# What systems do we need to support usage-based pricing?

A metering layer, a rating layer and an invoicing layer — plus a CRM contract model that can express commitment-plus-overage. Most consumption businesses meter through their warehouse and Stripe; only about a fifth run a purpose-built metering engine such as Metronome, Orb, Lago or Ordway.

Tier configuration itself is largely solved — commitment-plus-overage, stair-step, volume, unlock-the-lower-tier are all standard. The hard part is downstream: recognising revenue against consumption, forecasting a number sellers don't control, and giving CS a view of burn-down before the customer sees the invoice.

## Sources

- **Measurement** — [GTM Tech Stack study — the metering gap](https://www.leanscale.team/knowledge/research/customer-tool-stack-study/)
- **Method** — [CPQ playbook — The tiers are easy, the metering is the question](https://www.leanscale.team/knowledge/playbooks/cpq-playbook/)
- **Opinion** — [Why AI Means More RevOps Hires, Not Fewer](https://www.leanscale.team/knowledge/podcast/jimmy-ohalloran-new-relic-revops-consumption-revenue/)

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Cluster: Cpq · https://www.leanscale.team/knowledge/answers/usage-based-pricing-billing-systems/