Frequently Asked Questions
The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide answers some common
questions about Web services subscriptions and pricing. If you do not find your
question listed below or the answer is not what you are looking for, please
contact StrikeIron support or call StrikeIron at
+1-919-467-4545 opt. 3.
Click here to see the entire list of FAQs.
Web Services Subscriptions and Pricing
- Q: What is a Web service subscription?
A: A paid subscription is an agreement to pay a specified amount of money over a specified amount of time, in exchange for a specified amount of accesses (or hits) to the Web service. In the StrikeIron Marketplace, you can purchase Web services in three ways: a monthly subscription, an annual subscription or a one-time purchase.
For a monthly subscription, a subscriber purchases a number of hits per month and pays a monthly fee (the subscriber can choose to prorate payments for the remainder of the current month). If a subscriber uses more than the allotted number of hits per month, the subscriber is charged an overage fee. At the end of the month, the hit-counter is reset. Unused hits do not carry over to the next month. The subscriber can cancel at any time; a 30-day notice is required. This subscription type is similar to most cell phone pricing models.
For an annual subscription, a subscriber pays upfront for the total number of hits to be used in a year. These hits can be used at any time during the year. This is great for seasonal usage, if the usage occurs irregularly, or if it is not predictable over time. If a subscriber uses all the annual hits, he or she can either renew or upgrade. If the subscriber uses more than the allotted number of hits during the time period, the subscriber is charged an overage fee. At the end of the year, the counter is reset. If the subscriber cancels, his or her unused hits are not refunded.
For a one-time purchase, a subscriber's credit card will be charged for the number of hits purchased at that time. These hits expire after 90 days. Upgrades are not available for one-time purchases; however, a subscriber can purchase another set of hits. No refunds or overages are allowed for one-time purchases. If a batch process is run and the number of hits used exceeds the number of hits purchased, the subscriber's credit card will be charged a one-time fee (this fee is computed by the number of hits over the allotted amount times the price per purchased hit).
- Q: How long does a subscription
last?
A: A monthly subscription continues on a month-to-month basis with automatic renewal. Monthly hits expire at the end of each month (unless the subscriber prorated the first month of a monthly subscription, in which case his or her hits will expire at the end of the first complete month).
Annual subscription hits are valid for an entire year, and the annual subscription is automatically renewed at the end of the year.
One-time purchase hits are valid for 90 days. Upgrades are not available for one-time purchases; however, the subscriber can purchase another set of hits.
- Q: How does a subscriber stop a
subscription?
A: For a monthly subscription, payment is
made on the first of the month for that month. The subscriber can cancel with at least one business day notice prior to the next monthly renewal date. If a
subscriber cancels before the month ends, he or she is not refunded for any unused
hits, and prorating is not available. For an annual subscription, payment is
made in advance for a year. The subscriber can cancel at any time prior to the next renewal date, but he or
she is not refunded for any unused hits, and prorating is not available.
One-time purchases can not be refunded.
- Q: What is the difference between a
monthly subscription, an annual subscription and a one-time purchase?
A: For a monthly subscription, a subscriber purchases a number of hits per month and pays a monthly fee (the subscriber can choose to prorate payments for the remainder of the current month). If a subscriber uses more than the allotted number of hits per month, the subscriber is charged an overage fee. At the end of the month, the hit-counter is reset. Unused hits do not carry over to the next month. The subscriber can cancel at any time; a 30-day notice is required.
For an annual subscription, a subscriber pays upfront for the total number of hits to be used in a year. These hits can be used at any time during the year. This is great for seasonal usage, if the usage occurs irregularly, or if it is not predictable over time. If a subscriber uses all the annual hits, he or she can either renew or upgrade. If the subscriber uses more than the allotted number of hits during the time period, the subscriber is charged an overage fee. At the end of the year, the counter is reset. If the subscriber cancels, his or her unused hits are not refunded.
For a one-time purchase, a subscriber's credit card will be charged for the number of hits purchased at that time. These hits expire after 90 days. Upgrades are not available for one-time purchases; however, a subscriber can purchase another set of hits. No refunds or overages are allowed for one-time purchases. If a batch process is run and the number of hits used exceeds the number of hits purchased, the subscriber's credit card will be charged a one-time fee (this fee is computed by the number of hits over the allotted amount times the price per purchased hit).
- Q: What is the price for a StrikeIron
Marketplace Web service?
