Included vs usage-based

The first pricing choice in Owostack is not tiers. It is deciding when usage becomes billable.

Included

Use included when a customer should get some usage before you block or charge.

Common examples:

• 10,000 emails per month included
• 100 AI runs per week included
• 5 seats included

const apiCalls = metered("api-calls", { name: "API Calls" });

plan("pro", {
  name: "Pro",
  price: 200000,
  currency: "NGN",
  interval: "monthly",
  features: [
    apiCalls.limit(10000, {
      reset: "monthly",
      overage: "charge",
      overagePrice: 500,
      billingUnits: 1000,
    }),
  ],
});

Here the first 10,000 units are included. Billing applies only after that.

Usage-based

Use usage_based when every tracked unit is billable from the first one.

Common examples:

• pay-as-you-go APIs
• image generation
• storage processed
• background jobs

const imageGenerations = metered("image-generations", {
  name: "Image Generations",
});

plan("payg", {
  name: "Pay as you go",
  price: 0,
  currency: "NGN",
  interval: "monthly",
  features: [
    imageGenerations.perUnit(250, {
      reset: "monthly",
    }),
  ],
});

For usage_based, Owostack treats all tracked usage as billable quantity.

Prepaid

Use prepaid when usage should consume from a balance instead of creating usage-based charges.

This is the model behind credit systems and credit packs. See Credits.

Billable quantity

Owostack rates pricing against billable quantity:

• included: max(0, usage - included_limit)
• usage_based: all usage
• prepaid: no normal overage rating, because usage consumes credits first

That matters for tiered pricing. If a plan includes 100 units and the customer uses 220, a graduated or volume model only sees 120 billable units.

When to use each

• Choose included when the plan itself is the primary value and extra usage is secondary.
• Choose usage_based when usage is the product and billing should scale linearly or by tiers.
• Choose prepaid when customers should buy stored value up front.

Related guides

• Package pricing
• Graduated pricing
• Volume pricing
• Overage