specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
provider: Zendesk
providerId: zendesk
publisherName: Zendesk, Inc.
serviceCategory: Customer Service / Support
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Customer Service
  - Help Center
  - Ticketing
  - CRM
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
description: |
  FOCUS-aligned FinOps view for Zendesk: a per-agent monthly seat subscription
  (Support / Suite tiers) plus per-agent add-ons (Copilot, QA, WFM, Advanced Data
  Privacy, Contact Center) and an account-level High Volume API uplift.
sources:
  - https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/
  - https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/introduction/rate-limits/
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Tiered Subscription
  billingFrequency: Annual
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Purchase
    - Usage
    - Tax
    - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Zendesk
  ServiceCategory: Customer Service / Support
  ProviderName: Zendesk
  PublisherName: Zendesk, Inc.
  InvoiceIssuerName: Zendesk, Inc.
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
meters:
  - name: agent_seats
    description: Per-agent monthly seat for the chosen Suite / Support tier; the primary
      Zendesk billing line.
    unit: seat-month
    aggregation: count
    dimensions:
      - plan_tier
      - billing_term
  - name: addon_seats
    description: Per-agent add-on seats (Copilot, QA, WFM, Advanced Data Privacy, Contact
      Center) attached to qualifying plans.
    unit: seat-month
    aggregation: count
    dimensions:
      - addon_name
      - plan_tier
  - name: high_volume_api
    description: Account-level High Volume API uplift (lifts qualifying plans to 2,500
      req/min, 10-seat minimum).
    unit: account-month
    aggregation: max
  - name: api_requests
    description: Reference meter for monitoring against per-plan rate limits; not a
      direct billing line, but drives sizing of the Suite tier and High Volume API
      add-on.
    unit: request
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - endpoint
      - plan_tier
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use the Admin Center subscription page and the Account / Billing
      reports for entitlement counts; track API consumption against per-plan rate
      limits via the X-Rate-Limit header and 429 responses.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Allocate seat cost by group / brand / department in Zendesk Admin
      Center; map agents to internal cost centres at provisioning time so finance
      can chargeback by team.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Right-size the Suite tier against actual feature use (Team vs
      Professional vs Enterprise), reclaim inactive agent seats, prefer annual billing
      (20% saving vs monthly), and only add the High Volume API uplift when the
      account is bumping the per-plan ceiling.
  - name: Accountability
    description: Spend ownership sits with the customer-service / CX leader who signs
      the Zendesk subscription; renewal is the primary review point.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com