Software Billing
Illumina software usage is measured in two ways:
Illumina BioInsight Credits (BIC): Used for data analysis, computation, storage, and transfer. BIC is the unified currency for all Illumina software products.
Samples: Used for interpreting sequenced samples on products that have not yet transitioned to BIC pricing. Different types exist based on the software and use case, such as:
Emedgene Genomic Equivalent Samples
Emedgene Array Samples
Illumina Connected Insights Genomic Equivalent Samples
If you previously used iCredits, your existing balance has been automatically converted to BIC at a 1:1 ratio. No action is required. Your balance amount remains the same.
If you signed up for the platform through self-serve (Free Trial or PAYG), see Subscriptions for details on your subscription type and billing.
Ensure you purchase the correct samples for your workflow requirements. Products are transitioning to BIC pricing on a rolling schedule. Please see the migration timeline below.
Illumina software products and usage pricing overview
Below are the Illumina software products, their BIC pricing availability, and usage details:
BioInsight Platform Core (formerly ICA)
August 4, 2026
Compute, storage, scratch storage, data transfer
BaseSpace Sequence Hub (BSSH)
August 4, 2026
Compute, storage, apps
Connected Multiomics (ICM)
August 4, 2026
Compute, storage
Illumina Connected Insights (ICI)
September 2026
Panel analysis, genomic interpretation
Emedgene
October 2026
Genomic analysis
BioInsight Platform Core (formerly ICA)
BioInsight Platform Core (formerly ICA) is a cloud-based platform for omics data management and analysis. Charges for storage and compute workloads are in BIC. For pricing details, visit the BioInsight Platform Core Pricing page.
BaseSpace Sequence Hub
BaseSpace Sequence Hub provides genomic data analysis, storage, instrument connectivity, and run planning. It supports apps for alignment, variant calling, and data visualization. Costs for storage, compute, and apps are in BIC. For pricing details, visit BaseSpace Pricing page.
Connected Multiomics
Connected Multiomics (ICM) is a cloud platform for biologists and bioinformaticians to analyze multiomics data efficiently. It organizes data into studies, applies statistical methods, references biological databases, correlates results across data types, and offers visualization tools for interpretation. Costs for this streamlined data analysis are in BIC. For pricing details, visit ICM Pricing page.
Illumina Connected Insights
Illumina Connected Insights (ICI) is a robust software for interpreting and reporting NGS data. It processes DNA and RNA oncology assay data, supporting common tumor variants like SNVs, indels, CNVs, SVs, fusions, and splice variants, as well as biomarkers such as TMB, MSI, and GIS for HRD assessment. By integrating with multiple genomic databases, it provides biological insights and creates tailored summary reports.
There are two ways to access Connected Insights:
Cloud - Costs for cloud analysis are charged in Genomic Samples (GEs) and costs for data storage on BioInsight Platform Core are charged in BIC. GEs will transition to BIC-based product allowances in September 2026.
Local - Costs for local analysis via DRAGEN Server are charged in GEs.
For pricing details, visit ICI Pricing page. ICI will transition to BIC-based pricing in September 2026.
Emedgene
Emedgene unlocks genomic insights for hereditary disease and streamlines your tertiary analysis workflows. The Emedgene platform is divided into two applications:
Analyze - Genomic analysis workbench, where you can accession, interpret, curate and report on your cases, while also efficiently managing the lab workflow
Curate - A repository for all of your organizational curated knowledge
Costs for this analysis are in Genomic Samples (GEs). GEs will transition to BIC-based pricing in October 2026.
How Your Usage is Priced
When you use Illumina software, the system automatically applies the best available rate from your account. Each usage event is priced using exactly one mechanism, checked in this order:
1
Usage Discount Rate
A negotiated discount rate applied at the time of each usage event for a specific product or usage type. The discount is realized when you consume the service, not at purchase.
2
Savings Plan
A cross-product percentage discount earned by making an upfront BIC commitment. Applies automatically to all eligible usage events across your account.
