As customization becomes more and more popular, so does scripting. Through the power of scripting, companies have the opportunity to automate processes that would take more than a couple of clicks. Cheddar offers this service in our payment process so that you, and your customers, can customize payment plans accordingly. So what is scripting and how does Cheddar utilize it?
At the very basic level, scripting is a type of coding language. It is used to automate processes that would otherwise take several steps to complete. For example, while you could transfer money manually every month, setting up automatic payments does it for you in fewer steps. Sticking to the bank analogy, scripting would be a specific bank whereas coding would be banked in general.
While many people tend to confuse scripting with coding (or programming in general), there is an easy way to remember the difference. Programming is used for static features like the layout or overall appearance of a website. Scripting would be you telling the website to “do something.” This makes your overall website dynamic and easier for the consumers to use.
For the most part, client-side scripting is used for simple processes like page navigation, data validation, and formatting. While this is a helpful utilization, you can do so much more.
To start, here’s an excerpt from our knowledgebase:
One of Cheddar’s most powerful features is its robust webhook system. In particular, the Subscription Billable Webhook allows you to script billing behavior in Cheddar. If the above plan configurations don’t meet your specific needs, scripted billing ensures you get all the benefits of Cheddar (customer communication, dunning, recurring management, etc.) without compromising any of your billing requirements.
For example, let’s say you wanted to implement custom tiered billing logic in Cheddar where the first 1-100 widgets used in a given month are billed at $1 each, but widgets over 100 used are billed at $2 dollars. Inside Cheddar you could set up 3 tracked items:
Firstly, Cheddar tracks usage with tracked items. These items are updated during our billing period and you decide whether you want to bill for these tracked items later. Then, your team sets a pricing plan or plans. This indicates how much and how often you want to charge a customer based on usage and subscription level. When the bill is due, Cheddar uses the rules you’ve set to charge these customers using what we call an invoice. This invoice then transacts using our built-in credit card processing or can be sent to an external system. Money is deposited in your bank account. Finally, Cheddar automatically repeats this process.
Cheddar gives you the opportunity to customize billing for every customer in whatever ways you may seem fit. You can add discounts to one customer, send invoices to another, and even customize their subscription based on usage. Once it is all set-up Cheddar automates the billing for you, making it easier to keep track of data, all through your Cheddar home page. With the use of tracked items, you can see the usage of specific items through time.