1. Chargify
  2. Quickstart
  3. Catalog

Create Your Catalog

This guide will walk you through how to implement your catalog. When you're finished, your catalog will be ready.

Manual Import

Summary

Feature
Catalog
You Need
Complete Design Your Catalog; have your price-book/price-list; if using Events-based billing know your data structure
Code
No
Difficulty
◉◎◎◎◎

Configure The Basics

All catalog building starts with the same basic building blocks. We’ll walk you through these first.

1. Determine Component Types
In your Model from Design Your Catalog, you have a diagram. If your diagram contains Components, determine which component types to use.

Component Type

Best for

Metered

for any usage-based items that are basic, and billed in arrears

Events-based

for any usage-based items that are advanced, and/or have a multi-attribute rating system, and/or you have big data, and billed in arrears

Prepaid-usage

for any usage-based items that are advanced, and billed upfront

Quantity-based

for any recurring items with a quantity of 0, 1, 2+

Quantity-based One-time

for any non-recurring items with a quantity of 0, 1, 2+

On-off

for any recurring items with a quantity of 0 or 1

 

Optional - Add Multiple Currencies
If you need to add more currencies, follow these steps.

 

  1. Add a Currency   Help
    1. Go to Config > Settings > Multi-Currency.
    2. Click Add a Currency.
    3. Select which currency, and choose the Conversion type.

  2. Save
    Your currency is added. Repeat steps for any additional currencies.
Optional - Configure Events-based Billing For Developers
If you will be using Events-based components, enable Events-based billing (EBB).

 

  1. Enable EBB
    1. Go to Config > Settings > Events-Based Billing. *If you do not see the Events-Based Billing menu option, Chargify needs to enable it for you.
    2. Toggle to On, and click Save Settings.
    3. Refresh the page, and the left hand menu will now contain an Events section.

  2. Create Stream   Help
    Go to Events > Streams > New Event Stream. Your stream creates a unique Events API endpoint, so your company can stream data into Chargify.

    Stream Name: enter a name that describes your data stream
    API Handle: auto-filled
    Description: optional 
    Subscription Identifier    : how your event data is mapped to a subscription. Most common is the "Other" option, so you can use an existing field that is already present in your data. In the example image below, we'll use "account_id" to represent a field that is in our data.

    All of these fields are internal-facing only.

    Screen_Shot_2022-07-11_at_6.56.48_AM.png

  3. Create your JSON and stream a sample API call
    Your newly created Stream will now show you an API call, similar to the below example (code block 2). In this step, you'll want to populate your real data schema into Chargify. You must know your data structure.

    1. Structure your data structure like code block 1
    2. Structure the API call like code block 2 (this will now contain your data structure)
    3. Copy/paste the curl command into your terminal
    4. Refresh your stream page, and your data structure will be populated.
    5. Optional - If you need to repeat this, keep in mind it takes ~10 minutes for the structure to refresh within Chargify

    Code Block 1
    // CREATE YOUR REAL JSON DATA STRUCTURE - EXAMPLE BELOW
{
  "body": "Hi there",
  "count": 1,
  "from": "+15017122661",
  "to": "+15558675310",
  "from_country": "US",
  "to_country": "US",
  "characters": 8,
  "account_id": "acct_123456"
}

    Code Block 2
    // Replace SUBDOMAIN, APIKEY, and STREAMHANDLE
// after replacing, copy/paste into terminal
// then, refresh streams page in Chargify 

curl https://events.chargify.com/SUBDOMAIN/events/STREAMHANDLE \
-u APIKEY:x \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{ 
  "body": "Hi there",
  "count": 1,
  "from": "+15017122661",
  "to": "+15558675310",
  "from_country": "US",
  "to_country": "US",
  "characters": 8,
  "account_id": "acct_123456"
 }'
  4. Create a Metric   Help 
    1. After you make the call from Step 3, refresh the page in Chargify. You'll now see the Metrics Page.
    2. Click Create New Metric.
    3. When you're done click Create Metrics.

    In the example below, we create a metric called SMS Messages, that uses an analysis type of `sum` on the target property of `count` in our data. In other words, sum up all the messages. We then add segmenting attributes of `from_country`and `to_country` because we want to charge different rates based on the countries. You will define these rates when you create your actual component.

    Screen_Shot_2022-07-11_at_7.01.19_AM.png

  5. Finished
    EBB is now configured. If you need more Streams (less likely), repeat steps 2-3. If you need more Metrics in an existing Stream (more likely), repeat step 4.

