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Are they really going to be using the product "monthly", or just continuously, on an ongoing basis? I was thinking, I suppose, of Google AdWords, which has a p

Are they really going to be using the product "monthly", or just continuously, on an ongoing basis? I was thinking, I suppose, of Google AdWords, which has a pre-pay model-- you pay a chunk of money (as much as you want, with a set minimum), and they let your pre-paid funds are getting close to running out, so you can add more.

grigory 16y ago
Well, this depends on how people will use the system. Say, you're just tracking down a used car with best possible price. So you sign up for text notifications so that you're the first one - and once you bought the car, you no longer need these notifications. Other usage patterns might assume regular, monthly usage. Since I just launched this and have only a handful of users, I'm yet to see how it'll be used. Edit: I misread your comment. They will be using this, in the best case scenario, regularly on ongoing basis - so not "monthly" in a sense of regular subscription services.
- michael_dorfman 16y ago
  The problem with the "monthly" concept is that it forces me to estimate how many notifications I am going to get each month, and then choose an appropriate plan. For me, that was pure friction. In addition, I try to avoid recurring charges on principle. So, from my point of view as a potential user, I'd be much more likely to just pre-pay a fixed amount.
  - grigory 16y ago
    Right. For that purpose, the system tells you (when you add links), on average, how many messages you will get per day. I know it is quite rudimentary for now, but I will be adding friendlier analyses tools soon, maybe even on the Pricing page - e.g., tell us what you want to monitor and we'll estimate which price plan you might want. Also, I just got my first paid monthly subscription users this morning (1st day of launch, woot!), so I might be keeping this payment option for now. However, I try to avoid recurring charges as much as I can myself, so great pre-paid options are a must.

grigory 16y ago

Well, this depends on how people will use the system. Say, you're just tracking down a used car with best possible price. So you sign up for text notifications so that you're the first one - and once you bought the car, you no longer need these notifications. Other usage patterns might assume regular, monthly usage. Since I just launched this and have only a handful of users, I'm yet to see how it'll be used. Edit: I misread your comment. They will be using this, in the best case scenario, regularly on ongoing basis - so not "monthly" in a sense of regular subscription services.

michael_dorfman 16y ago
The problem with the "monthly" concept is that it forces me to estimate how many notifications I am going to get each month, and then choose an appropriate plan. For me, that was pure friction. In addition, I try to avoid recurring charges on principle. So, from my point of view as a potential user, I'd be much more likely to just pre-pay a fixed amount.
- grigory 16y ago
  Right. For that purpose, the system tells you (when you add links), on average, how many messages you will get per day. I know it is quite rudimentary for now, but I will be adding friendlier analyses tools soon, maybe even on the Pricing page - e.g., tell us what you want to monitor and we'll estimate which price plan you might want. Also, I just got my first paid monthly subscription users this morning (1st day of launch, woot!), so I might be keeping this payment option for now. However, I try to avoid recurring charges as much as I can myself, so great pre-paid options are a must.