Products Overview

Products are the foundation of your billing system in GetPaidHQ. They represent what you're selling - whether that's software subscriptions, API access, professional services, or physical goods. Understanding how to structure your products effectively is key to creating a clear and scalable pricing strategy.

What are Products?

A product in GetPaidHQ is a high-level offering that you provide to customers. Think of it as the umbrella term for what you're selling. For example:

• "Project Management Software" - Your main SaaS application
• "Cloud Storage" - Storage service with different capacity options
• "API Platform" - Developer API with various usage limits
• "Consulting Services" - Professional services billed hourly or per project

Product Structure

Each product contains:

• Name - Clear, customer-facing name (e.g., "CloudSync Pro")
• Description - Explains what the product offers
• Variants - Different versions or tiers (Basic, Pro, Enterprise)
• Metadata - Custom fields for your internal use

The Product-Variant Relationship

GetPaidHQ uses a two-level hierarchy:

Product
├── Variant A (with pricing)
├── Variant B (with pricing)
└── Variant C (with pricing)

This structure provides flexibility to:

• Offer multiple tiers of the same product
• Create regional variations with different pricing
• Provide different feature sets under one product umbrella
• A/B test pricing strategies

Why Use Products and Variants?

1. Organized Catalog

Group related offerings together. Customers see a clean product lineup rather than a confusing list of options.

2. Pricing Flexibility

Each variant can have completely different pricing models. Mix subscription and usage-based pricing within the same product.

3. Easy Comparisons

Customers can compare variants (like plan tiers) to choose what fits their needs.

4. Simplified Management

Update product details once, and all variants inherit the changes. Track performance at both product and variant levels.

Common Product Patterns

SaaS Tiers

Product: "CloudSync"
├── Variant: "Starter" - $19/month
├── Variant: "Professional" - $49/month  
└── Variant: "Enterprise" - Custom pricing

Usage-Based Service

Product: "API Platform"
├── Variant: "Developer" - Free tier with limits
├── Variant: "Growth" - $0.001 per API call
└── Variant: "Scale" - Volume discounts

Regional Pricing

Product: "Video Streaming"
├── Variant: "US Plan" - $9.99 USD/month
├── Variant: "EU Plan" - €8.99 EUR/month
└── Variant: "UK Plan" - £7.99 GBP/month

Feature-Based

Product: "Analytics Suite"
├── Variant: "Core Analytics" - Basic features
├── Variant: "Advanced Analytics" - Core + ML features
└── Variant: "Enterprise Analytics" - Everything + API

Product Lifecycle

1. Planning

Before creating products, consider:

• What are you actually selling?
• How do customers think about your offerings?
• What variations do you need?
• How might pricing evolve?

2. Creation

Products are typically created once and rarely changed. Focus on:

• Clear, recognizable names
• Comprehensive descriptions
• Logical variant structure

3. Evolution

As your business grows:

• Add new variants for new market segments
• Create special promotional variants
• Introduce region-specific options
• Test new pricing models

4. Retirement

When sunsetting products:

• Stop offering to new customers
• Maintain for existing subscribers
• Plan migration paths
• Communicate changes clearly

Best Practices

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Email Marketing Platform

Product: "MailFlow"

• Description: "Complete email marketing automation platform"
• Variants:
  • Starter: Up to 1,000 contacts, basic features
  • Growth: Up to 10,000 contacts, automation workflows
  • Pro: Up to 50,000 contacts, advanced analytics
  • Enterprise: Unlimited contacts, dedicated support

Example 2: Cloud Infrastructure

Product: "CloudCompute"

• Description: "Scalable virtual machine instances"
• Variants:
  • Micro: 1 CPU, 1GB RAM - Development use
  • Small: 2 CPU, 4GB RAM - Light workloads
  • Medium: 4 CPU, 16GB RAM - Standard applications
  • Large: 8 CPU, 32GB RAM - Heavy processing

Example 3: Professional Services

Product: "Consulting Services"

• Description: "Expert consulting for digital transformation"
• Variants:
  • Hourly: $200/hour, minimum 10 hours
  • Daily: $1,500/day, minimum 5 days
  • Project: Custom scope and pricing
  • Retainer: $10,000/month, 50 hours included

Common Questions

Should I create multiple products or variants?

Create separate products when offerings are fundamentally different. Use variants for different versions, tiers, or packages of the same core offering.

Can I change products after customers subscribe?

Products and variants can be updated, but existing subscriptions continue with their original terms. This protects customers from unexpected changes.

How many variants should a product have?

There's no hard limit, but 3-5 variants typically provide good options without overwhelming customers. Consider the paradox of choice.

Can variants have completely different pricing models?

Yes! One variant could be a flat monthly fee while another uses usage-based pricing. This flexibility is one of GetPaidHQ's strengths.

Next Steps

Now that you understand products, explore:

• Variants - Deep dive into creating and managing variants
• Pricing Configuration - Learn how to attach pricing to variants
• Subscription Models - Explore different ways to charge customers