specification: API Commons FinOps
specificationVersion: '0.1'
provider: Chess.com
providerId: chess-com
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
tags:
  - Chess
  - FinOps
  - Public API
  - Consumer Subscription
description: FinOps surface for Chess.com. The Published Data API itself is free and unmetered, so there
  is no API-cost surface to align to FOCUS. The consumer subscription product (Basic / Gold / Platinum /
  Diamond) is the only billable surface, billed monthly or annually in USD via card or PayPal.
sources:
  - https://www.chess.com/membership
  - https://www.chess.com/legal
focus:
  alignment: consumer-subscription
  billingPeriod: monthly | annual
  currency: USD
  charges:
    - chargeCategory: Usage
      chargeClass: null
      chargeFrequency: Recurring
      pricingUnit: user-month
      sku: chess-com-gold
      description: Gold subscription
    - chargeCategory: Usage
      chargeFrequency: Recurring
      pricingUnit: user-month
      sku: chess-com-platinum
      description: Platinum subscription
    - chargeCategory: Usage
      chargeFrequency: Recurring
      pricingUnit: user-month
      sku: chess-com-diamond
      description: Diamond subscription
    - chargeCategory: Usage
      chargeFrequency: Recurring
      pricingUnit: shared-yearly-plan
      sku: chess-com-friends-family
      description: Friends and Family Diamond — up to six users on one annual plan
api:
  meteringSurface: none
  cost:
    perRequest: 0
    perToken: null
    perMonth: 0
    notes: The Published Data API is free, unauthenticated, and unmetered. There is no API spend to
      report to FOCUS; the only spend that exists is the consumer subscription tied to a single
      chess.com account.
governance:
  identityForBilling: Chess.com member account
  reportingCadence: monthly statement / annual receipt
  costCenters: not applicable (consumer)
  showback: not applicable
risks:
  - Sudden parallel traffic spikes can produce 429s but cost nothing — operational risk only.
  - Chess.com may add a paid commercial API tier in the future; revisit this FinOps surface if that
    happens.