diff --git a/datadog/api/metrics.py b/datadog/api/metrics.py
index d22094a66..f0853f6ec 100644
--- a/datadog/api/metrics.py
+++ b/datadog/api/metrics.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import time
+from numbers import Number
 
 from datadog.api.base import SearchableAPIResource, SendableAPIResource
 from datadog.api.exceptions import ApiError
@@ -14,17 +15,52 @@ class Metric(SearchableAPIResource, SendableAPIResource):
     _METRIC_QUERY_ENDPOINT = '/query'
     _METRIC_SUBMIT_ENDPOINT = '/series'
 
-    _SUPPORTED_DATA_TYPES = (int, float, long)
-
     @classmethod
     def _process_points(cls, points):
+        """
+        Format `points` parameter.
+
+        Input:
+            a value or (timestamp, value) pair or a list of value or (timestamp, value) pairs
+
+        Returns:
+            list of (timestamp, float value) pairs
+
+        """
         now = time.time()
-        if isinstance(points, cls._SUPPORTED_DATA_TYPES):
-            points = [(now, points)]
-        elif isinstance(points, tuple):
-            points = [points]
+        points_lst = points if isinstance(points, list) else [points]
+
+        def rec_parse(points_lst):
+            """
+            Recursively parse a list of values or a list of (timestamp, value) pairs to a list of
+            (timestamp, `float` value) pairs.
+            """
+            try:
+                if not points_lst:
+                    return []
+
+                point = points_lst.pop()
+                timestamp = now if isinstance(point, Number) else point[0]
+                value = float(point) if isinstance(point, Number) else float(point[1])
+
+                point = [(timestamp, value)]
+
+                return point + rec_parse(points_lst)
+
+            except TypeError as e:
+                raise TypeError(
+                    u"{0}: "
+                    "`points` parameter must use real numerical values.".format(e)
+                )
+
+            except IndexError as e:
+                raise IndexError(
+                    u"{0}: "
+                    u"`points` must be a list of values or "
+                    u"a list of (timestamp, value) pairs".format(e)
+                )
 
-        return points
+        return rec_parse(points_lst)
 
     @classmethod
     def send(cls, metrics=None, **single_metric):
@@ -34,7 +70,7 @@ def send(cls, metrics=None, **single_metric):
         :param metric: the name of the time series
         :type metric: string
 
-        :param points: list of points to submit
+        :param points: a (timestamp, value) pair or list of (timestamp, value) pairs
         :type points: list
 
         :param host: host name that produced the metric
diff --git a/tests/unit/api/test_api.py b/tests/unit/api/test_api.py
index a84927c21..e94adafcf 100644
--- a/tests/unit/api/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/unit/api/test_api.py
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ def submit_and_assess_metric_payload(self, serie):
             # it consists of a [time, value] pair
             self.assertEquals(len(metric['points'][0]), 2)
             # its value == value we sent
-            self.assertEquals(metric['points'][0][1], serie[i]['points'])
+            self.assertEquals(metric['points'][0][1], float(serie[i]['points']))
             # it's time not so far from current time
             assert now - 1 < metric['points'][0][0] < now + 1
 
@@ -289,9 +289,9 @@ def test_metric_submit_query_switch(self):
         """
         Endpoints are different for submission and queries.
         """
-        Metric.send(points="val")
+        Metric.send(points=(123, 456))
         self.request_called_with('POST', "host/api/v1/series",
-                                 data={'series': [{'points': "val", 'host': api._host_name}]})
+                                 data={'series': [{'points': [[123, 456.0]], 'host': api._host_name}]})
 
         Metric.query(start="val1", end="val2")
         self.request_called_with('GET', "host/api/v1/query",
@@ -312,9 +312,17 @@ def test_points_submission(self):
 
     def test_data_type_support(self):
         """
-        `Metric` API supports built-in real numerical data types.
+        `Metric` API supports `real` numerical data types.
         """
-        supported_data_types = [1, 1.0, 1L]
+        from decimal import Decimal
+        from fractions import Fraction
+
+        m_long = int(1)  # long in Python 3.x
+
+        if not is_p3k():
+            m_long = long(1)
+
+        supported_data_types = [1, 1.0, m_long, Decimal(1), Fraction(1, 2)]
 
         for point in supported_data_types:
             serie = dict(metric='metric.numerical', points=point)