Usage & Billing Strategy
Executive Summary
Brief overview of the MLC (MECLABS Compute Credits) system, usage tracking, and billing model for MeclabsAI.com with Organization → Team → User hierarchy.
Business Objectives
- Primary goals and success metrics
- Revenue targets and growth strategy
- User experience priorities
Token Usage Tracking
What We Track
- AI model token consumption (input/output)
- Voice transcription minutes
- Image processing credits
- File upload/storage usage
- API calls and rate limits
Technical Implementation
- Real-time usage collection
- Aggregation and storage strategy
- Analytics and reporting
- Usage limits and throttling
MLC (MECLABS Compute Credits) System
Credit Model
- MLC Currency: Universal credit system for all AI operations
- Credit-to-token conversion rates by model type
- Monthly credit allocation per subscription plan
- Rollover and expiration policies
- Overage handling and additional credit purchases
Credit Types
- Base MLC: Monthly allocation included in subscription
- Reset monthly, no rollover
- Revenue recognized over subscription period
- Non-refundable (subscription-based)
- Bonus MLC: Promotions, referrals, onboarding credits
- Longer expiration (3-6 months) to drive engagement
- Marketing expense, not revenue
- Non-refundable promotional credits
- Purchased MLC: Pay-as-you-go add-ons
- Never expire or longer expiration periods
- Revenue recognized immediately
- Refundable under standard policy
Credit Consumption Priority
Credits are consumed in order of expiration to maximize customer value:
- Expiring bonus credits first
- Base monthly credits second
- Purchased credits last (longest expiration)
Billing Strategy
Subscription Plans (Organization Level)
| Plan | Price/Month | Monthly MLC | Included Kits | Extra Kits | Target Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUILD | $495 | 6,000 | 0 | $20 each | Small teams and startups |
| SELL | $995 | 18,000 | 10 | $20 each | Growing businesses |
| SCALE | $2,995 | 75,000 | 45 | $20 each | Large enterprises |
Billing Cycles
- Monthly vs annual billing
- Proration logic
- Grace periods
- Dunning process
Payment Methods
- Primary: Credit card processing via Stripe
- Enterprise: Net-30 invoicing (annual contracts only)
- Auto-renewal: Enabled by default with 7-day advance notification
- Failed payment handling: 3-attempt retry cycle with account suspension after 7 days
- Refund policies: Pro-rated refunds within 30 days for annual plans; standard terms for monthly
User Experience
Usage Visibility
- Real-time usage dashboard
- Usage alerts and notifications
- Billing history and invoices
- Cost optimization tips
Upgrade/Downgrade Flows
- Plan switching logic
- Credit adjustments
- Feature access changes
- Communication strategy
Technical Architecture
Data Models
Organization
- Subscription plan (BUILD/SELL/SCALE)
- Monthly MLC allocation (6,000 / 18,000 / 75,000)
- Billing information and payment methods
- Included org members (5 / 12 / 30)
- Included customer kits (0 / 10 / 45)
Team (Workspace)
- Organization relationship
- MLC budget allocation (12 org members for SELL, 30 for SCALE)
- Usage tracking
User
- Kit (seat) assignment
- Individual usage tracking
- Team membership
MLC Ledger
- Credit transactions (purchases, allocations, expirations)
- Usage debits by model type and operation
- Balance tracking with 90-day expiration policy
- Consumption priority: expiring bonus → base monthly → purchased credits
Integration Points
- Payment provider (Stripe)
- Analytics systems
- Customer support tools
- Monitoring and alerts
Compliance & Legal
Data Retention Policies
- Usage data: 24 months for billing accuracy and dispute resolution
- Payment data: 7 years per financial regulations
- Credit transactions: Permanent retention for audit trails
- User content: Per customer data processing agreements
Privacy Considerations
- GDPR compliance for EU customers
- SOC 2 Type II certification requirements
- Data encryption in transit and at rest
- Customer data isolation and access controls
Regulatory Requirements
- PCI DSS compliance via Stripe partnership
- CCPA compliance for California users
- International tax compliance for multi-currency expansion
Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1: MVP
- Basic usage tracking
- Simple credit system
- Manual billing
Phase 2: Automation
- Real-time tracking
- Automated billing
- Self-service portal
Phase 3: Optimization
- Advanced analytics
- Dynamic pricing
- Usage predictions
Partner Program Strategy
Certified Partner (Reseller) Program
- Revenue Share: Partners retain 40% lifetime commission on all platform revenue they generate
- MECLABS Retention: 60% of partner-driven revenue
- Expansion Benefits: Scales distribution into niche markets without additional direct sales overhead
- Partner Economics: At standard pricing, partners earn substantial recurring revenue while MECLABS maintains profitable margins
Partner Support Structure
- White-label ADS capabilities for partner branding
- MEC1000 Guild track: "Build Your Partner Business" playbook
- Dedicated partner success resources
- Commission tracking and automated payouts
Success Metrics
- Average revenue per user (ARPU)
- Credit utilization rates
- Partner program growth and commission payouts
- Churn by pricing tier
- Support ticket volume
- Payment failure rates
Open Questions
- [ ] MLC rollover policy (monthly vs quarterly)
- [ ] Kit (seat) management and permissions
- [ ] Team-level MLC budget controls
- [ ] Handling of abuse/fraud
- [ ] Enterprise custom pricing beyond SCALE
- [ ] Multi-currency support timeline
- [ ] Credit sharing between teams within organization