What Are "Ghost Licenses"?
In the retail, hospitality, and logistics industries, turnover is a fact of life. Seasonal peaks require rapid hiring, and off-seasons see staff numbers contract.
However, your software contracts rarely match this flexibility. A "Ghost License" occurs when you are paying for a SaaS seat (like Microsoft 365 F1 or Google Workspace) for an employee who:
- Has left the company, but IT hasn't de-provisioned the account yet.
- Is a seasonal worker currently in the "off-season" but you want to keep their data.
- Is a part-time worker who only checks email once a week but costs the same as a full-time manager.
For a company with 200 frontline staff and 30% turnover, Ghost Licenses can account for over $4,000 in wasted spend annually.
Calculate Your "Ghost License" Cost
You are wasting
every year on empty seats.
With SmtpMan, this cost drops to:
$0
The Fix: "Elastic Seat Licensing"
Traditional SaaS models charge you for potential (the number of seats you provisioned), not reality (the number of people actually working today).
SmtpMan introduces a new model specifically for operations with high turnover: Elastic Seat Licensing.
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1Hiring? Activate a seat instantly. Costs start today.
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2Off-Season? Click "Archive". The seat is freed up. Costs stop instantly.
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3Data Safety: Archived users keep all their email history for free, forever.
Cost Model Comparison
| Feature | SmtpMan Pro | Microsoft 365 F1 | Google Frontline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0.99 | ~$2.25 | ~$6.00 |
| Inactive User Cost | $0.00 (Archived) | Full Price | Full Price |
| Data Retention | Free Forever | Requires License | Requires License |
| License Flexibility | Daily Proration | Often Annual Commit | Monthly/Annual |
Stop the Bleeding. Start Saving.
Join the Early Access list to lock in your 3-Month, Unlimited Seat Free Trial. No credit card required.
Request Early Access