# Volume tiers

Volume tiers are price levels that decrease as the size of a purchase increases: a gigabyte bought in a 100 GB purchase costs less than one bought alone. The tier is usually determined by the amount of a single purchase and applies to all of it. Tiers are the main reason two customers pay very different rates for the same product, and the first thing to compare between providers at your actual volume.


## How to read a ladder

Find the row for the amount you will actually buy at once, not the smallest or the largest. Then multiply by your monthly volume: a provider cheaper at 1 GB may be dearer at 100 GB, and the reverse.


## Tier by purchase versus tier by cumulative usage

| Model | How the rate is set | Consequence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| By purchase | The size of each purchase sets its rate | Buying a month at once is cheaper than the same volume in small top-ups |
| By cumulative volume | The rate falls as monthly usage crosses thresholds | Small buyers reach lower rates only late in the month |
| By plan | A subscription with an allowance; overage at a higher rate | Unused allowance is lost; overage is expensive |


## How it works at ProxShift

ProxShift residential traffic has 12 tiers from 1 GB to 10 TB and mobile traffic 5; the tier of a purchase applies to every gigabyte in it. Dedicated addresses take volume discounts instead: 5, 10, 20 and 25 % from 10, 50, 100 and 500 IPs.

Source: https://proxshift.com/glossary/volume-tiers