Decoding cloud credits

Unlock the truth about cloud credits

Download our free whitepaper and discover:

• The illusion of “free” - why the UK CMA estimates £430M of annual over-payments hidden behind credit programmes.
• Business impact - 28% of cloud spend becomes waste; a real-world case where a startup received a £450k bill in 45 days.
• Escape plan - five actionable steps to audit, govern, and negotiate your cloud spend.
• The alternative - open-source, transparent pricing that delivers up to 59% lower total-cost-of-ownership.

Our research shows hyperscalers follow a three-phase lock-in strategy:

1. Attract - massive credits with almost no eligibility criteria.
2. Entrench - deep integration of proprietary services that embed vendor-specific lock-in.
3. Retain - hidden costs surface when credits expire, forcing costly migrations.

"The tactic is akin to a drug dealer offering free samples. Customers get hooked, then trapped"