License centralization model
Context
Premium WordPress plugin licensing has three options:
- Client owns licenses — client buys WP Rocket, ACF Pro, etc. directly. They retain ownership when they leave.
- Hybrid — agency provides some, client provides others.
- Agency owns all licenses centrally — license access is a feature of the active care plan.
Each affects pricing, off-boarding complexity, and contractual structure.
Decision
Blackbyrd owns all premium plugin licenses centrally. Clients never own licenses. License access is a feature of the active care plan.
When a client off-boards, three paths are offered:
| Path | Cost | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| License Forwarding | $75–125/mo | Client leaves care plan but pays a thin license-only fee. Plugins stay updated. Caveat: not all EULAs cleanly allow this — verify per-plugin. |
| Self-Licensing Migration | $750–1,500 one-time | Client buys their own licenses (~$500–1,000/yr typical). Blackbyrd executes the swap, runs verification. |
| Locked Site | $0 | Signed acknowledgment that updates stop. Site runs on frozen versions. Discouraged but available. |
Off-boarding requires 30-day written notice. The MSA / Care Plan contract explicitly prohibits client transfer, resale, or extension of Blackbyrd-held licenses.
Rationale
- Cost amortization works. ~$2,500/yr in centralized licenses + ~$1,500 one-time, divided across 6+ clients = ~$35/client/month overhead. Absorbs cleanly into Care: Pro tier ($349/mo) with margin.
- Single point of license management — one vendor account per plugin, one renewal calendar, one place to track expirations. Scales linearly with client count, not multiplied by it.
- Off-boarding friction is a churn deterrent. $750–1,500 migration cost is non-trivial. Clients think hard before leaving.
- License forwarding tier creates a long-tail revenue line. Departing clients become $75–125/mo passive income.
Consequences
- Every plugin in the locked stack must be evaluated for: (a) does it support agency/unlimited tier?, (b) does the EULA permit License Forwarding?, (c) is per-site deactivation/reactivation clean?
- The MSA / Care Plan contract template (deferred until client #2 onboards) must codify all three off-boarding paths in plain language.
- The hangar dashboard v2 includes a per-client license registry and an off-boarding workflow checklist.
- New plugin additions to the locked stack require an EULA review against this model before adoption.
Related
stack/overview.mdx— the locked stackdecisions/2026-04-27-stack-foundation.mdx— the broader stack choice
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