3
List Price
The standard BIC rate for the usage type.
Best discount guarantee: If you have both a Usage Discount Rate and a Savings Plan discount, the system automatically applies whichever gives you the greater savings at the time of each usage event. Discounts are never stacked — only one pricing mechanism applies per event.
Discountable vs. Non-Discountable Usage
Savings Plan discounts and Usage Discount Rates apply only to usage types that do not pass through underlying infrastructure costs.
Cloud Infrastructure (Non-Discountable)
Compute, storage, scratch storage
No; always billed at list price
Everything else (Discountable)
DRAGEN pipelines, Emedgene analyses, ICI panels
Yes; Savings Plan and Usage Discount Rates apply
Savings Plans
Save on eligible Illumina software usage by purchasing a Savings Plan. The more you commit, and the longer your term, the higher your discount. Savings Plans provide cross-product discounts that automatically apply to all eligible usage events across your account.
How Savings Plans Work
Commit to a BIC amount for a defined term.
Available commitment amounts range from 50,000 BIC to 10,000,000 BIC.
Term options: 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years.
Discounts vary based on your commitment amount and term length.
Your discount applies automatically at the time of each usage event. There is no manual action needed.
Contact your Illumina sales representative for detailed pricing and to find the right Savings Plan for your organization.
Multiple Savings Plans
If you hold multiple active Savings Plans, the best (highest) discount is always applied. Expired plans do not contribute to your available discount.
Savings Plan Expiration
Your Savings Plan discount remains active for the full term of your commitment. When your commitment term ends, usage is billed at list price or your next-best active discount. Any pipelines started before expiration complete at the original discounted rate.
Important: Your BIC balance and your Savings Plan discount have independent expiration timelines. When a Savings Plan expires, the discount benefit ends — but your BIC balance may also have its own expiration date. Review both your balance expiry and your Savings Plan term in Usage Explorer to stay informed.
Billing Model Overview
Platform Usage
All software usage is eligible for charging. This includes any compute, storage, data transfer, or other metered activity associated with your account.
We recommend that you regularly review your usage and understand how costs accrue, both in one-time costs, such as compute events, or ongoing, such as storage. You are responsible for stopping usage and deleting any data/storage you no longer want to pay for.
Billing is usage-based: if resources continue running or data remains stored on the platform, costs continue to accrue. To avoid charges, please shut down usage and remove data you no longer need.
Usage Tracking
The Usage Explorer is your central tool for managing and optimizing software consumption at Illumina. It helps you to:
Monitor Usage in Real Time
Track how BIC or samples are consumed across various products and projects.
Manage Billing Balances
Easily view Pre-Funded and Post-Paid balances at a glance.
View your active Savings Plan discount rate and expiration date.
View consumption details showing the rate applied per event.
View discount savings per transaction.
Audit and Forecast
Access detailed monthly usage statements.
Generate custom usage reports to analyze trends, forecast future needs, and prevent unexpected costs.
Optimize Behavior
Identify high-usage patterns and adjust workflows to remain within budget.
How software usage is billed
Software usage requires a subscription and can be billed through either monthly invoicing or pre-funded credits.
BIC Billing
We offer two billing options for BIC. Use Usage Explorer to understand your BIC consumption.
1. Post-Paid (Monthly Invoicing) Billing:
You pay for usage after it occurs, billing is in monthly arrears.
This is the default billing method. There are two mechanisms for payment:
Credit Card: At the start of each month, your credit card will be charged to cover the prior month's BIC usage. Usage Explorer shows details of what activities contributed to the BIC consumption.
Purchase Order (PO): Illumina customers can supply a Purchase Order to purchase BioInsight Credits (BIC) to cover for BioInsight Platform usage. Two types of Purchase Order are supported:
Upfront PO: Your entire PO is invoiced immediately, all credits are applied to your tenant and show up in the Usage Explorer. As the platform is used, credits are consumed and the Usage Explorer shows the credit balance.