Optional - Prepare for Subscription Migration
If you are planning on a subscription migration, you’ll want to add API handles when creating your Products, Product Price Points, Components, and Component Price Points. If you are building the catalog inside Chargify, just be sure you fill in basic handle fields. If you are importing, just make sure you add a handle in your import files. 

Build your Catalog in Chargify

Let’s get started building your catalog. Each option below is a Catalog entry type. You will know exactly which types are relevant to you, based on your Model from Design Your Catalog, and your answer to Getting Started > Determine component types.

1. Create your product families
Go to Catalog > Products > + Create > Create Product Family.


maxio-catalog-create-product-family__1_.gif

2. Create your products
Go to Catalog > Products > Create Product Family.

 

  1. Create the product's basic fields    Help

    maxio-catalog-create-product-1.gif

  2. Create the first price point   Help

    maxio-catalog-create-product-2.gif

  3. Add more price points (as needed)

    maxio-catalog-create-product-3.gif

3. Create your $0 products
If your diagram denotes it, $0 products. This applies for advanced use cases only, where your diagram specifically denotes a $0 product. Go to Catalog > Products > Create New Product.

 

  1. Configure Basic Fields   Help 
    As an example, if the intent is monthly, set the product name to "Monthly", "Monthly Subscription Term", or something similarly descriptive. On invoices, you can hide this line item, by going to Config > Settings > Invoices and uncheck "Display $0 Product Line Items on Invoices".

    The $0 line item, in the red box, will be removed from the customer's invoice.
    Screen_Shot_2022-06-13_at_1.56.39_PM.png

  2. Configure the product price point to $0
    For example, if you bill monthly, set $0 every 1 month. If you bill annually, set every 12 months. Then, rename your price point name to “Monthly” or “Annual” respectively (or something similar if you prefer). These names will help you navigate Chargify easier.

  3. Save
4. Create your components
If your diagram denotes it, create components. You'll know the component types based on your answer to Get Started > Step 2 > Determine Component Types. When you're ready to add components, go to Catalog > Products > Components > + Component. 
Metered Quantity-based Quantity One-Time On-Off Prepaid Usage Events-based

Create a metered component.

  1. Create the component's basic fields    Help
  2. Create the first price point   Help on per unit, volume, tiered, stairstep
    Prices support up to 8 decimal places.
  3. Configure advanced options 
    1. Taxes
    2. Fractional Quantities (up to 4 decimal places)
    3. Hide Service Dates on invoices
  4. Create additional price points (as needed)

    maxio-catalog-metered-1.gif
5. Create your coupons
If your diagram denotes it, create coupons. Go to Catalog > Products > Create New Coupon.

maxio-create-coupon.gif

  1. Configure Basic Fields   Help

  2. Configure The Discount   Help

  3. Configure Advanced Options   Help

  4. Save

  5. Optional - Add Subcodes   Help
    Once you create a coupon, you can add unique subcodes that behave the same way as the coupon you just created. Go to Catalog > Products > Manage Codes (on an existing coupon).

Optional - Create your offers/bundles
If your diagram denotes it, create offers/bundles. Go to Catalog > Offers > Create Offer.

maxio-create-offer.gif

  1. Configure Basic Fields   Help

  2. Save
    Tip: Offers cannot be edited once created, but they can be cloned quickly to reconfigure a new offer.

  3. Optional - Clone an Offer
    If your offer/bundles follow a pattern, the fastest implementation is create one offer, clone it, update the configuration, and save.
Optional - Add a trademark to your item names
Summary
If you own a trademark or similar, you may want to denote that on your line item.

Example - trademark symbol on a Chargify invoice.
Screen_Shot_2022-08-03_at_12.06.05_PM.png

How it works
Symbols work if you copy paste them directly. The example above uses this:
Line Item Name Here™®

Import Your Catalog Smart templates Docs

If your implementation strategy from Getting Started question 1 is an import, use the resources below.

1. Get your smart template

  1. Open the Catalog Smart Templates   Open Templates

  2. Clone the Smart Templates into your Google Account
    When you open the Catalog Smart Templates in Google, click File > Make a copy.

    *Do not fill out your template in Excel. Fill it out in Google Drive.*
2. Fill in your catalog data
Use the catalog template documentation to guide you. This explains what each column represents.

 

3. Chargify performs the import(s)
Chargify’s Onboarding Team will run the import for you.

 

4. You confirm the results
Fix any errors as needed. Repeat steps 3 and 4, until the final catalog is ready.
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