Determining Configuration Paths: GCP Partner Generated Billing (PGB) vs. Direct Customer Billing

Products

• CloudHealth

Issue/Introduction

When onboarding Google Cloud Platform (GCP) accounts into CloudHealth, partners often face a decision on where and how to configure the billing relationship. Setting up the integration incorrectly can lead to inaccurate cost reporting, missing margins, or visibility issues for the end customer.

The choice depends primarily on the financial "flow of funds", specifically, who is responsible for paying Google and whether the partner needs to modify the billing data (via margins or discounts) before the customer sees it.

Resolution

To ensure data accuracy, choose the configuration path that matches your business model:

Option 1: Partner Generated Billing (PGB)

Best for: The "Reseller" or "Managed Service Provider" (MSP) model.

• Setup Location: Configured at the Partner Tenant level.

• When to use:

  • The Partner is the "Payer of Record" and receives the master invoice from Google.

  • The Partner needs to apply custom logic, such as management fees, margins, or custom discounts.

  • The Partner uses a single BigQuery dataset to export billing data for multiple sub-billing accounts.

• Result: CloudHealth generates a "Statement" for the customer, allowing the partner to control the final cost presentation.

Option 2: Direct Billing Configuration

Best for: The "Referral" or "Direct-to-Consumer" model.

• Setup Location: Configured directly within the individual Channel Customer Tenant.

• When to use:

  • The Customer is the "Payer of Record" and pays Google directly (via invoice or credit card).

  • The customer requires 1:1 transparency with their Google invoice, with no partner-applied markups.

  • The billing account is standalone and has its own dedicated BigQuery billing export.

• Result: CloudHealth reflects the raw data from the Google Billing Export exactly as it appears on the official Google invoice.