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My API Service Composition Tiers

I am slowly getting my new API stack in order, where I am close to opening it up for access to a wider audience. As part of this last round of work, I'm fine tuning my service composition strategy a little more. If you aren't familiar with API service composition, it is just about creating different levels of access to your APIs, and using my 3Scale API infrastructure I can easily break this down.

The most common approach to API service composition you see out there is public and private, with maybe an additional partner tier. I'm taking a slightly different approach to defining my layers, and so far, her is what I have:

Almost all of my API consumers will begin as a retail user, and either stay there, or evolve into one of the other tiers. In the end I can custom tailor access to any of my users, and their applications, but I prefer establish specific layers for users to exist in--giving me clear security groups, that are also in alignment with my business goals.

My service composition approach will most likely stay staty static for a while now, as I play with a credit system that I can use for accessing different resourcs. Right now all APIs use the same unit of value for each API call, something I want to change. I am looking to develop a metering system that puts my 3Scale infrastructure to use, allowing me to maximize the value of each individual APIs.