# Account Signup

## ZSoftly Public Cloud Account Setup Guide

This guide provides a step-by-step tutorial to help you create a ZSoftly Public Cloud account, set up billing, and verify your account.

Eligible new accounts receive CA$100 in launch promotional credit at signup, valid for 30 days. After spending CA$200 on eligible compute plans, you can request an additional CA$200 in launch promotional credit, valid for 60 days, for up to CA$300 in total launch promotional credit.

### Account and Project Structure

One email address, one account. Each email address maps to exactly one ZCP account. You cannot register a second account with an address already in use.

Use Projects for environment isolation. Most teams need one account. Create separate Projects inside it for `dev`, `stg`, and `prd`. Each Project gets its own resources, quotas, and team membership. Resources in different Projects do not share networks or storage. See [Projects](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/projects) for details.

Use separate accounts for hard isolation. Some organizations need a complete boundary between environments or business units: separate billing, separate IAM, and no shared resources. Create one account per boundary. Because each account requires a unique email address, use plus-addressing if your mail provider supports it:

| Account | Email |
| --- | --- |
| Account 1 | `company+1@example.com` |
| Account 2 | `company+2@example.com` |
| Account 3 | `company+3@example.com` |

All three addresses deliver to the same inbox. Each maps to a fully independent ZCP account with its own billing and IAM.

### Register Account

- Go to the registration page at [cloud.zcp.zsoftly.ca/register](https://cloud.zcp.zsoftly.ca/register).
- Enter your name, email address, phone number, and a password, then accept the Terms and Conditions. You can also sign up with GitHub or Google.
- Click Create Account to proceed to the next step.

![ZCP registration page with the Create Your Account form](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/register-create-account.CRoWA5QC_oRsXP.webp)

### Verify Your Email

- Check your email inbox for a verification email from ZSoftly Public Cloud containing a One-Time Password (OTP).
- Enter the OTP in the provided field on the website.
- Click Verify to confirm and proceed to the billing setup.

![Verification email containing the one-time password (OTP)](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/verify-email-otp.lQRtZxgt_ZJrotT.webp)

Once verified, ZSoftly Public Cloud sends a welcome email confirming your account is ready.

![Welcome email confirming the account is ready](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/welcome-email.DeETM0Tn_OpU3S.webp)

### Set Up Billing Method

- After verifying your account, you’ll be prompted to set up your billing information.
- Choose an account type:

  - Individual: For personal use. If you select Postpaid, your initial billing threshold is CAD 100. Enter details like your address.
  - Company: For organizational use. If you select Postpaid, your initial billing threshold is CAD 300. Provide details such as your company name, website, and address.
- If you have a coupon, redeem it at checkout to receive a discount or promotional offer.

### Launch Promotional Credit

Eligible new accounts receive CA$100 in launch promotional credit automatically at sign-up, valid for 30 days. Launch promotional credit is separate from your billing option, account credit, and Postpaid billing threshold.

After you spend CA$200 on eligible compute plans, you can claim an additional CA$200 in launch promotional credit: request it from your account email address through our [contact page](https://zcp.zsoftly.ca/contact?source=docs&topic=billing), including your account number and referencing “$200 Credit Request”. We’ll apply the additional launch promotional credit to your account. It is valid for 60 days, bringing your total launch promotional credit to up to CA$300.

The additional CA$200 in launch promotional credit applies to eligible Small through XLarge compute plans. The offer is available until December 31, 2026.

### Payment Methods

ZSoftly Public Cloud accepts:

- Card: Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, processed securely through Stripe.
- PayPal: pay from your PayPal balance or a linked account.
- Bank Transfer / Wire: for manual payments, contact our [Sales team](https://zcp.zsoftly.ca/contact?source=docs&topic=billing) and they will arrange the transfer and apply the funds to your account as account credit.

Card and PayPal are self-serve in the portal. Bank transfer and wire are arranged with Sales.

### Choose a Payment Plan

#### Prepaid

- Prepaid requires account credit before you provision a new service. Usage reduces your account credit, and you cannot create a new service without enough credit.
- To activate Prepaid, add account credit. A minimum CA$1.00 payment verifies and validates your account. ZCP adds that payment to your account credit, so you can spend the full amount.
- Active usage or a renewal can still leave your account credit negative. Your next top-up clears a negative balance before adding usable credit.
- Pay with Stripe or PayPal and click Proceed to complete a top-up, or contact [Sales](https://zcp.zsoftly.ca/contact?source=docs&topic=billing) to pay by bank transfer or wire.
- Choose Prepaid for a quarterly or longer billing cycle.

#### Postpaid

- Postpaid lets you use services first and pay invoices later. It applies to hourly and monthly service cycles.
- To activate Postpaid, save a credit card through Stripe. Postpaid accepts only that Stripe-saved credit card. PayPal, bank transfers, wires, and manual payments are not accepted for Postpaid.
- Your initial Postpaid billing threshold is CAD 100 for a personal account and CAD 300 for an organization account. When usage reaches the threshold, ZCP generates an invoice and auto-charges your saved card. A new threshold cycle then begins.

Choose Prepaid or Postpaid during signup. After you create your account, it remains in that billing mode for the life of the account.

![Choosing a payment plan with Prepaid and Postpaid options](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/payment-plan.CZKy2YLO_1wPPyA.webp)

![Stripe checkout for the CA$1.00 Prepaid account-credit top-up](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/billing-stripe-checkout.BJVXmLJE_Z1sUEyr.webp)

The Postpaid signup step shows the Postpaid option and Stripe as the only payment method. Save your credit card through Stripe to continue.

 ![Postpaid selected during signup, with Stripe as the only payment method and a Save Card button](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/assets/account-signup/postpaid-signup-light.webp) ![Postpaid selected during signup in dark mode, with Stripe as the only payment method and a Save Card button](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/assets/account-signup/postpaid-signup-dark.webp)

### Final Steps

- Review the Terms & Conditions of the platform carefully.
- Accept the terms to complete the registration process.
- Prepaid Users: Your account status will display as active, with the billing option set to Prepaid.
- Postpaid Users: After verification, your account will display as active with the billing option set to Postpaid.

### Sign in to the portal

Once your account is active, sign in at [cloud.zcp.zsoftly.ca/login](https://cloud.zcp.zsoftly.ca/login). Enter your email and password (or use GitHub or Google), pass the verification challenge, and click Sign in.

![ZCP portal sign-in page with email and password fields](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/portal-login.DDcNEh5f_Z1h2FiY.webp)

#### Reset your password

If you forget your password, click Forgot Password? on the sign-in page (or go to [cloud.zcp.zsoftly.ca/forgot-password](https://cloud.zcp.zsoftly.ca/forgot-password)). Enter your account email and click Send Reset Link. You’ll receive reset instructions by email.

![ZCP portal forgot-password page with the email field and Send Reset Link button](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/portal-forgot-password.DDo2emgi_ZwMHLr.webp)

#### Sign out

To end your session, use the account menu and select sign out. The portal confirms you have logged out, and you can sign back in anytime.

![ZCP portal logout confirmation page](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/portal-logout.BTCh7Xyt_Z11OROP.webp)

Setting up your ZSoftly Public Cloud account is a straightforward process. Register, verify your email, configure billing, and choose a payment plan that best suits your needs. Once completed, you’ll have full access to the ZSoftly Public Cloud dashboard and its features, enabling you to manage your resources efficiently.