Recurly supports three quantity-based pricing models — tiered, volume, and stairstep — each with a different approach to how price changes as quantity increases. This page covers how each model works and how to set one up on a plan or add-on.
Available on all Recurly plans
Tiered pricing is a progressive cost model that adjusts the unit price based on defined quantity thresholds. Each tier has its own per-unit rate — units are priced at the rate of the tier they fall into.
Volume pricing is a model where the per-unit cost decreases as quantity increases, but the rate that applies to the highest tier reached is applied to all units — not just those above the threshold.
Stairstep pricing charges a flat rate for a defined quantity range, regardless of the exact quantity purchased within that range. Moving into a new range ("step") changes the flat rate.
Tiered pricing
Encourages customers to buy more by reducing the per-unit price at higher quantities, driving sales volumes without requiring an all-or-nothing bulk commitment.
Volume pricing
Rewards bulk purchases with a single lower per-unit rate applied across the entire order — a straightforward incentive that benefits both businesses and customers through economies of scale.
Stairstep pricing
Offers predictable, flat-rate pricing within defined quantity ranges — simplifying budget planning for customers and revenue forecasting for your business.
With tiered pricing, units are charged at different rates depending on which tier they fall into. A business might charge $1.00 per unit for the first 100 units, then $0.50 per unit for every unit beyond that. The customer pays different rates for different portions of their total quantity.
This model works well for any product where the marginal cost of delivering an additional unit decreases at higher volumes, and where you want customers to feel a direct reward as they increase their usage.
With volume pricing, the entire quantity is priced at the rate of the highest tier reached. If a customer purchases 21 seats and the volume threshold for $9/seat is 20+, all 21 seats are billed at $9 — not just the last one. This makes volume pricing simpler for customers to reason about, and a stronger incentive for pushing past a tier threshold.
With stairstep pricing, the total charge is a flat rate based on which quantity range the purchase falls into. A SaaS provider might offer: $50 for 1–10 seats, $100 for 11–20 seats, and $150 for 21+ seats. A customer buying 25 seats pays $150 — the same as a customer buying 100. The price doesn't scale linearly; it jumps at each step.
This works best when your delivery costs are similarly step-shaped — for example, when each pricing tier corresponds to a server tier, support tier, or capacity block.
1
In your Recurly account, create a new plan or open an existing add-on you want to configure.
2
In the pricing model section, choose Tiered Pricing.
3
Set up each tier at the plan level, specifying the quantity threshold and per-unit rate for each.
4
Enter the quantity for the subscription add-on. Recurly will automatically calculate the correct total based on the tiers and quantity you've set.
5
If you're using Recurly's Checkout or Hosted Payment Pages, check Editable Quantity to let subscribers choose their own quantity at signup.
1
In your Recurly account, create a new plan or open an existing add-on you want to configure.
2
In the pricing model section, choose Volume Pricing.
3
Define the quantity ranges and the per-unit rate for each. Higher volume ranges should have lower rates.
4
Enter the quantity for the subscription add-on. Recurly calculates the correct total by applying the rate of the highest tier reached to all units.
5
If you're using Recurly's Checkout or Hosted Payment Pages, enable Editable Quantity to let subscribers select their quantity at signup.
1
In your Recurly account, create a new plan or open an existing add-on you want to configure.
2
In the pricing model section, choose Stairstep Pricing.
3
Set the starting and ending quantities for each step and assign the flat rate for that range. The rate stays consistent for any quantity within the step.
4
Add as many steps (tiers) as your pricing structure requires, adjusting the flat rate for each one. Recurly will automatically calculate the correct total based on which step the quantity falls into.
5
If you're using Recurly's Checkout or Hosted Payment Pages, check Editable Quantity to let subscribers specify their quantity at signup.