Open PO: At the start of each month, your PO is invoiced in the amount of BIC sufficient to cover the prior months usage. Usage Explorer shows details of what activities contributed to the BIC consumption.
Support/Customer Care can assist with any questions about the various payment mechanisms.
Invoices are sent to the Bill-To contact on your account — typically your organization's Finance or Accounts Payable team, or another designated recipient. Some customers also receive invoices through portals like Ariba or Coupa, depending on their setup. If you need to update the Bill-To contact or add additional recipients, Support/Customer Care can assist.
If you do not purchase or contract any pre-funded BIC in advance, your usage will be billed automatically at the end of the month.
2. Pre-Funded Billing:
You can purchase BIC in advance of usage and draw down from your balance as you incur usage. You should submit either a purchase order for the BIC and a separate Open PO to cover any overages OR a single Open PO that covers a greater amount than the BIC purchase. The Open PO will not be drawn down until the pre-funded balance is negative, at which point you will switch to Post-Paid billing.
Pre-Paid BIC vs. Savings Plan: Pre-Paid BIC is a simple upfront purchase at list price with no commitment term. A Savings Plan is an upfront commitment with a defined term that earns you a discount on eligible usage. Both add BIC to your account.
Important: Any BIC usage beyond your Pre-Funded balance will be billed automatically via post-paid.
See an Example for Pre-funded billing
You purchase 1,000 BIC before March 1. If you use 800 by mid-month, your remaining balance is 200. Based on your average usage, you will likely need to purchase additional BIC before the billing period ends (March 31). If your balance reaches zero, any further usage will automatically switch to post-paid billing, which will be applied to your Open PO.
See an Example for Post-paid/Open PO billing
You contract an Open Purchase Order on Jan 1 for 10,000 BIC with an expiration date of December 31. Over the first 9 months, you use 8,000 BIC with variable usage. Each month, the appropriate amount of BIC is drawn down from the PO consistent with what was consumed in the prior month. On October 1, you have a balance of 2,000 BIC remaining.
Sample Billing
Only available through pre-funded billing for products that have not yet transitioned to BIC pricing.
Pre-paid Samples
You purchase a fixed amount of Samples upfront.
Usage draws down from your balance until it reaches zero.
When your balance runs out, you will need to purchase additional Samples to continue usage.
Products are transitioning from Sample-based billing to BIC-based Product Allowances on a rolling schedule. See the migration timeline in the products section above.
Pay-As-You-Go
New customers can start with a free trial and convert to Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) billing when ready.
Available products
BioInsight Platform Core, BSSH, ICM
How billing works
Usage is billed monthly. No upfront commitment required.
Support fee
A support fee applies based on your usage level (a minimum fee or a percentage of usage, whichever is greater).
Converting from trial
Self-serve conversion. Usage from your conversion date forward is billed.
PAYG customers have access to all products currently on BIC pricing. As additional products transition to BIC, they become available to PAYG customers automatically.
Transitioning to BIC
If you are an existing Illumina software customer, here is what has changed and what you need to know.
iCredits to BIC
Your existing iCredit balance has been automatically converted to BIC at a 1:1 ratio. If you had 5,000 iCredits, you now have 5,000 BIC. No action is required on your part.
Conversion ratio
1 iCredit = 1 BIC
Action required
None — automatic
New purchases
iCredits are no longer available for purchase. All new purchases are in BIC.
How to avoid unintended charges
Before Your Subscription Expires:
Review active resources (workflows, pipelines, jobs) and stop anything you no longer need.
Delete storage and any temporary data you do not want to keep.
Download or export anything you need to retain off-platform.
Best Practices to Avoid Unwanted Charges
Set alerts in Usage Explorer (see Notifications & Alerts).
Schedule a pre-expiry cleanup: shut down jobs and delete storage you do not need.
Use project tags/labels to find and remove old or orphaned resources quickly.
Review Usage Explorer weekly to catch unexpected activity.
Help and Support
For customer service inquiries, email: customerservice@illumina.com
Visit our website at: www.illumina.com
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