellers to offer a free product that enables users to experience the platform without providing credit card information. Typically, this plan is limited to a few hundred API calls per month.

{% hint style="success" %}
:white\_check\_mark: **Best for:** Getting users to try your API without barriers. Great for onboarding and building trust.
{% endhint %}

#### 2. Pay Per User (Pay-As-You-Go)

**Settings:**

* **Pricing:** $0/month
* **Large number of API Calls**
* **Soft LIMIT with Overage Charges**
* **Credit Card Required**

This Pricing Plan allows API Sellers to offer a product where charges are incurred at the end of the subscription cycle based on usage, calculated as the number of API Calls multiplied by the Cost per API Call.

{% hint style="info" %}
:bulb: **How it works:** Customers pay only for what they use. Charges are calculated at the end of each billing cycle.
{% endhint %}

#### 3. Subscription

**Settings:**

* **Pricing:** Greater than $0/month
* **Defined Number of API Calls**
* **Hard LIMIT with No Overage Charges**
* **Credit Card Required**

This Pricing Plan enables API Sellers to provide a straightforward subscription product. Once the customer reaches the allocated quota of API calls, they will receive a 429 error.

{% hint style="warning" %}
:warning: **Note:** When customers hit their quota, they'll receive a 429 (Too Many Requests) error until the next billing cycle.
{% endhint %}

#### 4. Subscription with Overage

**Settings:**

* **Pricing:** Greater than $0/month
* **Defined Number of API Calls**
* **Soft LIMIT with Overage Charges**
* **Credit Card Required**

This Pricing Plan allows API Sellers to provide a subscription product where customers are charged based on the overage amount once they exceed the allocated quota of API calls.

{% hint style="info" %}
:bulb: **Best for:** Customers who want predictable monthly costs but may occasionally need more capacity.
{% endhint %}

### :rocket: Next Steps

Now that you understand Pricing Plans:

1. :point\_right: Create a Product using the Wizard - Set up your first product
2. :point\_right: What is an API Product? - Review product structure
3. :point\_right: API Seller Console - Access your dashboard

***

**Ready to create your pricing plan?** Head to the [Seller Console](https://api.market/seller/dashboard) and start configuring!