Committed Use Discounts price Google Cloud commit in two flavors. Spend based CUDs target flexible workloads. Resource based CUDs target specific machine families. The shape of the commit moves the discount. This guide maps the mechanics.
Google Cloud Committed Use Discounts price commit. Two flavors exist. Spend based CUDs apply across services and machine families. Resource based CUDs lock in specific machine families. Three year commits unlock the deeper discount. BigQuery and Spanner run separate slot based commit programs.
Read this alongside the Google Cloud pillar hub, the GCP advisory service, the CUD negotiation article, the CUD playbook, and the BigQuery and Vertex hub.
Google Cloud sells two distinct CUD products. Each targets a different workload profile.
Spend based CUDs apply a discount on a dollar commitment per hour. Customers commit to a level of hourly spend in a region. The discount applies across compute services, including Compute Engine, GKE, Cloud Run, and selected managed services.
Resource based CUDs apply a deeper discount on a specific machine family in a specific region. Customers commit to vCPU and memory volumes per family.
CUD discount applies as a percentage off the on demand rate. The percentage depends on the CUD type, term length, and machine family.
Google Cloud custom contracts price on top of CUDs. Customers with a custom contract typically run a layered commercial structure: custom contract discount on total spend plus CUD discount on committed workload.
| Commit type | 1 year | 3 year |
|---|---|---|
| Spend based | 25 percent | 45 to 55 percent |
| Resource based N2 | 37 percent | 55 percent |
| Resource based E2 | 37 percent | 55 percent |
| Resource based memory optimized | 40 percent | 60 to 70 percent |
| Sole tenant nodes | 25 percent | 50 percent |
BigQuery runs a separate commit program. Customers buy slots on flex, monthly, or annual commit. Slots price compute capacity for BigQuery query workloads.
Most enterprises run a mixed commit. Annual slots cover the baseline workload. Flex slots absorb spike load and dev test. The mix balances cost and elasticity.
Six levers move GCP CUD pricing. Pull them in combination.
| Lever | Typical impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Workload baseline analysis | 10 to 25 percent on commit waste | High |
| Three year term | 15 to 30 percent vs one year | Low |
| Resource type selection | 5 to 15 percent | Medium |
| Custom contract overlay | 5 to 15 percent | High |
| Marketplace commit | 3 to 10 percent | Medium |
| Migration credit | 10 to 30 percent on year one | Medium |
CUD renewal patterns differ from custom contract renewal. CUDs renew per commit; custom contracts renew at the broader term anniversary.
The checklist takes a GCP buyer from current state to a defensible CUD commitment in 90 days.
Read the Google Cloud pillar hub, the Google Cloud negotiation hub, the GCP advisory service, the migration hub, the CUD negotiation article, the CUD playbook, the BigQuery and Vertex hub, the CUD negotiation tactics, the GCP discount benchmarks, the Vendor Shield subscription, and the contact page.
Spend based CUDs apply on dollar commit per hour and flex across compute services and machine families. Resource based CUDs lock in vCPU and memory volume for a specific machine family in a specific region and carry deeper discount.
CUDs run on one year or three year terms. Three year commits unlock the deepest discount across both spend based and resource based programs. CUDs are not reducible mid term.
No. CUD commits are firm. The customer pays the hourly rate whether the workload runs or not. Right size the commit at signing to the steady state baseline.
BigQuery slots price compute capacity for BigQuery query workloads. Flex slots run 60 second minimum with no commit. Monthly slots commit for 30 days. Annual slots commit for 365 days with deepest discount.
Yes. Google Cloud custom contracts price on top of CUDs. The customer with a custom contract runs a layered structure: custom contract discount on total spend plus CUD discount on committed workload.
Marketplace transactions can count toward custom contract commit when negotiated upfront. The clause is not standard. Buyers with material Marketplace spend should request the inclusion at contract signing.
Redress runs Google Cloud advisory inside the Vendor Shield subscription and the Renewal Program. Engagements cover CUD design, custom contract negotiation, Marketplace commit, and BigQuery slot strategy.
Buyer side reference on Google Cloud commercial discount, CUDs, and BigQuery flat rate.
Independent. Buyer side. Written for CIOs, sourcing leaders, and contract owners across the Google Cloud Pillar Hub estate.
CUDs are not a hedge. They are a commitment. Buy the baseline and let the burst stay on demand. The customer who commits the burst pays for the burst that never came.
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