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Understanding Plan Groups
Users can change between plans
only within the same group. If plans in the group are different by nature (Unix and Windows),
such changes cause losses in user data. To minimize such losses, plans of different nature are either put
into different groups or left outside any group. Each plan can be only in one group.
Each group should consist of two and more plans. It makes little sense to put one plan
to a separate group. You should always group plans based on their compatibility.
You must always stick to the following rules:
- Don't group plans with different platforms (for example Windows
and Linux hosting), or this will lead to unexpected results.
A very common mistake is to put trial plans, Unix and Windows2000,
into a separate group. This will not allow trial users
to switch to pay plans, as they are in a different group,
and if users switch from Windows2000 Trial to Unix trial,
they will lose the settings that are unavailable under Unix
plan, including ASP and ODBC service.
- Don't group E-mail Only plans with other plan types.
Users can't switch from E-mail Only to, say, Unix plans, and if
they attempt to do so, they will get an error. Instead, users
need to create a new Unix account and delete the e-mail only account.
- Don't group Reseller plans with any other plan types.
Users can't switch from, say, Unix plan to Reseller plan. Instead, users
need to create a new Reseller account and delete the Unix account.
- Don't group plans if they are bound to different servers.
Compatible plans keep data on the same box and don't require
any reconfiguration.
Starting from version 2.3 users can switch between paid and
no billing plans.
Grouping Plans
To group plans:
- Select Plan Groups in the Info menu:
- You will be presented with a screen with unassigned plans
on the left and groups of compatible plans on the right:
- Check the plans you would like to put into one group.
- Enter group name.
- Click Submit Query.
The plans will be moved from the list of Available plans into the Plan groups list.
More about plan groups management:
- To ungroup plans in a group, click the DELETE button next to the group you want to delete.
- To add a plan to the group, delete the group first and then create a new one, with the plan you wanted to add.
- To regroup plans, you must ungroup them first, and then group them the way you want.
Billing on Changing Account's Plan
Billing on End User Account's Plan Change
- Versions before 2.4
Changing plans closes
current billing period. Users are issued
prorated refunds
and then charged absolute recurrent fees for a new billing
period.
- Version 2.4 and higher
If no billing period change is implied,
changing plans doesn't close the current billing period.
| If recurrent fee
calculated based on target plan prices and free units
is: |
| > | < |
|
refund for the resource
unused on the source plan,
users switching to a new plan are: |
| charged | refunded |
| the difference. |
Example 1:
A customer is using 3 dedicated IPs one of which is over free
in his plan and each billing period he pays $2 of recurrent fee for it.
In the middle of one month billing period the user swithches to a plan that
charges $4 of recurrent fee for each IP over 1 free.
On a new plan the user appears to be using 2 dedicated IPs that he must pay
for. The recurrent fee of
$4 (= 2 IPs over free x $4 x 15 days / 30 days) to be paid for the rest of the
billing period is subtracted from the refund of $0.5 (= $2 x 15 days x 50% of
refund percentage/
(30 days x 100%)). As the resulting amount is negative, the user is charged
the difference of $3.5 as the recurrent fee. |
Example 2:
One-month billing period starts on November 1 and a
user with 3 dedicated IPs on a plan allowing only 2 for free is charged $4
recurrent fee for the 3rd one. Refund percentage for dedicated IP is 100%.
A plan that the user swithces to on November 15 allows 1 free dedicated IP and
charges $1 as recurrent fee for each one over free. Thus on a new plan the
user
appears to be using 2 dedicated IPs that he must pay for. The recurrent fee of
$1 (= 2 IPs over free x $1 x 15 days / 30 days) to be paid for the rest of the
billing period is subtracted from the refund of $2 (= $4 x 15 days x 100% /
(30 days x 100%)). As the resulting amount is positive, the user is credited
the difference of $1 as a refund.
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Billing on Reseller Account's Plan Change (version 2.4 and higher)
The positive difference between
recurrent fees for reseller account resources
calculated using target plan prices and
refunds for these resources unused on the source plan is charged off resellers when they change
their account's plan. The negative difference is refunded.
For example,
Reseller prepays $4 for any reseller account services.
On the 15th day of 1 month billing period
he switches to a plan providing this service for free.
Reseller then is refunded $2 recurrent fee prorated to the
period remaining to the current billing period closure.
No refunds are issued for recurrent fees prepaid for resources
distributed with end user accounts.
If needed, you should prorate the refund and credit the reseller account.
For example,
Reseller prepays $8 for maintenance of his end user domain.
On the 15th day of 1 month billing period
he switches to a plan providing it for free.
The reseller isn't automatically issued any refunds for this recurrent fee.
If free resources distributed with end user accounts
on the target plan are paid,
reseller won't be charged recurrent fees for them
until a new billing period opens for reseller's end user account.
If needed, you should prorate the recurrent fee based on target plan prices to
the period remaining to the end user current billing period closure
and debit the reseller account.
For example,
On the 15th day of 1 month billing period
reseller switches from a plan providing free maintenance of end user domains
to a plan providing no free maintenance of end user domains.
Reseller isn't charged recurrent fees for maintenance of existing end user domains
until a new billing period opens for reseller's end user account.
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