Flat-rate IT support
A fixed recurring fee covering an agreed scope of IT work, with no per-ticket or hourly charges inside that scope.
Flat rate means the invoice does not move with usage. Somebody opening five tickets in a week costs the same as somebody opening none, which is the point: metered support quietly teaches a team not to ask for help, and unreported problems get worse.
It works on averages. Across a base of small offices, most people never open a ticket in a given month and a small minority account for most of the volume. The flat fee prices the average, which is how insurance works.
The thing that makes or breaks it is scope. Flat rate is only meaningful alongside a specific list of what is inside it, and a specific list of what is not.
What it costs
One per-person rate for unlimited tickets inside a stated scope, with a monthly minimum. Both numbers are published as soon as you give us a headcount, and the scope is on the page before that.
Related questions
Does unlimited support really mean unlimited?
Unlimited tickets inside the agreed scope, yes. It does not mean unlimited scope. The honest version of this always comes with a published list of what is excluded and what each exclusion costs to add.
Is flat-rate cheaper than hourly?
Not always, and that is the wrong question. It is predictable, and it removes the incentive to avoid asking for help. If you genuinely open two tickets a year, hourly is cheaper.
Related terms
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