Pricing Models

Pay4SaaS includes 4 built-in pricing models that can be switched with a single environment variable — no code changes needed.

Overview

Switching Modes

Set in .env.local:

NEXT_PUBLIC_PRICING_MODEL=credits

Available values: credits, subscription_unlimited, subscription_quota, lifetime.

After changing, restart the project. The pricing page, checkout flow, and access control will all adapt automatically.

Mode 1: Credits

Dual credits system: purchased credits never expire, bonus credits expire per batch (default 30 days). Each service use deducts 1 credit, with consumption priority: bonus credits → purchased credits.

Best for: AI tools, image generation, API calls, and other pay-per-use scenarios.

Configure Credit Packages

Configure in PACKAGES in config/payment.ts:

export const PACKAGES = {
  basic: {
    credits: 10, // Number of credits
    amount: 9.99, // USD price
    amountCNY: 29, // CNY price (auto-used on domestic site)
    name: 'Starter',
    description: 'Perfect for casual writers',
    features: ['10 AI writing credits', 'Blog post generation', '...'],
    recommended: false
  },
  pro: {
    credits: 50,
    amount: 39.99,
    amountCNY: 99,
    name: 'Growth',
    features: ['50 AI writing credits', '...'],
    recommended: true // Mark as recommended
  }
  // max: { ... },
  // ultra: { ... },    // 4th package (optional)
}

Key points:

• Supports 2–4 credit packages, keys are fixed as basic, pro, max, ultra — do not modify
• You only need to change name, prices, features, and other display content
• Comment out the key for any package you don't need
• Domestic site will automatically use the amountCNY price

Mode 2: Unlimited Subscription

Users subscribe monthly or yearly with unlimited usage during the subscription period. Supports trial periods.

Best for: Standard SaaS products that don't need granular usage control.

Configure Subscription Plans

Configure in SUBSCRIPTION_PLANS in config/payment.ts:

export const SUBSCRIPTION_PLANS = {
  basic: {
    priceMonthly: 9.99, // Monthly price (USD)
    priceYearly: 99.99, // Yearly price (USD)
    priceMonthlyCNY: 29, // Monthly price (CNY)
    priceYearlyCNY: 299, // Yearly price (CNY)
    name: 'Basic',
    features: ['50 articles / month', '...'],
    recommended: false
  },
  pro: {
    priceMonthly: 29.99,
    priceYearly: 299.99,
    name: 'Pro',
    features: ['Unlimited articles', '...'],
    recommended: true
  }
  // max: { ... },
  // ultra: { ... },    // 4th plan (optional)
}

Configure Trial Period

export const SUBSCRIPTION_UNLIMITED_CONFIG = {
  trialDays: 7, // Trial days
  trialPlan: 'pro' as SubscriptionPlan // Plan that supports trial
}

Each user can only trial once — the system tracks this automatically. By default, only the pro plan supports trial — this is industry standard: let users try the premium tier for free, and after experiencing the better features, they're more likely to convert.

Mode 3: Quota Subscription

Triple credits system: subscription quota resets monthly, bonus credits expire per batch (default 30 days), purchased credits never expire. When quota runs out, users can buy extra credit packs to continue. Consumption priority: subscription quota → bonus credits → purchased credits.

Best for: SaaS products that need usage control with flexibility, like Claude Pro's model.

Configuration

Quota Subscription uses both SUBSCRIPTION_PLANS and PACKAGES:

• The quota field in SUBSCRIPTION_PLANS defines the monthly quota
• PACKAGES defines the extra credit packs available for purchase

// In SUBSCRIPTION_PLANS
pro: {
  priceMonthly: 29.99,
  priceYearly: 299.99,
  name: 'Pro',
  quota: 500,          // Monthly subscribers get 500 uses/month
  quotaYearly: 750,    // Yearly subscribers get 750 uses/month (yearly perk)
  // ...
}

Mode 4: Lifetime

Users pay once and own it forever with unlimited usage.

Best for: UI component libraries, templates, toolkits, and other one-time delivery products.

Configure Lifetime Plans

Configure in LIFETIME_PLANS in config/payment.ts:

export const LIFETIME_PLANS = {
  standard: {
    price: 279, // USD price
    priceCNY: 1699, // CNY price
    originalPrice: 349, // Original price (for strikethrough display)
    originalPriceCNY: 1999,
    name: 'Lifetime',
    features: ['200+ components', 'Lifetime updates', '...'],
    recommended: false
  },
  exclusive: {
    price: 399.99,
    name: 'Exclusive',
    features: ['Everything in Lifetime', 'Priority support', '...'],
    recommended: true
  }
}

Key points:

• Supports 1–3 lifetime plans, keys are fixed as standard, exclusive, ultimate — do not modify
• originalPrice is used to display a strikethrough price, creating a sense of discount
• Comment out any plan you don't need

Mode Detection Utility Functions

config/payment.ts exports a set of utility functions for mode detection in your code:

import {
  isCreditsMode, // Is current mode credits
  isSubscriptionUnlimitedMode, // Is current mode unlimited subscription
  isSubscriptionQuotaMode, // Is current mode quota subscription
  isLifetimeMode, // Is current mode lifetime
  hasCredits, // Does current mode use credits (credits or subscription_quota)
  isSubscriptionMode // Is current mode a subscription type (unlimited or quota)
} from '@/config/payment'