topic Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier in Application Development and Automation Discussions

Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

abdullahgunes — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 14:26:25 GMT

Hi,

I am trying to create an instance for SAP Build Process Automation but I am a bit confused about Plan Type.

I am using Free Type application and I need to create an instance to the use in destination.

In the entitlements, it says that it is free when you use it with Free type.

But on the creation screen there is a warning that it may be charged, is it free or paid now?

Thanks in advance

Regards

Abdullah

##SAP Build Process Automation

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

TMNielsen — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 09:04:18 GMT

Let me warn you about pay-as-you-go Free Tier services. It is impossible to figure out what is free and what is not - and I am also pretty sure that the systems SAP use to decide when/what to invoice is full of errors.

I used free tier services for Devtoberfest 2022 and in the end I got bills of hundreds of euros in total. In correspondence with SAP about these bills they simply say I have used services that was not Free Tier, but then something happened that prove that they are wrong.

None of the invoices I got was related to SAP Business Application Studio, so I guess that this service was a Free Tier service in 2022. After 2022 I did not use the BTP account anymore, but one time in April 2023 and one time in June I logged in to see if everything was still working. This gave me 2 invoices of 33 euros each.

One login = 33 euro!

So, as I was not invoiced for SAP Business Application Studio in 2022 when I actually used the system for the Devtoberfest tasks, and then suddenly I was invoiced in 2023 for one single login, prove that they do not know what they are doing with these invoices.

And probably because they know they are wrong, they have never actually taken the money from the credit card I used to setup the BTP pay-as-you-go account.

Even if they did not take any money, they never confirmed that I do not owe them, so eventually I deleted by BTP account – that was in it self a struggle and required support via SAP for ME.

PS. I am a big SAP fan, so it pains me to write this negative post

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

erickgomez-tech — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 23:34:45 GMT

Hi, abdullahgunes

I am using the free tier of SAP Build Process Automation in the Pay-As-You-Go scheme for both Partners and customers.

I have had no problems assigning the free entitlements, are you sure you have created a SAP BTP PAYG account from the SAP Store?

Kind regards,

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

abdullahgunes — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 09:15:31 GMT

Hi @TMNielsen ,

It was very bad to hear about such problems. After seeing your comment I was a bit scared to use Free Tier services.

Kind regards.

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

abdullahgunes — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 09:19:08 GMT

Hi @erickgomez-tech ,

Actually it's not a matter of assignment, it's unclear if it's still free after using the Standard plan.

Regards,

Abdullah

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

TMNielsen — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 09:59:06 GMT

Yeah, I'm sorry, I don't want to stop your SAP Build journey, but the invoices for sure stopped mine.
I probably chose wrong plans, but my point is that it is very difficult to know which plans are free and which are not.

I have been charged for :

SAP Business Application Studio 34 euros
SAP HANA Cloud 344 euros
SAP Build Work Zone, std ed 163 euros

- and I didn't even use any of the services. I ran some free-tier setup boosters and I logged in to the services a few times.

These were monthly bills and even if I somehow chose a wrong plan, I find the price for one user without any real usage ridiculous. The sum of the 4 services I was billed for one user is more than 500 euros per month!

- and that didn't even include the services for ABAP, Build Process Automation and Build Apps. When activating those services I apparently managed to choose the correct free-tier plans.

Kind regards Thomas

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

erickgomez-tech — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 16:58:47 GMT

Hi @abdullahgunes

I already understood your question, when I got to that point I had the same doubt.

While I was free, if I remember correctly, I never paid to have ACTIVATED that service that is mandatory for Destination, etc.

I will validate my invoices and confirm.

Regards,

Erick

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

erickgomez-tech — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:03:45 GMT

Confirmed, I didn't pay anything.

Re: Process Automation Plan Type - Free Tier

EC — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 20:03:36 GMT

Hi !

It is quite an old post but I wanted to share our experience on this.
I receive the monthly consumption usage(PAYG for Partner) for Build Process Automation and it was indicated that we consumed some standard users (14 ! we are only 2 in the team..) and advanced users for the use of the free tier of Build Process Automation.

There are 2 elements to SAP Build Process Automation:

Application - process-automation - free tier
Service - process-automation-service standard tier

It is mentioned that the standard tier for the service part is FREE when used with the free application tier, which we do for exploration atm.

I don't understand why we have been billed for.. Will clarify and post if any news.

Also big SAP fan here, it is probably a mistake.

Elo