Using configured application pricing to determine end user fees for use of invocable services

A computer-implemented method for tracking use of network-accessible services by end users of applications in a configurable manner, the method comprising:

• receiving an indication of use of a first service by an executing copy of one of multiple applications on behalf of an end user who is using the executing application copy, wherein the first service has an associated predefined usage model for use in determining usage fees for the first service, and wherein each of the multiple applications has a distinct configured usage model for use in determining distinct fees for end users for use of the first service via the application;
• determining the application whose executing copy used the first service and the end user who is using that executing copy, the determining of the application and of the end user being performed by one or more programmed computing systems;
• determining a first fee to be paid by the determined end user based on the use of the first service via the determined application, the first fee being based at least in part on the configured usage model for the determined application, the determining of the first fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems:
• determining a second fee to be paid to a provider of the first service based on the use of the first service via the determined application, the second fee being based at least in part on the associated usage model for the first service, the determining of the second fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems;
• determining a third fee to be paid to a provider of the determined application, the third fee being based at least in part on a difference between the first and second fees, the determining of the third fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems;
• and
• providing payment of the second and third fees to the providers of the determined application and the first service.

A computer-implemented method for tracking use of network-accessible services by end users of applications in a configurable manner, the method comprising:

• receiving an indication of use of a first service by an executing copy of one of multiple applications on behalf of an end user who is using the executing application copy, wherein the first service has an associated predefined usage model for use in determining usage fees for the first service, and wherein each of the multiple applications has a distinct configured usage model for use in determining distinct fees for end users for use of the first service via the application;
• determining the application whose executing copy used the first service and the end user who is using that executing copy, the determining of the application and of the end user being performed by one or more programmed computing systems;
• determining a first fee to be paid by the determined end user based on the use of the first service via the determined application, the first fee being based at least in part on the configured usage model for the determined application, the determining of the first fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems;
• determining a second fee to be paid to a provider of the first service based on the use of the first service via the determined application, the second fee being based at least in part on the associated usage model for the first service, the determining of the second fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems;
• determining a third fee to be paid to a provider of the determined application, the third fee being based at least in part on a difference between the first and second fees, the determining of the third fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems;
• and
• obtaining a fee for the determining of the first, second and third fees, and wherein the method is performed by a fee-based metering service.

A computer-implemented method for tracking use of network-accessible services by end users of applications in a configurable manner, the method comprising:

• receiving an indication of use of a first service by an executing copy of one of multiple applications on behalf of an end user who is using the executing application copy, wherein the first service has an associated predefined usage model for use in determining usage fees for the first service, and wherein each of the multiple applications has a distinct configured usage model for use in determining distinct fees for end users for use of the first service via the application;
• determining the application whose executing copy used the first service and the end user who is using that executing copy, the determining of the application and of the end user being performed by one or more programmed computing systems;
• tracking multiple uses of the first service by executing copies of multiple of the applications on behalf of multiple end users, so that an amount of use of the first service may be determined for each of the multiple end users;
• determining a first fee to be paid by the determined end user based on the use of the first service via the determined application, the first fee being based at least in part on the configured usage model for the determined application, the determining of the first fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems;
• determining a second fee to be paid to a provider of the first service based on the use of the first service via the determined application, the second fee being based at least in part on the associated usage model for the first service, the determining of the second fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems;
• and
• determining a third fee to be paid to a provider of the determined application, the third fee being based at least in part on a difference between the first and second fees, the determining of the third fee being performed by the one or more programmed computing systems.

A computing system configured to track use of invocable services by applications in a configurable manner, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a module that is configured to:
• track use of one or more selected invocable services via an application on behalf of one or more users of the application, the selected invocable services each having an associated usage model for use in determining usage fees charged for use of the service, the application having a configured usage model for each of the selected invocable services that is distinct from the associated usage model for that service and that is for use in determining distinct fees to be paid by users of the application for use of that service via the application;
• determine one or more fees to be paid by each of the one or more users based on the use of the one or more selected invocable services on behalf of the user, the determined one or more fees to be paid by a user being based at least in part on the configured usage models for the one or more selected invocable services used on behalf of the user;
• determine one or more other fees to be paid to a provider of the application based at least in part on the use of the one or more selected invocable services on behalf of the one or more users, the determining of the one or more other fees being based at least in part on the determined fees to be paid by the one or more users and on additional fees to be paid to providers of the one or more selected invocable services;
• provide one or more indications of the determined other fees;
• and
• provide one or more indications of the determined fees for use in obtaining payment from the users and in providing compensation for use of the selected invocable services.

A computing system configured to track use of invocable services by applications in a configurable manner, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a module that is configured to:
• track use of one or more selected invocable services via an application on behalf of one or more users of the application, the selected invocable services each having an associated usage model for use in determining usage fees charged for use of the service, the application having a configured usage model for each of the selected invocable services that is distinct from the associated usage model for that service and that is for use in determining distinct fees to be paid by users of the application for use of that service via the application:
• determine one or more fees to be paid by each of the one or more users based on the use of the one or more selected invocable services on behalf of the user, the determined one or more fees to be paid by a user being based at least in part on the configured usage models for the one or more selected invocable services used on behalf of the user;
• determine one or more additional fees to be paid to one or more providers of the one or more selected invocable services based on the use of the one or more selected invocable services on behalf of the one or more users, the determining of the one or more additional fees being based at least in part on associated usage models for those services;
• and to
• provide one or more indications of the determined additional fees;
• and
• provide one or more indications of the determined fees for use in obtaining payment from the users and in providing compensation for use of the selected invocable services.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium whose stored contents configure a computing device to track use of network-accessible services by end users of applications in a configurable manner, by performing a method comprising:

• receiving an indication of use of a first service by an executing copy of one of multiple applications on behalf of an end user who is using the executing application copy, wherein the first service has an associated predefined usage model for use in determining usage fees for the first service, and wherein each of the multiple applications has a distinct configured usage model for use in determining distinct fees for end users for use of the first service via the application;
• determining the application whose executing copy used the first service and the end user who is using that executing copy, the determining of the application and of the end user being performed by the configured computing device;
• tracking multiple other uses of the first service on behalf of the determined end user by multiple executing copies of multiple of the applications, the multiple other uses being distinct from the indicated use of the first service;
• determining a first fee to be paid by the determined end user based on the indicated use of the first service via the determined application and further based on the multiple tracked other uses of the first service by the multiple applications, the first fee being based at least in part on the configured usage model for the determined application, the determining of the first fee being performed by the configured computing device;
• determining a second fee to be paid to a provider of the first service based on the indicated use of the first service via the determined application and further based on the multiple tracked other uses of the first service by the multiple applications, the second fee being based at least in part on the associated usage model for the first service, the determining of the second fee being performed by the configured computing device;
• and
• determining a third fee to be paid to a provider of the determined application, the third fee being based at least in part on a difference between the first and second fees determined based on the indicated use of the first service and on the multiple tracked other uses of the first service, the determining of the third fee being performed by the configured computing device.