Points represent processing power and bandwidth required to serve the data. This system also makes it easier to offer bulk pricing, which is evident in the fact that larger purchases offer more points per dollar.
A couple of tools that should be helpful in better calculating the costs of a data request can be found in two places: the Develop portal and the Data Download Tool. I hope they will help to simplify things a bit:
- On the Develop portal, selecting “TopUp Account” will take you to a pricing calculator where you can check the number of points you’ll receive in real-time by inserting different purchase amounts.
- On the download tool, you can set up a data request on the “Download” tab, and it will display a points estimate at the bottom of the window. You can see an even more detailed version of this points breakdown by going to the “Settings” tab and checking the box next to the option “Show Detailed Points Cost.”
We opted for a billing system that reflects charges to our users in the same way that we are charged for serving the data. We felt that this was the most transparent way to do it.