Patent ID: 11887197
Assignee: ZUORA, INC.
Field: IT methods for management (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A server system operated by a first entity, the server system comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions and shared code objects for generating merchant-specific objects to recognize and allocate recurring revenue generated from a plurality of subscription-based products offered by a plurality of merchant systems to a plurality of sets of customers; and
at least one electronic processor configured to access the non-transitory computer readable medium and to execute the instructions, the instructions when executed by the at least one electronic processor causing the server system to implement the steps of:
providing a first interface to a first merchant system of the plurality of merchant systems, the first merchant system being remote from the server system and operated by a first merchant different than the first entity, the first interface providing the first merchant system with access to the shared code objects to define:
a first subscription-based object for a first set of services to be offered by the first merchant system to a first subset of a first set of customers, the first interface configured to enable the first merchant system to use the shared code objects to define first subscription data corresponding to a first subscription-based product of the plurality of subscription-based products, the first subscription data including first subscription terms of the first subscription-based product, the first subscription terms including one or more first performance metrics, one or more first revenue recognition rules, and one or more first revenue allocation rules, the one or more first revenue recognition rules defining recognition of first recurring revenue based on one or more occurrences of a first set of recognition events associated with the first set of services, the one or more first revenue allocation rules defining allocation of a respective share of the first recurring revenue to each of a first set of one or more business operations associated with the first set of services; and
a second subscription-based object for a second set of services to be offered by the first merchant system to a second subset of the first set of customers, the first set of services being different than the second set of services, the first interface configured to enable the first merchant system to use the shared code objects to define second subscription data corresponding to a second subscription-based product of the plurality of subscription-based products, the second subscription data including second subscription terms of the second subscription-based product, the second subscription terms including one or more second performance metrics, one or more second revenue recognition rules, and one or more second revenue allocation rules, the one or more second revenue recognition rules defining recognition of second recurring revenue based on one or more occurrences of a second set of recognition events associated with the second set of services, the one or more second revenue allocation rules defining allocation of a respective share of the second recurring revenue to each of a second set of one or more business operations associated with the second set of services;

providing a second interface configured to enable the first merchant system to create a first plurality of customer accounts associated with the first subscription-based object for the first subset of the first set of customers and a second plurality of customer accounts associated with the second subscription-based object for the second subset of the first set of customers, each customer account of the first plurality and the second plurality having a respective set of first account details, the first account details including first subscription-based product identification information, one or more first cost attributes and one or more first calendaring attributes;
providing a third interface to a second merchant system of the plurality of merchant systems, the second merchant system being remote from the server system and remote from the first merchant system and operated by a second merchant different than the first entity and different than the first merchant, the second interface providing the second merchant system with access to the shared code objects to define:
a third subscription-based object for a third set of services to be offered by the second merchant system to a third subset of a second set of customers, the third interface configured to enable the second merchant system to use the shared code objects to define third subscription data corresponding to a third subscription-based product of the plurality of subscription-based products, the third subscription data including third subscription terms of the third subscription-based product, the third subscription terms including one or more third performance metrics, one or more third revenue recognition rules, and one or more third revenue allocation rules, the one or more third revenue recognition rules defining recognition of third recurring revenue based on one or more occurrences of a third set of recognition events associated with the third set of services, the one or more third revenue allocation rules defining allocation of a respective share of the third recurring revenue to each of a third set of one or more business operations associated with the third set of services; and
a fourth subscription-based object for a fourth set of services to be offered by the second merchant system to a fourth subset of the second set of customers, the third set of services being different than the fourth set of services, the third interface configured to enable the second merchant system to use the shared code objects to define fourth subscription data corresponding to a fourth subscription-based product of the plurality of subscription-based products, the fourth subscription data including fourth subscription terms of the fourth subscription-based product, the fourth subscription terms including one or more fourth performance metrics, one or more fourth revenue recognition rules, and one or more fourth revenue allocation rules, the one or more fourth revenue recognition rules defining recognition of fourth recurring revenue based on one or more occurrences of a fourth set of recognition events associated with the fourth set of services, the one or more fourth revenue allocation rules defining allocation of a respective share of the fourth recurring revenue to each of a fourth set of one or more business operations associated with the fourth set of services; and

providing a fourth interface configured to enable the second merchant system to create a third plurality of customer accounts associated with the third subscription-based object for the third subset of the second set of customers and a fourth plurality of customer accounts associated with the fourth subscription-based object for the fourth subset of the second set of customers, each customer account of the third plurality and the fourth plurality having a respective set of second account details, the second account details including second subscription-based product identification information, one or more second cost attributes and one or more second calendaring attributes;
each of the first subscription-based object, the second subscription-based object, the third subscription-based object, and the fourth subscription-based object being configured to perform:
documenting respective recurring funds received from respective customers;
identifying one or more occurrences of respective recognition events and, based on the identifying of the one or more occurrences of the respective recognition events, using respective revenue recognition rules to trigger and document respective revenue recognition of the respective recurring funds; and
using respective revenue allocation rules to allocate respective shares of the respective recurring funds.