How we bill for overage from January
Three options, same five criteria. Recommendation: metered overage. Decide by 19 September for the January release.
Option B — metered overage, billed monthly
Best modelled revenue by a clear margin, the only option that never puts a hard stop in a customer's work, and it reverts inside one release.
| Criterion | A · Hard cap with upgrade prompt | B · Metered overageRecommended | C · Soft cap with 7-day grace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modelled revenue, FY27 | +$180k | +$310k | +$240k |
| Support load | +40 tickets / month | +12 tickets / month | +25 tickets / month |
| Time to ship | 3 weeks | 5 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Churn risk | HighStops work mid-task | LowNothing is interrupted | MediumThe grace period ends |
| Time to revert | 1 week | 2 weeks | 3 weeks |
Revenue is modelled on the June–August usage distribution and carries ±18% at the 80% interval. Support estimates scale from the 2025 seat-cap launch, our closest comparable.
Why not the others
-
A · Hard cap with an upgrade prompt
Cheapest, fastest, and the only option guaranteeing no unbilled usage — a real argument. It is also the only one that stops a customer mid-export. Two of our four largest accounts would have hit the cap in July, and neither can close procurement in a day.
-
C · Soft cap with a seven-day grace
The compromise, and it collects most of B's revenue. But a grace period still ends, and it ends on a Tuesday for somebody. It also needs its own notifications — so it costs nearly what B costs and keeps A's problem.
What we are asking for
- Approve Option B and a five-week build starting 22 September.
- Accept that the first invoice carrying overage lands on 3 February, not in January.
- Name a rollback owner who is not the person building it — the revert is two weeks and needs someone free to call it.
Decision needed by19 SeptemberIf it slips past the 26th the January release is out and this becomes an April decision.