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Self-serve purchase

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Self-serve purchase lets you buy Harness Subscription Units (HSUs) with a credit card directly in the product, without contacting the Harness sales team. This page explains the stages of a purchase, what changes on your account, and which limitations apply today.

What you will learn in this topic​

  • The stages of a self-serve purchase
  • What changes on your account after you buy
  • How Harness processes payments and confirms them
  • Which limitations apply to self-serve purchase today

How self-serve purchase works​

  1. Monitor your usage. Harness tracks HSU consumption against your allowance and notifies Account Administrators as you approach it. You do not have to wait for a notification, because the purchase option is always available.
  2. Start checkout. Open the purchase flow from the Subscriptions page or from a usage notification.
  3. Pay. Enter your card details and confirm the purchase. Harness verifies the payment with its payment provider.
  4. Use your new balance. Harness credits the HSUs to your account and the Subscriptions page reflects the new balance.

What changes when you purchase​

Purchasing HSUs ends your Free plan immediately and moves the account to Essentials. This is the most important consequence of buying, so review it before you start checkout.

The move to Essentials has the following effects:

  • Your plan name changes: The Subscriptions page shows Essentials instead of Free.
  • Your Free HSUs are forfeited: Harness does not track a combined Free and paid balance, so your remaining Free allowance is removed rather than added to your purchase.
  • Your Free HSU overage is forgiven: Overage accrued on the Free plan is never charged and is not billed back when you upgrade. Only net-new purchases are billed.
  • Your rate card is pinned: The rates in effect at your first purchase apply for the full contract term.

Go to Plan changes and rate cards to review these effects in detail, including what happens if you downgrade and upgrade again.

Time your purchase so you do not waste Free HSUs

Because Free HSUs are forfeited rather than added to your purchase, a large unused Free balance is lost when you upgrade. If you are not close to your limit, consider spending your Free allowance first.

Minimum purchase​

The minimum self-serve purchase is 5,000 HSUs per year. Size your purchase against your expected annual consumption rather than against the gap left in your current month.

Payment processing​

Harness processes card payments through a payment provider. Card numbers are entered into that provider and are not stored by Harness.

After a successful purchase, Harness confirms it in the following places:

  • The checkout complete page, which shows the HSU quantity, the amount charged, your new plan and balance, and your contract renewal date.
  • The Subscriptions page, which reflects your new plan and HSU balance within seconds.
  • Your transaction history page, which lists past purchases. Go to Invoices and refunds for the steps.

If your payment confirmation does not appear, check the Subscriptions page first, then contact Harness Support.

Current limitations​

Self-serve purchase is a first release. The following limitations apply today.

LimitationWhat it means for you
One self-serve purchase per accountA Free account can complete one self-serve purchase. To add capacity within a term, contact the Harness sales team.
A 30 minute wait after a failed transactionIf a transaction fails, Harness blocks further payment attempts on the account for 30 minutes.
Free HSUs are not carried overUpgrading forfeits your remaining Free allowance rather than adding it to your purchase.
Additional purchases use the same rate cardUnits bought later in a term are charged at the same per-unit rate as your first purchase.

Frequently asked questions​

Does purchasing HSUs move my Harness account off the Free plan?

Yes. Purchasing HSUs ends the Free plan immediately and moves the account to Essentials. Your remaining Free allowance is forfeited and your balance becomes the HSUs you purchased.

What is the minimum number of HSUs I can buy?

The minimum self-serve purchase is 5,000 HSUs per year.

Can I buy more HSUs after my first purchase?

Contact the Harness sales team to add capacity within a term. Additional purchases are coterminous with your original contract and are charged at the same rate card as your first purchase.

Where can I find a receipt for my Harness HSU purchase?

Navigate to Account Settings, then select Billing to view your transaction history. The payment provider also sends a payment confirmation for the charge.