Every LanClub plan includes a monthly free labour allocation — a set amount of support time included in your plan at no extra charge. This article explains exactly how free minutes work, what they cover, and how they appear on your invoice.
What Are Free Monthly Minutes?
Free monthly minutes are a set amount of billable support time included in your plan each month. Think of them as a small buffer of included labour that covers quick questions, minor fixes, and short remote sessions without any additional charge.
| Plan | Free Minutes | Equivalent Value |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | 15 mins | $31.25 |
| Standard | 30 mins | $75.00 |
| Pro | 45 mins | $131.25 |
What Do Free Minutes Cover?
Free minutes apply to any billable support work carried out during standard business hours — Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm NZST. This includes:
- Remote support sessions
- Troubleshooting and diagnosis
- Software installation and configuration
- Password vault assistance
- General technical questions that require hands-on time
Free minutes do not apply to:
- After hours support — this is always charged at the applicable after hours rate
- Work that is classified as non-billable (such as warranty work or quoting)
How Are Free Minutes Tracked?
LanClub tracks the time spent on each support ticket through our helpdesk system. When a ticket is closed, the time logged is checked against your remaining free minutes for that month.
- If the time is within your free allocation — no charge
- If the time exceeds your free allocation — only the time above your free minutes is charged
- If you have multiple tickets in a month — your free minutes are shared across all of them until the allocation is used up
Splitting Free Minutes Across Tickets
Your free minutes are a monthly pool — not per ticket. They can be used across multiple support sessions throughout the month.
Example — Standard plan (30 free minutes):
| Ticket | Time Logged | Free Mins Used | Charged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket 1 — Slow computer | 20 mins | 20 mins | $0.00 |
| Ticket 2 — Printer setup | 15 mins | 10 mins remaining used | $0.00 |
| Ticket 3 — Email issue | 30 mins | 0 mins remaining | $75.00 (full 30 mins billed) |
In this example the first 30 minutes across all tickets were free. The third ticket used an additional 30 minutes beyond the free allocation, which was charged at the Standard plan rate of $150/hr.
Do Free Minutes Carry Over?
No — free minutes reset on the 1st of each month and do not carry over. Unused free minutes from one month cannot be used in the following month.
Do Free Minutes Apply to After Hours Work?
No — free minutes only apply to business hours support. After hours work is always charged at the applicable after hours rate from the first minute, subject to the 30 minute minimum charge.
See our What Are After Hours Charges? article for full details.
How Do Free Minutes Appear on My Invoice?
Free minutes don't appear as a line item on your invoice — you simply won't be charged for support time that falls within your allocation. If your support time exceeds your free allocation, you'll see a labour charge on your invoice with the relevant ticket reference number and time logged.
Example invoice line item:
Labour — Ticket #1234 (Email Configuration) — 45 mins @ $150.00/hr — Free allocation: 30 mins — Charged: 15 mins = $37.50
Can I Buy Extra Free Minutes?
Not as a standalone purchase — but upgrading your plan gives you a larger free minutes allocation:
| Upgrade | Additional Free Minutes | Monthly Cost Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials → Standard | +15 mins | +$14/device/month |
| Standard → Pro | +15 mins | +$16/device/month |
If you regularly find yourself using more than your free allocation, upgrading your plan may be more cost effective than paying for individual labour charges. Email support@lanclub.nz to discuss your options.
Questions?
If you have any questions about your free minutes or a labour charge on your invoice, email support@lanclub.nz and we'll be happy to walk you through it.