Billing unit

How it works

A usage-based plan has a unit, an included amount and a rate. The vendor counts your units each period, subtracts the included amount and charges the rate on the rest, or places you in a tier by the total. Change the unit and the same app produces a different bill.

When it matters

It matters at the moment you compare two prices. A low monthly figure on one unit and a higher figure on another cannot be ranked until both are converted to your own volumes. It matters again when you plan a year ahead, because each unit reacts to a different kind of growth. How the bill changes as the app grows sets the three side by side.

The unit can also change between plans from one vendor. An entry plan may bill by one unit and the plan above it by another, so check both before you assume the first price scales.

How it relates to attribution

Each billing unit is a by-product of attribution work. The tool already counts matched installs, stores events and identifies users in order to produce its reports. Pricing picks one of those counts and attaches a rate to it. That is why the definitions used for billing are the same ones used in reports, and why a question about what counts as an install is also a question about cost.