This article applies to email messages and event notifications related to unbilled usage balance thresholds. Email messages and event notifications related to unapplied service credit balances will automatically be based on a customer’s billing-period-to-date unbilled usage balance.
Best Practices for Usage Record Notifications
Overview
Customers Billed for Recurring and Monthly Usage
For customers who are billed for usage monthly, it is recommended that you set up email notifications and/or event notifications based on the customers’ PTD&(billing-period-to-date) balances. This is because the PTD balance is derived from charges accrued between the dates on which a customer is invoiced. There is no need to track both MTD (month-to-date) and PTD (period-to-date) balances unless you want two separate notifications based on percentages.
Customers Billed for Usage Intervals Greater Than One Month
For customers who are billed for usage in intervals greater than one month, you can set up email notifications and/or event notifications based on your choice of MTD(month-to-date) and/or PTD (billing-period-to-date) balances. The MTD and PTD balances for such customers will vary.
For example, if a customer is billed every quarter on the fifth day of each quarter for usage-based services accrued starting from 1/5/15, then on 2/27/15:
- The MTD balance might be $30 (based on usage records covering a period from 2/5/15 to 2/26/15).
- The PTD balance might be $60 (based on usage records covering a period from 1/5/15 to 2/26/15).
- If the customer’s MTD threshold is $25, then the customer will receive an email message and/or you will receive an event notification.
- If the customer’s PTD threshold is $50, then the customer will receive an email message and/or you will receive an event notification.