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"Pay-as-you-earn": Das steckt hinter dem... - Groenewold IT Solutions

"Pay-as-you-earn" This is behind the...

Contributions • 6 January 2026

By Groenewold IT Solutions3 min read
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"Pay-as-you-earn": This is behind the financing model for software leasing

**The introduction of new, complex enterprise software often involves a longer period between the first investment and the moment the software actually generates added value for the company. In this phase of implementation and training costs arise without revenue or efficiency gains being achieved. This is precisely where the innovative financing model "Pay-as-you-earn" is used, which is offered by some modern IT leasing providers. We explain what's behind it. **

The problem: Costs before benefit

Imagine you are introducing a new ERP system. The implementation takes six months. During this time you already pay for licenses, developers and consultants, but your employees are still working with the old system. Cash flow is double-loaded: the cost of the new system and the remaining productivity increases. This can lead, in particular, to a significant liquidity bottleneck for medium-sized enterprises.

The solution: Coupling rate payments to benefits

The "Pay-as-you-earn" principle (in German, for example: "Pay-as-you-earn" shifts the start of leasing rate payments. Instead of paying the rates from the start of the contract, payments only start when the software is productively used – that is, at the time when it begins to create an economic benefit.

In practice, this means:

  • Implementation phase: During installation, adaptation and training, no or only very small rates are required for your company. The leasing provider takes over the financing and pays the invoices of the software suppliers.

  • Productive start (Go-Live): Only when the software is successfully implemented and your employees work with it, the regular rate payment begins.

The advantages of "Pay-as-you-earn"

This model offers decisive advantages that go far beyond a simple stunding:

  • Maximum liquidity saving: The financial burden will be transferred precisely to the phase in which the software begins to bear its costs by increasing efficiency or revenue growth itself.

  • Reduced investment risk: The risk of long and expensive implementation phases is reduced, as the costs are only really borne by the success of the project.

  • More project planning: Companies can concentrate fully on a successful implementation without being cured by immediate payment pressure.

  • Interest equation: All participants – You, the software provider and the leasing provider have a common interest in a fast and successful introduction of the software.

Which projects are suitable for this model?

"Pay-as-you-earn" is especially valuable for:

  • Great ERP or CRM inputs with long implementation

About the author

Groenewold IT Solutions

Softwareentwicklung & Digitalisierung

Praxiserprobte Einblicke aus Projekten rund um individuelle Softwareentwicklung, Integration, Modernisierung und Betrieb – mit Fokus auf messbare Ergebnisse und nachhaltige Architektur.

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