Billing Service
The Billing Service is responsible for managing all financial transactions, subscriptions, invoices, and payments within the platform. It ensures accurate billing, timely payments, and provides robust reporting capabilities.
Overview
This service handles the lifecycle of billing operations, from initial subscription setup to final payment processing and historical record-keeping. It integrates with external payment gateways and internal user management systems.
Key Features
- Subscription Management: Create, update, and cancel user subscriptions.
- Plan Management: Define and manage different service plans with varying pricing and features.
- Invoice Generation: Automatically generate invoices based on subscription status and usage.
- Payment Processing: Securely process payments via integrated payment providers.
- Transaction History: Maintain a detailed log of all financial transactions.
- Reporting: Generate financial reports for administrators and users.
API Endpoints
The Billing Service exposes a RESTful API. Below are some of the key endpoints:
Subscriptions
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
POST |
/api/v1/subscriptions |
Create a new subscription. |
GET |
/api/v1/subscriptions/{subscriptionId} |
Retrieve details of a specific subscription. |
PUT |
/api/v1/subscriptions/{subscriptionId} |
Update an existing subscription. |
DELETE |
/api/v1/subscriptions/{subscriptionId} |
Cancel a subscription. |
Invoices
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
GET |
/api/v1/invoices |
Retrieve a list of invoices (can be filtered by user, status, etc.). |
GET |
/api/v1/invoices/{invoiceId} |
Retrieve details of a specific invoice. |
POST |
/api/v1/invoices/{invoiceId}/pay |
Mark an invoice as paid. |
Plans
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
GET |
/api/v1/plans |
Retrieve a list of available service plans. |
GET |
/api/v1/plans/{planId} |
Retrieve details of a specific service plan. |
Data Models
Subscription
Represents a user's active subscription to a service plan.
{
"id": "sub_abc123xyz",
"userId": "user_98765",
"planId": "plan_premium_v1",
"startDate": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z",
"endDate": "2024-10-27T10:00:00Z",
"status": "active", // "active", "canceled", "expired", "pending"
"createdAt": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z",
"updatedAt": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z"
}Invoice
Represents a billing invoice issued to a user.
{
"id": "inv_def456uvw",
"userId": "user_98765",
"subscriptionId": "sub_abc123xyz",
"issueDate": "2023-11-01T00:00:00Z",
"dueDate": "2023-11-15T00:00:00Z",
"amount": 99.99,
"currency": "USD",
"status": "unpaid", // "unpaid", "paid", "overdue", "void"
"paymentMethodId": null, // Reference to payment method if paid
"paidAt": null,
"createdAt": "2023-11-01T00:00:00Z"
}Error Handling
The API follows standard HTTP status codes for indicating success or failure. Common error responses include:
400 Bad Request: Invalid request payload or parameters.401 Unauthorized: Authentication failed.403 Forbidden: User does not have permission to perform the action.404 Not Found: The requested resource does not exist.500 Internal Server Error: An unexpected error occurred on the server.
Security Considerations
Sensitive financial data is handled with utmost care. All communication is secured via HTTPS. Payment processing is handled by PCI-compliant third-party providers. API keys and authentication tokens must be protected.
Changelog
v1.2.0 (2023-10-01)
- Added support for new payment methods.
- Enhanced invoice detail reporting.
v1.1.0 (2023-07-15)
- Introduced the ability to pause subscriptions.
- Improved performance for retrieving large invoice histories.