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Concepts

Flat-fee pricing is the simplest model in Zenskar. It involves charging a fixed, recurring, or one-time amount regardless of how much the customer uses the service. This model provides maximum predictability for both the vendor and the customer.

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The logic of dimensions

Flat-fee pricing is a 0-dimensional model. It depends on zero external factors; it is a mathematical constant. Think of this as “The anchor.” In a world of shifting usage and complex variables, the flat fee remains stationary. It does not move based on volume, attributes, or transaction values. It serves as a solid foundation for a contract, ensuring a baseline of revenue regardless of activity.

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SaaS example: Cloud log storage

A monitoring platform offers a “Platform access fee” that grants the user the right to use the dashboard and storage infrastructure. This fee is the same whether they store 1 GB or 1,000 GB.
Base featureFixed fee (c)
Platform access$500.00
The “Anchor” calculation: Because there are no variables to consider, Zenskar simply applies the constant value defined in the product.
Input metric (q)Pricing logicFinal bill (P)
1,500 GBConstant: P = c$500.00

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Get started

To implement flat-fee pricing, you must first define the product in your library.
  1. Navigate to the Library: Go to Contracts > Products.
  2. Create a Standalone Product: Click + CREATE NEW and choose Standalone Product from the dropdown. The Create Standalone Product page will appear. Fill in the required details and click Save & Proceed at the bottom right.
  3. Open Price Details: You will be redirected to the Price Details page. Click + Add Price to configure pricing for the product.
  4. Select Flat Fee Pricing Model: In the Pricing Model dropdown, select Flat Fee.
  5. Add Price Details and Save: Fill in the required details and click Confirm. Once complete, click Done on the Price Details page to finalize the setup.

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How-to: Add a flat-fee product to a contract

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1. Via Contracts

  1. Open the target contract in Contracts > Contracts.
  2. In the Summary tab, click + ADD PRODUCT V3.
  3. Search for and select your configured flat-fee product.
  4. Click ADD PRODUCT. You will be redirected to the Summary page. Click Publish.

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2. Via Customer

  1. Open the target customer in Customers.
  2. Go to Contracts and click + CREATE CONTRACT.
  3. In the Summary tab, click + ADD PRODUCT V3.
  4. Search for and select your configured flat-fee product.
  5. Click ADD PRODUCT. You will be redirected to the Summary page. Click Publish.
Constraint: You can attach only one pricing model to a single product instance.

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Reference

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Technical specifications

AttributeSpecification
Dimensionality0-dimensional (constant)
Math formulaP = c (where c is a fixed constant)
Logic typeConstant function: The output is independent of any input variable.
Boundary behaviorN/A: No thresholds or ranges exist for this model.
Calculation engineDirect resolution: The engine retrieves the constant from the product definition and applies it to the billing cycle.
Data objectpricing_model_type: flat_fee_pricing

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System architecture

In Zenskar, all pricing models are governed by a hierarchical relationship between entities:
  • Contract: The legal agreement between you and your customer.
  • Phase: A specific time-bound period (e.g., Q1, implementation phase) within that contract.
  • Product: The actual service or software module being sold.
  • Pricing model: The specific logic (flat-fee pricing) that defines how that product is billed.
Entity hierarchy:

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Price resolution flow

The following flow describes how flat-fee pricing calculates the final price:
  1. Product library: Defines the global flat fee (c) and the billing frequency.
  2. Contract: Links the product to a customer.
  3. Billable metric: Does not require usage data (q); the value is pulled from the product definition itself.
  4. Billing engine: Bypasses usage aggregation and directly injects the constant as a line item on the invoice.