Per-transaction pricing and monthly pricing use different assumptions

Classify the charge by its formula, not its billing date

A monthly invoice can collect usage charges, and a recurring subscription can include only a defined service or allowance. “Monthly pricing” therefore does not establish that every transaction is included. Copy the recurring amount, billing period, included scope and any usage terms from each written offer. A per-transaction offer may also contain a recurring charge; retain both when both are documented.

Stripe’s general terms distinguish fee agreements, subscription scope and ways fees are collected. Written pricing can differ from public prices, and fees may be deducted, charged or invoiced. Collection method answers how a charge is paid. The fee formula answers what activity changes the charge. Use the agreement and regional terms for the actual account; Stripe’s terms do not define another provider’s offer.

Find the historical quantity each term needs

Choose complete historical periods for the same business, account scope, currency and services. For every variable term, write its billable event definition and the record that counts it. A transaction fee needs the transaction definition in that offer. A percentage term needs its stated amount base. A feature fee needs the feature activity it names. Do not replace a missing definition with total store orders.

On Stripe, the Fees report separates product and feature information and can connect fee entries to an object through incurred_by. Multiple fee rows can refer to the same underlying transaction. Counting those rows as customer payments can inflate the input to a per-transaction comparison. Conversely, grouping every row into one fee can hide distinct charge components. Use the event record for the event count and the fee records to understand the charges.

Calculate only the components the offers define

For a written flat charge per event, multiply that charge by the actual count of that defined event in the selected period. For a written percentage component, apply it to the documented amount base for the same period. Add a recurring charge only on the period and scope its terms specify. These are conditional calculations from your documents, not prices supplied by this guide.

Included allowances, minimums, tiers, caps and waivers require their own written treatment where they appear. If an offer says a monthly fee replaces a usage component, do not add that component again. If it says the monthly fee is additional, keep it separate. If the wording does not answer that question, stop the affected calculation and mark it incomplete. A subtotal of known components must not be labeled the full cost.

Keep currencies separate. Also show one-time charges and any documented tax treatment separately from the recurring comparison. A charge collected once cannot be converted into a monthly amount without adding an allocation assumption; leave it visible as a separate commitment instead.

Use several actual periods to show sensitivity

Where genuine history is available, repeat the same calculation for periods with different actual activity. This shows how much of each calculated subtotal remains fixed and how much changes with documented events. Keep each period’s transaction mix and service use intact. Replacing the mix with an average can erase the conditions that trigger a fee.

Label each result as that offer applied to the named historical period. It is not what the business actually paid under that offer unless the offer was in force, and it does not predict future activity. If an event count, rate or included-service definition is missing, show the unresolved input beside the known subtotal. Without real history, there is no historical comparison to calculate.

Check completeness before interpreting a difference. Stripe’s Fees report covers most balance-paid fees but excludes specified items, including after-use invoiced fees, and data may take up to 96 hours after its balance effect to appear. Match date basis and range when comparing reports. A missing recurring invoice or incomplete period can make a variable-cost offer appear cheaper without establishing that it is.

Choose whether the offers are comparable yet

The useful outcome is a documented comparison for the activity you actually had, plus a short list of terms that prevent a complete comparison. An offer with a smaller known subtotal and more unknown charges has not established a lower full cost. Ask the issuing provider to resolve the precise event definition, inclusion or rate that prevents calculation.

For a Prism processing consultation, summarize which written offers you have, which periods you can substantiate and which terms remain unclear. Confirm any pricing-comparison work, responsibilities, fees and terms before it begins. Pricing analysis does not decide account eligibility or establish that either offer covers the actual research-only catalog.

Fixed-versus-variable cost comparison

Complete a separate set for each written offer and actual historical period, retaining the same account scope and currency. Record figures with their document references. A blank price or count means the comparison is incomplete, not that the charge is zero.

Worksheet entries are not submitted by Prism’s worksheet and are not saved by the site. Use record types, availability, anonymized observations, or match/mismatch results. Do not enter government identifiers, customer names or addresses, customer messages, receipt-access links, card or bank details, passwords, or keys. Send sensitive documents only through the provider’s verified secure channel.

These are temporary notes. Leaving or reloading this page may clear them. Worksheet entries are not sent automatically. If you copy notes into the consultation message and submit the form, Prism receives them as part of your request.