Billing and revenue systems are essential for any business looking to monetize. These systems are often compared to an octopus due to their complexity and interconnected nature, touching various aspects of the business. There are three common patterns for billing systems: home-grown, full 3rd party, or a hybrid of both. Home-grown systems provide full control but require ongoing maintenance. Challenges with billing systems include idempotency, date handling, usage metering, invoice formatting, and more. It’s recommended to offload billing complexities by using off-the-shelf solutions like Chargebee or Recurly to handle most aspects, allowing businesses to focus on unique product features.
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