Getting Started with Meters
Learn how Meters work, how to create and configure them, and how to send usage events via API or file uploads for usage-based billing.
What Are Meters?
Meters are the engine behind usage-based billing in Solvimon. They take raw customer activity—like API requests, data storage, or transaction volume—and convert it into structured usage data that can be priced and billed.
If your business tracks any form of customer usage, Meters make it easy to capture and transform that data into billable metrics. You can stream usage events in real time via API or upload them in batches. Meters then calculate the total billable amount per customer and pricing component and automatically feed those results into invoices or subscriptions. The entire process is streamlined, eliminating the need for manual reconciliation or spreadsheet gymnastics.
How Meters Work in Solvimon
Meters act as intelligent processors that convert event data into pricing-ready metrics. When you send usage events—either through the API or file uploads—each event is matched to one or more Meters based on the configuration. The Meter filters the event, extracts the relevant values and properties, and then applies an aggregation method (like a sum or count) to generate a usage metric.
Here’s a simplified view of how it works:
You send a usage event to Solvimon
The Meter filters for relevant events (e.g., those with the meter_reference "transactions")
It extracts data points like values (amount_processed) and properties (region, payment_method)
Those values are aggregated over time (e.g., daily, monthly)
Solvimon outputs a usage metric, which is used in pricing plans, subscriptions, and invoice line items
Example
{
"meter_reference": "transactions",
"customer_reference": "acme",
"timestamp": "2025-04-17T15:33:00+02:00",
"reference": "acme_txn_001",
"meter_values": [
{
"reference": "amount_processed",
"amount": {
"currency": "EUR",
"quantity": "749.98"
}
}
],
"properties": {
"region": "eu-west",
"payment_method": "credit_card"
}
}
This event records a €749.98 transaction. The Meter processes it, adds the value to the customer’s usage tally for the billing period, and includes it in the invoice.
Meter Values, Properties, and Usage Metrics
Meter Values
Meter Values represent how much of something a customer used—like tokens generated, API calls made, or euros processed. These values are what you ultimately bill on.
There are two types of values you can define in a Meter:
NUMBER is used to track simple counts, such as number of uploads or API requests.
AMOUNT is used for monetary values, like transaction totals in USD or EUR.
You can include multiple values in a single Meter, depending on what you want to track. For instance, an AI platform might track tokens_used (NUMBER), while a payment platform might use amount_processed (AMOUNT). Each event can include one or more of these values, giving you fine-grained control over billing models.
Meter Properties
Properties add context to your usage data. They’re optional metadata fields you include in usage events to differentiate or segment the data. You can filter and report based on properties, or use them in pricing logic.
For example, if your AI product supports multiple model types, you might want to track usage per model. A property like model_type: gpt-4 allows you to apply different prices for different models.
You might also use:
region to apply localized pricing (e.g., North America vs EU)
env to separate production from test environments
Example properties:
"properties": {
"model_type": "gpt-4",
"region": "us-east"
}
Usage Metrics
Once events are ingested and values are extracted, Meters aggregate those values over time into usage metrics. These metrics are what Solvimon uses in Pricing Plans and Subscriptions.
You can configure Meters to use different aggregation methods, depending on what makes sense for your business:
Sum: Total tokens used, total value processed
Count: Number of events (e.g., login attempts or document uploads)
Max/Min: Useful for peak usage metrics, like maximum storage used
Average: For tracking trends, like average daily users
These metrics are recalculated every billing period and are used to compute charges dynamically.
Creating a Meter in Desk
To create a Meter, go to Usage Metering → Meters in Desk and click Create Meter.
Give your Meter a clear and descriptive name, such as Token Usage. Then, define at least one Meter Value, and add the Usage Metric.
⚠️
A Meter requires at least one Meter Value and Usage Metric before it can be used.
If you want to differentiate usage, for instance, by region or SKU: add Properties to your Meter. Once you're done, save your Meter.
Your Meter should now be created and visible in a table. Note that the Meter is in draft mode, so you'll need to activate it before you can test and use it.
Ingesting Events via API
The Event Ingestion API is designed for real-time usage tracking. It’s ideal for services like payments, cloud APIs, or platforms with high event volume.
Example
{
"meter_reference": "transactions",
"customer_reference": "flowpay_inc",
"timestamp": "2025-04-20T14:00:00Z",
"meter_values": [
{
"reference": "amount_processed",
"amount": {
"currency": "USD",
"quantity": "250.00"
}
}
],
"properties": {
"payment_method": "ACH",
"region": "NA"
}
}
This event will automatically be picked up by a Meter configured for transactions and will add $250 to the customer's total processed amount for that billing cycle.
Ingesting Events via File Uploads
If you're using periodic data exports, or if you’re migrating from an older system, you can upload usage events via file instead.
From Usage Metering → Events, click Upload, choose a CSV or JSON file, map its fields to your Meter’s values and properties, and submit. Solvimon will ingest the data and process it as if it had arrived via API.
Example
customer_id
date
scan_count
risk_level
client_001
2025-04-21
540
high
In this case, scan_count is a Meter Value (NUMBER), and risk_level is a Property. You could then apply tiered pricing based on the risk category.
Next Steps
Once your Meter is active and events are flowing, you’re ready to:
Attach the Meter to a Pricing Plan with custom logic (e.g., per-unit pricing, tiered discounts, or thresholds) and link it to a Subscription to start tracking and billing usage in real time.
Solvimon supports flexible pricing models, from basic pay-as-you-go to complex enterprise contracts. You can apply filters, set usage caps, localize pricing, or build entirely bespoke billing logic using Meters as the foundation.
Read Next
Why Solvimon
Helping businesses reach the next level
The Solvimon platform is extremely flexible allowing us to bill the most tailored enterprise deals automatically.
Ciaran O'Kane
Head of Finance
Solvimon is not only building the most flexible billing platform in the space but also a truly global platform.
Juan Pablo Ortega
CEO
I was skeptical if there was any solution out there that could relieve the team from an eternity of manual billing. Solvimon impressed me with their flexibility and user-friendliness.
János Mátyásfalvi
CFO
Working with Solvimon is a different experience than working with other vendors. Not only because of the product they offer, but also because of their very senior team that knows what they are talking about.
Steven Burgemeister
Product Lead, Billing