> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://altostrat.io/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Workspace Billing Modes: Single vs Assigned vs Pooled Resource Allocation

> Complete guide to workspace billing modes including Single mode for unified billing, Assigned mode for isolated accounts, and Pooled mode for shared resources. Choose the right billing strategy for your business structure.

## What are Workspace Billing Modes?

Workspace billing modes define how subscriptions and resources are allocated across organizations within your workspace. This permanent configuration choice, made during workspace creation, determines your financial architecture and resource sharing capabilities.

**Why billing modes matter:**

* Control resource sharing and isolation
* Define financial accountability structures
* Enable different business models (enterprise, MSP, franchise)
* Optimize for compliance and operational requirements

## Complete Billing Modes Reference

Choose from three distinct billing architectures designed for different organizational and financial requirements:

## Single Billing Mode: Unified Resource Pool

Single mode creates a unified billing architecture where one billing account provides all resources for the entire workspace. All organizations share a common resource pool funded by a single subscription source.

**Single mode architecture:**

* One billing account per workspace
* Shared resource pool across all organizations
* Centralized financial management
* Simplified administration and invoicing

```mermaid theme={null}
graph LR
    subgraph "Workspace (Single Mode)"
        BA[Billing Account<br/>100 Users, 50 Locations]
        O1[Org A<br/>Using: 45 Users, 20 Locations]
        O2[Org B<br/>Using: 30 Users, 15 Locations]
        O3[Org C<br/>Using: 25 Users, 15 Locations]
        BA --> O1 & O2 & O3
    end
```

### When to Use Single Mode

Single mode works best for organizations with centralized financial management and unified operations:

**Ideal use cases:**

* **Traditional corporations**: Departments sharing centralized budget and resources
* **Small to medium enterprises**: Single entity with unified financial management
* **Startups**: Simple structure for rapid growth and scaling
* **Single-brand organizations**: Unified operations under one business entity

### Single Mode Characteristics

* **Resource sharing**: Complete resource pool sharing across organizations
* **Financial structure**: Single point of billing and payment management
* **Limit enforcement**: Shared limits apply to entire workspace
* **Administration**: Simplest mode for management and monitoring

**Example**: A software company with 100 employees across Sales, Engineering, and Marketing. All teams draw from the same pool of user licenses and product features, with all charges consolidated under one corporate billing account.

## Assigned Billing Mode: Isolated Billing Accounts

Assigned mode creates complete financial and resource isolation by linking each top-level organization to a specific billing account. This architecture ensures strict separation between business units, customers, or geographic regions.

**Assigned mode architecture:**

* Each top-level organization requires dedicated billing account
* Complete resource isolation between organizational silos
* Child organizations inherit parent billing assignments
* Multi-currency and multi-entity support

```mermaid theme={null}
graph TD
    subgraph "Workspace (Assigned Mode)"
        BA1["Billing Account: USA (USD)"]
        BA2["Billing Account: Germany (EUR)"]
        BA3["Billing Account: Japan (JPY)"]
        
        O1[Org: USA Operations]
        O2[Org: Germany Operations]
        O3[Org: Japan Operations]
        
        O1S[USA > Sales Team]
        O1E[USA > Engineering Team]
        O2S[Germany > Vertriebsteam]
        O3P[Japan > 製品部]
        
        BA1 -- Assigned to --> O1
        BA2 -- Assigned to --> O2
        BA3 -- Assigned to --> O3
        
        O1 --> O1S & O1E
        O2 --> O2S
        O3 --> O3P
    end
```

### When to Use Assigned Mode

Assigned mode provides the highest level of financial and operational separation for complex organizational structures:

**Ideal use cases:**

* **Multinational corporations**: Country-based operations with separate budgets and currencies
* **Multi-tenant SaaS**: Complete customer isolation with dedicated billing
* **Managed service providers**: Client-specific billing and resource allocation
* **Enterprise divisions**: Separate P\&L accountability for business units
* **Compliance requirements**: Strict data and financial separation mandates

### Assigned Mode Characteristics

* **Complete isolation**: No resource sharing between organizational silos
* **Billing inheritance**: Child organizations automatically inherit parent billing accounts
* **Financial accountability**: Clear cost center and budget management
* **Multi-currency support**: Different currencies for global operations
* **Compliance ready**: Meets strict separation and audit requirements

**Example**: A global corporation with operations in the USA, Germany, and Japan. Each country is billed in its local currency and manages its resources independently. The US branch cannot use software licenses allocated to the German branch.

