Freelance › Projects › Web development › Turn our internal API into a paid product with keys and billing
Turn our internal API into a paid product with keys and billing
Employer
Yaroslav
Project parameters
Type of cooperationOne-time project
SectionWeb development
Prepaymentwithout prepayment
Payment methodsCash, Bank transfer
Acceptance of requestsfrom today, 01:08 until Sep 7, 2026
Project description
We run a data platform whose internal API has quietly become the most valuable thing we own, and several partners keep asking for direct access. Instead of building one-off integrations, we want to productize this API and sell it properly. That means turning what is now an unguarded internal endpoint into a metered, self-service product: developers should be able to sign up, receive an API key, choose a plan, start calling within minutes, and see exactly what they are being charged for. We are not looking to reinvent our business logic, only to wrap a clean monetization and access layer around it.
Concretely, we need an API gateway or middleware that authenticates every request by key, enforces per-plan rate limits and quotas, and records each call for billing. Metering must be accurate and idempotent, because customers will dispute invoices if counts drift. Billing should be usage-based with tiered plans (a free trial tier, a couple of paid tiers, and an enterprise option with custom limits), including overage handling and monthly invoicing through our payment provider. On top of that we want a developer portal where users manage keys, watch their consumption in real time, read the docs, and upgrade or downgrade plans without contacting us. Finally, we need internal usage analytics so we can see top endpoints, revenue per customer, and abuse patterns.
Please propose the architecture before writing code, and be explicit about how you will keep metering consistent under load and how keys are stored and rotated securely. We value clear boundaries between the gateway, the billing engine, and the portal so each can evolve independently.
— API key issuance, scoping and secure rotation
— Usage metering that is accurate, idempotent and auditable
— Rate limiting and quotas enforced per plan
— Tiered, usage-based billing with overage and invoicing
— Self-service developer portal with live consumption view
— Internal analytics: top endpoints, revenue per customer, abuse detection
Concretely, we need an API gateway or middleware that authenticates every request by key, enforces per-plan rate limits and quotas, and records each call for billing. Metering must be accurate and idempotent, because customers will dispute invoices if counts drift. Billing should be usage-based with tiered plans (a free trial tier, a couple of paid tiers, and an enterprise option with custom limits), including overage handling and monthly invoicing through our payment provider. On top of that we want a developer portal where users manage keys, watch their consumption in real time, read the docs, and upgrade or downgrade plans without contacting us. Finally, we need internal usage analytics so we can see top endpoints, revenue per customer, and abuse patterns.
Please propose the architecture before writing code, and be explicit about how you will keep metering consistent under load and how keys are stored and rotated securely. We value clear boundaries between the gateway, the billing engine, and the portal so each can evolve independently.
— API key issuance, scoping and secure rotation
— Usage metering that is accurate, idempotent and auditable
— Rate limiting and quotas enforced per plan
— Tiered, usage-based billing with overage and invoicing
— Self-service developer portal with live consumption view
— Internal analytics: top endpoints, revenue per customer, abuse detection
