Should You Monetize CS?

Brian Pereira (former CS Leader at Cisco), Alex Gold (CS Leader at GoCardless), and Charlie Page (Founder at Growth Path) left to right

When we first started exploring whether to monetize Customer Success at GoCardless, I’ll admit, I wasn’t 100% sure it was the right move.

We had a strong CS team. We had dedicated support, professional services, and solution consultants. But we were running into a growing challenge: some customers were getting a Ferrari experience when all they really needed was a bike. Others needed that Ferrari and had no idea we had one to offer. We needed a clearer, more scalable way to align our service with customer needs, and we needed a model that made it sustainable.That’s where our monetization journey began.

I talked about this journey at CS Angel’s Pay It Forward webinar along with Charlie Page and Brian Pereira. If you are a visual learner, scroll down to watch the full session on YouTube.

You can also read this summary on how we broke down the process of monetizing CS: 

Ask the Big Questions

Before building any slides, pricing models, or packages, we paused and asked ourselves:

• Why do we think we need to do this?

• What would it cost us if we didn’t?

• Are we mature enough to support this kind of offering?

  
  

Answering those questions was very helpful and essential. Because monetizing CS isn’t just about adding a line item. It’s about transforming how you serve customers, how you allocate resources, and how you define value.

Packaging the Value (Without Forcing the Fit)

In our early approach, we didn’t force customers into specific tiers. Instead, we said: “Here’s what we offer, here’s where we think you’ll benefit, and here are your options.” That gave us room to test our assumptions and refine what worked.

It’s like moving from à la carte to a curated menu. You get more clarity for the customer and more accountability for us.

Charlie echoed this in a big way. 

At his company, they moved fast to monetize CS and saw strong adoption out of the gate. But they quickly realized one core issue: the most valuable part of the package was tied to a component they later had to remove due to revenue recognition issues. That caused churn down the road. 

His big takeaway? 

Make sure your value is customer-centric, not just internally convenient.

I couldn’t agree more.

Monetization as a Business Lever

Monetizing CS wasn’t just about revenue, though yes, it absolutely helped turn CS into a revenue driver instead of a cost center. It also helped us:

• Justify headcount and hiring plans with real data

• Tie customer value more directly to outcomes

• Improve time-to-value by matching service level to complexity

  
  

And, as Brian shared, it helps customers value what they’re getting. As he put it: “If you throw everything in for free, they don’t see the value. When they pay for what they need, they expect — and experience — a better result.”

That resonated deeply. We saw the same thing. Once customers invested in a package, they showed up. They engaged more. They got faster results. It wasn’t just better for us,  it was better for them too.

Lessons (and Hurdles) to Keep in Mind

I won’t sugarcoat it…

Launching this model was tough. One of our biggest early hurdles? Language.

Our original naming convention for the tiers made sense internally, but didn’t land with customers or sales. Eventually, we gave sales teams room to test their own language and, surprisingly, that’s what got traction. It was a lesson in humility and in trusting the field.

We also struggled early on to articulate the intangible value of CS, things like strategic guidance or relationship-building, in a way that felt concrete. Over time, as customers saw the results, renewals became easier. But those early days required a lot of trust-building.

And finally, we had to make sure we could deliver.

As Charlie noted, if you can’t differentiate basic from premium and execute on that promise, you’re setting yourself up for churn. Monetization amplifies both your strengths and your weaknesses.

The Bottom Line

If you’re considering monetizing CS, my advice is simple:

1. Start with the why. What are you trying to solve for your customers and your business?

2. Pilot and iterate. You won’t get it perfect from day one.

3. Anchor to value. Not just activity. Not just time. True value.

4. Train sales well. And listen when they tell you what’s not working.

5. Stay close to your customers. Their feedback is the ultimate validation.

   
   

Monetizing CS isn’t for everyone. But for us, with the right level of maturity, internal alignment, and customer need, it was a game-changer.

Thanks again to CS Angel for hosting such an insightful conversation. And to Charlie and Brian, your candor and lessons learned helped make this one of the most valuable discussions I’ve been part of in a long time. Watch the full session on YouTube and remember to pay it forward by sharing with others in your network who may find this useful!

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