## Pooled Billing Mode: Collaborative Resource Sharing

Pooled mode enables multiple billing accounts to contribute resources to a shared workspace pool while maintaining independent billing relationships. This collaborative architecture supports franchise models, partnerships, and consortiums.

**Pooled mode architecture:**

* Multiple billing accounts contribute to shared resource pool
* Independent billing and payment management per account
* Flexible resource allocation across all organizations
* Collaborative resource sharing with separate financial responsibility

```mermaid theme={null}
graph TD
    subgraph "Workspace (Pooled Mode)"
        subgraph "Shared Resource Pool"
            P[Total: 200 Users, 100 Locations]
            BA1[Franchisee A<br/>Contributes: 80 Users, 40 Locations]
            BA2[Franchisee B<br/>Contributes: 70 Users, 35 Locations]
            BA3[Franchisee C<br/>Contributes: 50 Users, 25 Locations]
            BA1 & BA2 & BA3 -- contribute to --> P
        end
        
        subgraph "Organizations (Consume from Pool)"
            O1[Location 1 - Downtown]
            O2[Location 2 - Airport]
            O3[Location 3 - Mall]
        end

        P -.-> O1 & O2 & O3
    end
```

### When to Use Pooled Mode

Pooled mode works best for collaborative business models requiring both resource sharing and billing independence:

**Ideal use cases:**

* **Franchise operations**: Independent franchisees sharing brand resources
* **Channel partner networks**: Partners contributing to shared resource pools
* **Joint ventures**: Multiple entities collaborating on shared projects
* **Consortiums**: Industry groups pooling resources for common goals
* **Co-ops and alliances**: Independent members sharing infrastructure costs

### Pooled Mode Characteristics

* **Resource aggregation**: All subscription contributions pool into shared capacity
* **Independent billing**: Separate invoicing and payment processing per contributor
* **Dynamic allocation**: Flexible resource usage across all organizations
* **Scalable collaboration**: Support for multiple independent contributors
* **Shared infrastructure**: Cost-effective resource utilization across partners

**Example**: A franchise with 20 locations. Each franchisee has their own billing account and purchases subscriptions. All of these subscriptions combine into a large pool that any location can use, enabling resource sharing while maintaining the financial independence of each franchisee.

## How to Choose the Right Billing Mode

Select the optimal billing mode based on your organizational structure, financial requirements, and operational model:

### Billing Mode Decision Matrix

| Business Need                                               | Recommended Mode  | Key Benefits                                                |
| :---------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Unified operations and simple billing**                   | **Single Mode**   | Centralized management, shared resources, single invoice    |
| **Complete financial and operational separation**           | **Assigned Mode** | Isolated billing, compliance-ready, multi-currency support  |
| **Collaborative resource sharing with independent billing** | **Pooled Mode**   | Shared resource pool, separate billing, flexible allocation |

### Critical Decision: Billing Mode is Permanent

⚠️ **Important**: Billing mode selection is permanent and cannot be changed after workspace creation. Choose carefully based on your long-term business strategy and operational requirements.

## What's Next?

* See [Modeling Your Business](/workspaces/modeling-your-business) for detailed implementation examples of these modes.
* Learn about [Organization Hierarchies](/workspaces/organization-hierarchies) to structure your workspace effectively.
* Understand [Subscriptions and Invoicing](/workspaces/subscriptions-and-invoicing) for details on managing billing.