Monetization

This guide helps you set up API billing (monetization) in Apigee and test the full experience in the developer portal, including viewing plans, purchasing plans, and managing billing.

2. Before you start

• Monetization is already enabled for your Apigee organization.
• You can sign in to Google Cloud Console and open Apigee for that organization.
• You can sign in to your developer portal with a user linked to an Apigee developer.
• An admin has exposed monetization links in the portal navigation.

Developers should be able to open these pages:

• Billing - /monetization/billing (old /billing redirects)
• Plans - /monetization/plans (old /plans redirects)
• My purchased plans - /monetization/purchased-plans

Set up a rate plan in Apigee (Google Cloud)

This setup happens in the Google Cloud Apigee console, not in the portal. The portal only displays and uses rate plans that already exist and are published in Apigee.

Step 1: Open Monetization in Apigee

1. Sign in to Google Cloud Console.
2. Select the project that contains your Apigee organization.
3. Open Apigee (from the menu or search).
4. In the left menu under Distribution, click Monetization.

Step 2: Create a new rate plan

1. Click Create rate plan (or the equivalent action).
2. In the wizard, stay on Step 1: Rate plan details.

Step 3: Fill in rate plan details

1. Rate plan name
   Enter a clear name, such as Test Plan or Starter - Pay per call. This is typically visible in the portal.
2. API product
   This field is required. A rate plan must link to at least one API product. Choose an API product from the dropdown. If the list is empty, create an API product first in Apigee.
3. Click Next.

Step 4: Complete the rest of the wizard

1. Billing - Choose charging model (for example prepaid vs postpaid) and currency if requested.
2. Pricing - Define pricing details (for example per-call or fixed fee).
3. Revenue sharing - Configure only if your organization uses it; otherwise keep defaults.
4. Use Save and publish (or Save draft then Publish).

Step 5: Confirm the plan is published

In Apigee Monetization, open your rate plans list and verify the new plan shows Published or Active. If it shows Draft, publish it.

Make sure your portal is connected

The portal must connect to the same Apigee organization where the rate plan was created. The portal reads balance, plans, and purchases from Apigee.

What to check (typically done by an admin)

1. Apigee organization
   In portal admin settings (for example Admin -> Apigee -> Organizations), confirm the correct Apigee organization is selected or primary.
2. Credentials
   Confirm the Apigee connection credentials are valid. Use Test connection if available.
3. User linked to Apigee
   Your test user must exist as a developer in Apigee. If needed, run your portal's sync flow.

Where does the data come from? (Apigee vs database)

Monetization data shown in the portal comes from Apigee, not the portal database. Purchased plans, balance, and available rate plans are fetched live each time users open Billing, Plans, or My purchased plans.

Test in the developer portal

Use a normal developer account. The account must be logged in and linked to an Apigee developer (for Apigee X, email-based mapping may work even before explicit sync).

Test 1: Billing page

Goal: Confirm billing information loads from Apigee.

1. Log in to the developer portal.
2. Open /monetization/billing.
3. Verify you see billing details, such as prepaid balance and (for Apigee X) billing type. Balance may be zero for new developers.
4. If there is an error, capture the exact message and continue to Troubleshooting.

Test 2: Pricing and Plans (catalog)

Goal: Confirm published rate plans appear in the portal.

1. Open /monetization/plans.
2. Verify the list includes the plan created in Part A.
3. If list is empty, confirm the plan is published and the portal points to the same Apigee organization.

Test 3: Purchase a rate plan

Goal: Complete a purchase and verify it appears under purchased plans.

1. On Plans, click Purchase for a rate plan.
2. Complete checkout details:

• Start date - Usually today.
• End date - Optional; leave empty for no fixed end date.

3. Submit the purchase.
4. Verify success message and redirect to purchased plans (or navigate manually).
5. Verify the purchased plan appears with start date and optional end date.

If errors appear, common causes include:

• Developer legal name not specified - Complete required developer profile fields in Apigee.
• Insufficient balance - Add funds for prepaid plans if your org supports it.
• Other errors - Save the exact message and review Troubleshooting.

Test 4: My purchased plans

Goal: Confirm purchased plans are visible and manageable.

1. Open /monetization/purchased-plans.
2. Verify list includes purchased plans with key details and status.
3. Optional: use cancel/end flow for one plan, set an end date, and verify the new status or end date is shown.

Test 5: Back to Billing

Goal: Confirm billing still loads and reflects any applicable updates.

1. Return to /monetization/billing.
2. Verify billing information still loads without errors.

How to test after you already purchased

1. Check /monetization/purchased-plans and verify subscription details appear.
2. Check /monetization/billing and confirm balance or billing type loads without errors.
3. Optional: make API calls for the monetized product, then check balance or usage in portal and Apigee.

6. Part D: Optional - see usage and balance change

1. App and API product
   Ensure the test developer has an app approved for the API product tied to the rate plan.
2. Call the API
   Use app credentials (for example API key) to call an API in the monetized product. You can use portal test tools or Postman.
3. Check the portal
   Re-open Billing and look for balance or usage changes (some delay is normal).
4. Check Apigee
   In Apigee Monetization and reporting views, verify usage or billing events for the test developer and app.

This step is optional. You can validate the core flow without real API traffic: plans visible -> purchase works -> purchased plans list updates.

7. Troubleshooting

Quick checklist

• Monetization is enabled for the Apigee organization.
• An API product exists, and a rate plan is created and published for it.
• The portal is connected to the same Apigee organization, and connection test passes.
• The test user is logged in and linked to an Apigee developer.
• Billing page loads and shows billing data (even if zero).
• Plans page shows at least one rate plan.
• Purchase succeeds and appears under My purchased plans.
• Optional: monetized API calls appear in usage/balance or Apigee reports.

If an issue remains, capture the exact screen, error message, and click path, then share it with your technical team or support.