specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Kpler
providerId: kpler
created: '2026-07-11'
modified: '2026-07-11'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Vessel Tracking
- Maritime
- Commodities
- Supply Chain
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Kpler spend. Kpler is sold as enterprise data subscriptions -
  annual contracts per commodity platform (Liquids, LNG, LPG, Dry) that bundle
  terminal seats with Direct Access API credentials, plus maritime/AIS data
  contracts (Kpler AIS, MarineTraffic services) sized by coverage and delivery
  channel. There is no self-serve or published per-call pricing; the primary
  cost object is the negotiated contract, with MarineTraffic API services
  additionally metered against purchased credit balances per API key.
notes: >-
  No public rates exist to reconcile. Track contract value against actual
  extraction volume and credit burn; the once-per-hour polling guidance means
  API call volume is naturally bounded, so cost optimization is mostly about
  platform scope (which commodities, which maritime feeds) rather than call
  reduction.
sources:
- https://www.kpler.com/
- https://developers.kpler.com/
- https://servicedocs.marinetraffic.com/
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Kpler
serviceCategory: Analytics and Market Data
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Committed
  billingFrequency: Annual
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Purchase
  - Usage
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Kpler Direct Access API
  ServiceCategory: Analytics and Market Data
  ProviderName: Kpler
  PublisherName: Kpler
  InvoiceIssuerName: Kpler
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
  PricingCategory: Committed
meters:
- name: platform_subscription
  description: Annual subscription per commodity platform (Liquids, LNG, LPG, Dry) bundling terminal seats and API access.
  unit: contracts
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - platform
  - business_unit
- name: maritime_data_contract
  description: Kpler AIS / MarineTraffic maritime data agreements sized by fleet coverage and delivery channel (API, NMEA, Kafka, extract).
  unit: contracts
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - feed
  - delivery_channel
- name: marinetraffic_credits
  description: Credits consumed by MarineTraffic API service calls, drawn from purchased credit balances per API key.
  unit: credits
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - api_key
  - service
- name: api_extractions
  description: Direct Access API queries executed (trades, flows, vessels, and related endpoints), useful for mapping contract value to actual usage.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - platform
  - endpoint
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Inventory every Kpler and MarineTraffic contract, API key, and credit balance; monitor the Credits Balance endpoint programmatically.
- name: Allocation
  description: Map platform subscriptions and maritime feeds to the desks and teams consuming them (trading, freight, compliance, supply chain).
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size platform scope at renewal against actual endpoint usage; consolidate overlapping vessel-tracking sources (legacy MarineTraffic, Spire, FleetMon contracts) onto the unified Kpler feeds.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner per contract and per API key; review extraction volume and credit burn against contract value quarterly.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com