Plan changes and rate cards
Moving between the Free and Essentials plans changes your HSU balance and the rates applied to your purchases. Review this page before you buy so the effect on your balance is not a surprise.
What you learn
- What happens to your Free HSUs when you upgrade to Essentials
- How Harness treats Free HSU overage after you become a paying customer
- How your rate card is pinned, unpinned, and reapplied
- How additional purchases are priced and dated within a term
Upgrade from Free to Essentials
Purchasing HSUs moves your account from the Free plan to Essentials immediately. The purchase option is available on any account, so you do not have to reach a usage threshold to buy.
Two things happen to your balance at that moment.
- Your Free HSUs are forfeited. Harness does not maintain a combined Free and paid balance. Your remaining Free allowance is removed and your balance becomes the HSUs you purchased.
- Your Free HSU overage is forgiven. Any overage accrued while on the Free plan is never charged and is not billed back to you when you upgrade. Only net-new purchases are billed.
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.
Rate card pinning
The rate card in effect when you make your first Essentials purchase is pinned to your account and applies for the full contract term. Later changes to Harness global pricing do not change the rates on a pinned account during that term.
Pinning behaves as follows across plan changes:
| Event | Effect on rate card |
|---|---|
| First Essentials purchase | The current rate card is pinned for the full contract term. |
| Additional purchases within the term | The pinned rate card continues to apply. |
| Downgrade to Free | The rate card is unpinned. |
| Upgrade to Essentials again | The latest global rate card applies and is pinned again. |
Because a downgrade unpins your rates, an account that returns to Essentials later is priced at the global rate card in effect at that time, not at its original rates.
How additional purchases are priced
Every HSU purchase is charged at your pinned rate card. Buying in stages does not change your per-unit rate, and additional purchases within a term are charged at the same rate as your first purchase.
Go to Harness Flex Pricing to review tier rates.
How additional purchases are dated
Additional HSU purchases within a term are coterminous with your original contract. They end on your existing contract end date rather than starting a separate annual term, so your account keeps a single renewal date.
To make an additional purchase within a term, contact the Harness sales team. Harness coordinates the rate and the end date with your existing contract.
Downgrade to Free
An account that downgrades to Free receives the Free HSU allowance again. Harness grants the allowance as soon as the account moves to the Free tier rather than waiting for the start of the next calendar month.
Downgrading does not clear money you owe. Any unpaid invoices must be settled before a downgraded account can upgrade to Essentials again. Moving to the Free plan does not wipe an outstanding balance.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my remaining Free HSUs when I upgrade to Essentials?
They are forfeited. Harness does not track a combined Free and paid balance, so your balance becomes the HSUs you purchased. Spend a large Free balance before you upgrade.
Will Harness charge me for Free plan overage after I upgrade?
No. Overage accrued on the Free plan is never charged and is not billed back when you upgrade. Only net-new purchases are billed.
Do my Harness rates change if global pricing changes after I buy?
No. The rate card in effect at your first Essentials purchase is pinned for the full contract term. Rates are unpinned only if you downgrade to Free, in which case the latest rate card applies if you upgrade again.
Do I get a discount if I buy more HSUs later in the term?
No. Additional purchases within a term are charged at the same rate card as your first purchase. Contact the Harness sales team to discuss capacity for a larger commitment.
If I buy more HSUs later, do I start a new annual term?
No. Additional purchases within a term are coterminous with your original contract and end on the same date, so your account keeps a single renewal date.
Related concepts
- Go to Purchase HSUs to complete a purchase.
- Go to Invoices and refunds to review billing and refunds.
- Go to What you get on the Free plan to review Free entitlements.