A: Web services are purchased on a subscription basis, which means
they are a reoccurring charge based on a time frame. The options are
monthly, annual or one-time purchase. The price includes a set number of
hits for that specified time frame (a subscriber has the option to prorate
the first month's worth of hits at a lower price, and then start receiving
a full month's worth of hits for the following month). Hits are counted
when a user accesses or “invokes” the Web service. The number of hits
counted when a Web service is accessed or “invoked” is determined by the
data provider and can vary.
At the end of the specified time frame, the counter is reset and starts
over (except for one-time purchases that expire in 90 days). Unused hits are
not carried over. If the subscriber uses more than the allocated hits for
the specified time frame, then he or she is charged an additional fee (which
is usually higher than the normal per-hit fee). This is similar to the way
most cell phone charges operate today.
- Q: What are “hits” for a Web
service?
A: A “hit” is the term used in the StrikeIron Marketplace to refer to a counter that is decremented every time a subscriber invokes and accesses a Web service.
- Q: What is the relationship between
“hits” and subscription pricing levels?
A: An invocation of an operation can count as no hits, one hit, or any number of hits depending on the Web service. The subscriber decides how many hits they need and then buys that package level.
For example, a Web service may offer three monthly subscription levels: $9.95 for 100 hits, $49.95 for 1000 hits, and $199.95 for 10,000 hits. The customer decides which one best represents his or her expected usage level and then subscribes to it.
- Q: What happens if a user does not use
all the “hits” for a paid subscription?
A: At the end of the specified time frame (month, year, or 90-day trial), the counter is reset and starts over. Unused hits are not carried over. If the user uses more than the allocated hits for the specified time frame, then they are charged an additional fee (an "overage fee") that is usually higher than the normal per-hit fee. This is similar to the way most cell phone charges operate today
- Q: What happens if a user needs more hits than the amount of hits allocated for his or her subscription?
A: If the subscriber uses more than the allocated hits for the specified time frame, then he or she is charged an additional fee (an "overage fee") that is usually higher than the normal per-hit fee. This is similar to the way most cell phone charges operate today.
- Q: Can you upgrade a subscription?
A: A subscriber can upgrade a monthly subscription to a higher monthly subscription or to an annual subscription.
Note: A subscriber can upgrade from a monthly to either a higher monthly or an annual without canceling the subscription. All the subscriber needs to do is click the Upgrade link on the My Web Services page from the Account page.
One-time purchases can not be upgraded; however, a user can make additional one-time purchases indefinitely.
- Q: Is support provided with a
subscription license?
A: Technical Support is available from 8:00am to 5:30pm EST, Monday through Friday. You can use the support form at the Ask Support or by calling +1-919-467-4545 opt. 3.
- Q: Who provides support for a
published Web service in the StrikeIron Marketplace?
A: StrikeIron provides first-level support for all Web services in the StrikeIron Marketplace.
- Q: What is the difference between a
Trial and Paid Subscription?
A: There are two types of trials: an Unregistered User Trial and a Registered User Trial. An Unregistered User Trial requires a valid email address and is limited to 5 invocations of a Web service, regardless of the number of hits defined for the Web service. An Unregistered User is someone who has not yet registered with StrikeIron. An Unregistered User simply enters his or her email address in the UnregisteredUser field of the LicenseInfo operation of any StrikeIron Marketplace Web Service. This allows a user to try a Web service as easily as possible.
A Registered User Trial requires registering with StrikeIron to establish a UserID and Password. The UserID is the user's email address. A Registered User Trial is free for a specific number of hits, similar to a paid subscription, so a user can better understand the Web service and select the best paid subscription option. For a Registered User Trial, the registered user simply enters his or her UserID (email address) and password in the RegisteredUser field of the LicenseInfo operation.
A paid subscription is a subscription that is purchased for a fee for a period of time with a specific number of allocated hits. There are monthly, annual, and one-time-purchase paid subscriptions. For a monthly subscription, payment is made on the first of the month for that month. The subscriber can cancel on the last day of any month with at least a 30-day notice. If a subscriber cancels before the month ends, he or she is not refunded for any unused hits, and prorating is not available. For an annual subscription, payment is made in advance for the year. The subscriber can cancel at any time, but there is no refund for unused hits or for prorated time. One-time purchases are paid in advance and are non-refundable.
- Q: What is an expired
subscription?
A: An expired
subscription is a trial or paid subscription for which either the time frame
has expired or the number of allocated hits for that subscription level has
been used. The status of your subscription, as well as the number of available
hits, can be tracked on the Web Services Subscriptions section of the
Your Account page.
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