How to Bill Hetzner Cloud Backups, Snapshots, Volumes and Setup Work

A Hetzner Cloud server is rarely the whole service you sell. Backups, snapshots, storage volumes and hands-on work have different lifecycles. Treating them as one vague “VPS package” creates unclear promises and missed revenue.

For a reseller, the important question is not merely what Hetzner charges. It is what your client receives, how long it remains available and when the charge should stop. A clean service catalogue lets you invoice recurring infrastructure separately from one-off work, while keeping every commitment understandable to the client.

Backups: a recurring protection add-on

Hetzner Cloud backups are automatic daily copies of a server disk. Each server has seven backup slots; when all are used, the oldest one is removed as a new backup is created. Backups are tied to that server and are deleted when the server is deleted.

That makes daily backups a natural recurring service line. Name it clearly — for example, “Daily server backups, seven rotating restore points” — and state that it covers the server disk. Avoid calling it a permanent archive or a full backup of attached storage.

Snapshots: retained restore points need an offboarding rule

A snapshot is created manually and stays until someone deletes it. Unlike a backup, it is not automatically refreshed or removed, and it can remain after the original server is deleted. This is useful for a migration fallback, a pre-upgrade checkpoint or a customer archive — but it also creates an item that can outlive the server service.

Give snapshots their own client-facing rule: whether retention is included for a defined period, charged as a recurring add-on, or billed only after a migration or cancellation date. At offboarding, explicitly decide whether to delete the snapshot, hand it over, or continue retaining and billing it. Never let that decision disappear in a support ticket.

Volumes: separate storage, separate coverage

Hetzner Volumes are separate network block-storage resources. They are billed hourly with a monthly cap, can range from 10 GB to 10 TB, and can be increased but not reduced. A volume can be attached to one server at a time.

For client billing, use a separate recurring storage line with the agreed capacity and effective date. If the customer grows from 100 GB to 250 GB, record the new size and its billing start date. The supplier can meter infrastructure hourly; your client invoice can still use the commercial cycle and price you agreed with that client.

Most importantly, a server backup or snapshot does not include an attached volume. If a volume contains databases, uploads or application data, describe its protection separately and agree the backup approach before promising recoverability.

Setup, migration and restore work are one-off services

Manual work should not be hidden inside the monthly server price unless you truly intend to include it. Initial operating-system setup, firewall rules, data migration, manual restore assistance, troubleshooting and a special handover are all valid one-off line items. A fixed setup fee is easier for the client to approve; exceptional work can be priced separately under the agreed support terms.

A practical billing workflow

1. Create the base server service and the client’s recurring price.
2. Add backups, retained snapshots and attached volumes as distinct items where they are part of the agreement.
3. Add setup, migration or restore work as a one-off charge with a clear description.
4. When changing capacity or closing a server, review volumes and snapshots before stopping the client invoice.
5. Keep the client portal, invoice history and service terms aligned with the resources you operate.

This does not require pretending that every Hetzner action is automated. A small reseller can provision resources manually and still keep service records, invoices, reminders and payment status consistent.

Where BillOps fits

BillOps is the client billing layer: it manages recurring and one-off charges, per-client pricing, invoices, payments, reminders and the client portal. Hetzner remains the infrastructure provider and operational control plane. BillOps does not claim a default native synchronization of Hetzner resources; any supplier integration is reviewed and scoped separately.

For the underlying supplier rules, see Hetzner’s official Backups and Snapshots overview, Backup and Snapshot FAQ and Volumes overview.