Metered Access

Overview

A Metered access limits how many times a customer can access specific content within a subscription period. For example, you can configure a subscription that allows customers to read 10 premium articles every 7 days. Once the reset period passes, the counter automatically resets, and the customer regains their full allocation of accesses.

This feature is ideal for creating "light" or budget-friendly subscriptions where customers have restricted access to premium content that resets after a defined period.

Use Cases

Metered access is particularly useful for marketers who want to:

• Offer budget-friendly "lite" versions of premium subscriptions
  Example: Offer a "Weekender Plus" plan at €4.99/month that allows access to 10 Plus articles per week, targeting readers who primarily consume content on weekends and don't need full digital access.

• Encourage upselling from limited to unlimited access plans
  Example: Provide a "Professional Lite" subscription with 15 Plus articles per week. When subscribers consistently reach their limit, they receive targeted upgrade offers to the unlimited "Plus Unlimited" tier.

• Test pricing models with restricted access before full rollout
  Example: Test reader acceptance of a mid-tier offering. Create a plan with 20 Plus articles per week to measure engagement patterns and conversion rates before finalizing your complete pricing structure.

• Create seasonal or promotional offerings
  Example: During the summer holiday period, offer a "Summer Reader" plan with 5 Plus articles per week for subscribers who consume less news content while traveling.

• Attract younger demographics with lower entry barriers
  Example: Create a "Young Plus" subscription (7 Plus articles per week) to introduce younger readers to premium journalism without the commitment of a full subscription.

Configuration

1 Create a Metered Access

To create a metered access, follow these steps:

1. Open Products → Metered Access.

2. Click on Add Metered Access.

3. Define the following:

   1. Internal Title: A name for internal reference only (not visible to customers)

   2. Reset Time: The period after which the counter resets (e.g., 7 days)

   3. Number of Accesses: How many accesses are allowed per reset period (e.g., 10 articles)

   4. Title (Public): The customer-facing name for this metered access

   5. Description: Customer-facing explanation of what this counter limits and how it works

4. Click on Save.

2 Add Metered Access to Offers

Once configured, you can add Metered Access to your subscription offers.

🚫 Restrictions:

• Metered access is only available for time-based subscriptions

• Metered access cannot be used for multiuser subscriptions

• Metered access cannot be used for cross-client subscriptions

To create an offer with a metered access, follow these steps:

1. Open Products → Offers.

2. Click on +Create an Offer.

3. Click in the Time-Based Subscription box the Create new button.

4. Fill in the base data and go to tab Products.

5. Add a product. Enter all the required information for the product.
   💡 Detailed instructions on how to create an offer in Frisbii Media can be found here: Standard Fields in the Offer Creation

6. Under Metered Access, select the previously created metered access - or create a new one using the inline creator.

   

👩‍💻 Technical Information

Use API endpoint https://api.frisbii-media.com/api/v3.0/accessRights/{customerId}/{accessRightUniqueId}/countMetered for implementing this feature.

View Metered Access (customer account)

This feature is useful for handling customer service situations, resolving technical issues, or providing goodwill gestures.

Customer support can manually reset the counter when needed:

1. Open the customer account via menu item Customers.

2. Navigate to the Access Rights tab.

3. Locate the relevant Metered Access.

4. Click on Reset metered access.

Example: Customer Service Scenarios

• Technical Issue: A subscriber reports that articles didn't load properly, consuming their credits. Support resets the counter with a note: "Reset due to technical loading issues on 12.01.2026"

• Goodwill Gesture: A long-term subscriber reached their limit on the last day before reset. Support resets the counter early to maintain satisfaction.

• Billing Dispute: During investigation of a payment issue, support grants a temporary reset to ensure continued access while resolving the matter.

View Metered Access (Self Service)

Customers can view their Metered Access status in their account in the Self Service:

1. Navigate to the Subscription tab.

2. Open the subscription details by clicking on Manage.

The display shows customers how many accesses they have remaining in the current period.