System and method for real-time pricing with volume discounting

Abstract

A system and method are provided for facilitating real-time pricing with volume discounting. The method includes receiving a request for a real-time price quote for a transaction from a first account. The request is received at a first instance in time during a billing cycle. The method also includes determining a first production service, where the first production service is a component of the transaction, and determining a count of first production service instances representing the first production service in the received transaction. The method further includes determining a billable entity for the transaction, where the billable entity includes one or more related accounts, and the related accounts include the first account.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A computer-implemented method for charging a billable entity for transactions carried out during a billing cycle, said method comprising the following steps performed in a data processing system:
 for each transaction, at the time the transaction takes place:
 identifying a set of completed transactions, being all transactions of the billable entity that are carried out during the billing cycle up to and including the transaction; 
 identifying production services that are involved in the transaction, and, for each identified production service:
 identifying one or more billable services related to the identified production service that are part of a group of billable services eligible for volume discount or surcharge; 
 
 determining a count of the identified billable services involved in the transaction; 
 determining, in the set of completed transactions, a running total count of billable services that are part of the group of billable services; 
 determining a first total charge for the billable services included in the running total count, according to a pricing method applicable to the group of billable services or the billable entity at the time of the transaction to be charged; and 
 determining a tentative charge for the identified billable services of the transaction by multiplying the first total charge by the ratio of (i) the count of the identified billable services involved in the transaction to (ii) the running total count; and 
   at the end of the billing cycle:   identifying, as a final set of transactions, all transactions of the billable entity in the billing cycle;   identifying, as a final group of billable services, all billable services involved in the final set of transactions that are part of the group of billable services;   determining an end-of-period total count for the billable services in the final group of billable services;   determining a final total charge based on the end-of-period total count; and   for each transaction in the final set of transactions:
 determining an end-of-period apportionment charge for the transaction's billable services in the final group of billable services by multiplying the final total charge by the ratio of (i) the count of the identified billable services in the transaction, to (ii) the end-of-period total count; 
 calculating the end-of-period variance or correction by determining a difference between the end-of-period apportionment charge and the tentative charge associated with the transaction's identified billable services; and 
 modifying the tentative charge using the end-of-period variance or correction. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising notifying one or more responsible persons related to the billable entity of the end-of-period variances or corrections using a form of mass media. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the billable entity contains (i) a first portfolio entity associated with one or more financial instruments traded and transacted through a first computerized exchange network, and (ii) a second portfolio entity associated with one or more financial instruments traded and transacted through a second computerized exchange network. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first and second portfolios change during or at end of the billing cycle. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein each production service relates to one or more of the following actions or activities: (a) buying, (b) selling, (c) notifying a customer, (d) notifying a broker, (e) notifying an exchange, (f) exercising an option, (g) splitting, (h) renewing a term, (i) liquidating, (j) generating a risk scenario, (k) performing a valuation, (l) a margin call, (m) transferring assets, and (n) transferring funds. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein one or more transactions comprise an action which results in a change of ownership of a financial instrument. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein one or more transactions comprise an action which does not result in the change of ownership of a financial instrument. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the count of identified billable services, the running total count and the end-of-period total count each comprise a value pertaining to production and billable services. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the value being calculated is based on one or more of: an instance count, an occurrence count, a decimalized number, a quantity, a monetary amount, a percentage, a ratio, an average, a dimension, a volume, a weight, a height, a width, a depth, a distance, and a series or set of values. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pricing method changes during or at end of the billing cycle. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pricing method is based on one or more of: (i) a calculation formula, and (ii) individual factors or variable values to be substituted into a calculation formula. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pricing method is associated with one or more of the following descriptors: (a) unit price, (b) unit cost, (c) flat fee, (d) minimum revenue, (e) tiering, (f) volume discount, and (g) cost plus markup. 
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium including computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for charging a billable entity for transactions carried out during a billing cycle, said method comprising the steps:
 for each transaction, at the time the transaction takes place:
 identifying a set of completed transactions, being all transactions of the billable entity that are carried out during the billing cycle up to and including the transaction; 
 identifying production services that are involved in the transaction, and, for each identified production service:
 identifying one or more billable services related to the identified production service that are part of a group of billable services eligible for volume discount or surcharge; 
 
 determining a count of the identified billable services involved in the transaction; 
 determining, in the set of completed transactions, a running total count of billable services that are part of the group of billable services; 
 determining a first total charge for the billable services included in the running total count, according to a pricing method applicable to the group of billable services or the billable entity at the time of the transaction to be charged; and 
 determining a tentative charge for the identified billable services of the transaction by multiplying the first total charge by the ratio of (i) the count of the identified billable services involved in the transaction to (ii) the running total count; and 
   at the end of the billing cycle:
 identifying, as a final set of transactions, all transactions of the billable entity in the billing cycle; 
 identifying, as a final group of billable services, all billable services involved in the final set of transactions that are part of the group of billable services; 
 determining an end-of-period total count for the billable services in the final group of billable services; 
 determining a final total charge based on the end-of-period total count; and 
 for each transaction in the final set of transactions:
 determining an end-of-period apportionment charge for the transaction's billable services in the final group of billable services by multiplying the final total charge by the ratio of (i) the count of the identified billable services in the transaction, to (ii) the end-of-period total count; 
 calculating the end-of-period variance or correction by determining a difference between the end-of-period apportionment charge and the tentative charge associated with the transaction's identified billable services; and 
 modifying the tentative charge using the end-of-period variance or correction. 
 
   
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , further comprising notifying one or more responsible persons related to the billable entity of the end-of-period variances or corrections using a form of mass media. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein the billable entity contains (i) a first portfolio entity associated with one or more financial instruments traded and transacted through a first computerized exchange network, and (ii) a second portfolio entity associated with one or more financial instruments traded and transacted through a second computerized exchange network. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 37 , wherein the first and second portfolios change during or at end of the billing cycle. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein each production service relates to one or more of the following actions or activities: (a) buying, (b) selling, (c) notifying a customer, (d) notifying a broker, (e) notifying an exchange, (f) exercising an option, (g) splitting, (h) renewing a term, (i) liquidating, (j) generating a risk scenario, (k) performing a valuation, (l) a margin call, (m) transferring assets, and (n) transferring funds. 
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein one or more transactions comprise an action which results in a change of ownership of a financial instrument. 
     
     
         41 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein one or more transactions comprise an action which does not result in the change of ownership of a financial instrument. 
     
     
         42 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein the count of identified billable services, the running total count and the end-of-period total count each comprise a value pertaining to production and billable services. 
     
     
         43 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 42 , wherein the value being calculated is based on one or more of: an instance count, an occurrence count, a decimalized number, a quantity, a monetary amount, a percentage, a ratio, an average, a dimension, a volume, a weight, a height, a width, a depth, a distance, and a series or set of values. 
     
     
         44 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein the pricing method changes during or at end of the billing cycle. 
     
     
         45 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein the pricing method is based on one or more of: (i) a calculation formula, and (ii) individual factors or variable values to be substituted into a calculation formula. 
     
     
         46 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein the pricing method is associated with one or more of the following descriptors: (a) unit price, (b) unit cost, (c) flat fee, (d) minimum revenue, (e) tiering, (f) volume discount, and (g) cost plus markup.