> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.m3ter.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Creating Plans
This topic explains how to create and manage Plans.
**Important!** We *strongly recommend* that you review the options available for configuring Plans before you attempt to create them. See [Reviewing Configuration Options for Plans and Plan Templates](/guides/plans-and-pricing/working-with-plan-templates-and-plans/reviewing-configuration-options-for-plans-and-plan-templates).
## Creating and Managing Plans
**To create a Plan:**
1. Select **Pricing>Plans**. The **Plans** page opens.
2. In the **Product** drop-down, select the Product for which you want to create the new Plan.
3. Select **Create plan**. The **Create** page opens and under **Plan details** the **Product** field shows the selected **Product**.
4. Use the **Plan template** drop-down to select a template. Note that:
* **No Plan templates**. If the selected Product doesn't have any Plan templates created for it, then you must first create a Template before you can create a Plan for the Product. The **Create** form settings will be grayed out and disabled and you'll see a warning with a **Create new plan template** hotlink text. Select this link to go directly to the **Plan templates>Create** page. When you've created a Plan template for the Product, you'll be brought straight back to the **Plans>Create** page to proceed.
* **Existing Plan templates**. If the selected Product does have Plan templates created for it, you can proceed and select the Plan template you want to base the Plan on.
5. Enter the **Plan details**:
* **Name**. Descriptive name for Plan.
* **Code**. Unique identifier for Plan.
* Note that when you've entered a name for the Plan and clicked in the **Code** field, a Code is automatically entered based on that name. You can then edit the auto-generated Code value as required.
* If you want to change any of the settings the Plan inherits from the Plan Template, use the **Standing charge** and **Minimum spend** cards.
6. Enter the **Standing charge** settings for your Plan:
* **Standing charge**. You can override the value inherited from the **Plan template**. If you do override the Plan template, the **Value from template** is struck through.
* **Standing charge billing**. Allows you to control whether any standing charges due are billed in advance or in arrears:
* **Use configuration from plan template**. Default selection. If enabled, the setting selected for Standing charge billing on the Plan template will be used - it will be shown in brackets. If you select either of the other two options, the Plan template setting will be overridden.
* **Bill in arrears (end of each billing period)**
* **Bill in advance (start of each billing period)**
* **Standing charge accounting product.** For accounting purposes, select a Product that will be linked to any *Standing charge* line items on Bills. (*Optional*)
* Note that if you leave this blank, then the Product the Plan belongs will be used.
* **Standing charge description**. You can enter a custom description for any Standing charge amounts, which overrides any description entered for the Plan template and which will appear in the bill line item.
**Tip: Default Standing Charge Description?** If you omit a custom description, then a default Standing charge description is shown for Bill line items- see [Bill Line Items - Default Descriptions](/guides/billing-and-usage-data/running-viewing-and-managing-bills/bill-line-items-default-descriptions) for details.
7. Enter the **Minimum spend** settings for your Plan:
* **Product minimum spend**. You can override the value inherited from the **Plan template**. If you do override the Plan Template, the **Value from template** is struck through. For example, enter **150**:
* At billing, this value imposes a minimum for *Product charges* against any Account that has the priced Plan attached to it. For example, if the total charges for Product usage is **140**, then an additional line item for a Product Minimum spend charge of **10** will be added to the Bill to bring the spend up to the minimum.
* The check for Product minimum spend does not include any Standing Charge amounts due.
* Note that when you price a Plan, you can also define a Minimum spend *for that pricing*, which then applies to charges due on an Account at billing under that specific pricing. For example, if you've configured a pricing for a Plan attached to an Account and set a Minimum spend for that pricing of **140**, but the charges due at billing amount only to **120**, then a Minimum spend adjustment line item will be added to the Bill in the amount of **20**. This is independent of any *Product Minimum spend* defined for the Plan itself - if, as exampled above, that is set at **150**, then a line item for Product Minimum spend will also appear in the amount of **10** to bring the spend for Product up to the minimum after the minimum for the pricing has been adjusted. See [Understanding Billing Options for Plan Templates/Plans](/guides/plans-and-pricing/working-with-plan-templates-and-plans/understanding-billing-options-for-plan-templates-plans) for more details.
* **Minimum spend billing**. Allows you to control whether Minimum spends are applied to Bills in advance or in arrears:
* **Use configuration from plan template**. Default selection. If enabled, the setting selected for Minimum spend billing on the Plan template will be used - it will be shown in brackets. If you select either of the other two options, the Plan template setting will be overridden.
* **Bill in arrears (end of each billing period)**
* **Bill in advance (start of each billing period)**
* **Minimum spend accounting product.** For accounting purposes, select a Product that will be linked to any *Minimum spend* or *Minimum spend adjustment* line items on Bills. (*Optional*)
* Note that if you leave this blank, then the Product the Plan belongs to will be used.
* **Minimum spend description**. You can enter a description for any Minimum spend amounts, which overrides any description entered for the Plan template and which will appear in the bill line item:
**Tip: Default Minimum Spend Description?** If you omit a custom description, then a default Minimum spend description will be shown for Bill line items- see [Bill Line Items - Default Descriptions](/guides/billing-and-usage-data/running-viewing-and-managing-bills/bill-line-items-default-descriptions) for details.
8. Add any required **Custom fields** to the Plan. For more on Custom fields, see [Adding and Editing Custom Fields](/guides/organization-and-access-management/viewing-and-editing-organization#adding-and-editing-custom-fields).
9. Select **Create plan**. The **Plan details** page opens:
* Note that the **Plan template** on which the Plan is based and the **Product** which the Plan belongs to are shown. You can open the **Plan template details** page or **Product details** page using the text hotlinks.
* For more details on working in **Plan details** to review pricing and billing setup, manage your Plans, review Plan metadata, or duplicate Plans, see [Working in Plan Template and Plan Details](/guides/plans-and-pricing/working-with-plan-templates-and-plans/working-in-plan-details).
**New Plan details?** The *new version* of the Plan details page opens. If you prefer to work in the *old version* of the page, select **Use the old version**.