Cheddar
Cheddar is a monetization platform for product-led growth and usage-based subscription billing.
What Cheddar is
Cheddar is a monetization platform for product-led growth and usage-based subscription billing. Its API records customer activity as tracked-item counters that can be updated during a billing period; pricing rules are applied afterward, so pricing can change without changing billing code. Cheddar uses those rules to generate invoices, then processes them through built-in credit-card processing or an external system. Payment options include CheddarPay, compatible processors, PayPal, and external methods such as ACH and checks. Plans include customer communications, SaaS reporting, revenue optimization, invoice generation, subscription billing, and usage tracking. Monthly plans include up to 500,000 API interactions, with additional usage costing 25 cents per 1,000 interactions. Customizable hosted pages cover subscription signups, payment updates, changes, and cancellations; tracked items and one-time invoices require API use. The REST-like API can be used with any programming language, and Cheddar also integrates with Zapier. The Builder Plan is $99 a month plus 30¢ per transaction. The Growth Plan is $599 a month plus 0.5% of revenue.
Good
- Applies billing rules after tracking usage
- Supports multiple payment options
- Includes reporting, billing, and usage tracking
- REST-like API works with any programming language
- Integrates with Zapier
Watch out
- Builder Plan costs $99 a month plus 30¢ per transaction
- Growth Plan costs $599 a month plus 0.5% of revenue
- Tracked items and one-time invoices require API use
- Extra API interactions cost 25 cents per 1,000
Who it suits
Cheddar suits businesses setting subscription prices around customer usage, including startups, growing organisations, and enterprise companies. It may fit teams that want hosted subscription pages alongside API-based metering and invoicing.
Verdict
Cheddar combines usage metering, billing rules, invoice generation, and payment processing for subscription businesses. Review the plan charges, overage rate, and API requirements for tracked items and one-time invoices when assessing fit.
Plans and prices
From Cheddar's own pricing page, checked 30 Sep 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Builder Plan | $99 a month | Email-based support · Extensive knowledge base and documentation · Connect with multiple payment gateways · $99 per month and 30¢ per transaction |
| Growth Plan | $599 a month | Chat and phone support · Pricing and migration consultancy included · Robust real-time webhook integrations · $599 per month and 0.5% of revenue |
The facts
Each one read from Cheddar's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- Cheddar describes its Growth Plan as enterprise-grade billing and consulting and says its pricing options serve startups, growing organizations, and enterprise companies.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Developer API
- The maker says Cheddar’s REST-like API can be used with any programming language.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Features
- Cheddar says every plan includes customer communications, SaaS reporting, revenue optimization, invoice generation, subscription billing, and usage tracking.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Hosted pages
- Cheddar offers customizable hosted payment pages for subscription signups, payment updates, subscription changes, and cancellations; tracked items and one-time invoices require API use.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Included API usage
- Plans include up to 500,000 API interactions per month; additional interactions cost 25 cents per 1,000 interactions.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Integrations
- Cheddar’s support FAQ says it integrates with Zapier, which can connect it to thousands of apps.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Payment options
- Customers can use CheddarPay, compatible payment processors, PayPal, or external payment methods such as ACH and checks.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Product
- Cheddar describes itself as a monetization platform for product-led growth and usage-based subscription billing.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Security
- Cheddar’s privacy policy, last modified May 24, 2018, says data is stored on secured servers behind a firewall with access controls and that SSL encrypts passwords and personal credit information in transit.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Support
- Cheddar lists email, support discussions, chat, a knowledge base, and API documentation; its support page says chat is available from 9am to 5pm EST.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Usage tracking
- Its API tracks customer activity using tracked items, which are counters that can be updated during a billing period.checked 30 Sep 2001
Money
- Billing model
- Cheddar tracks customer activity first and applies billing rules afterward, allowing pricing changes without changing billing code.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Billing workflow
- Cheddar applies pricing-plan rules to tracked usage to generate invoices, then processes them using built-in credit-card processing or an external system.checked 30 Sep 2001
The company
- Company
- The maker identifies the company as GetCheddar, Inc. and lists its address as 642 N Madison St, Bloomington, Indiana 47404.checked 30 Sep 2001
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