Amortized cost
Amortized cost spreads upfront commitment payments (like reserved instances or Savings Plans) evenly across the hours they cover, showing the true effective cost of usage over time.
When you pay upfront for a reservation, unamortized reporting shows a large one-time charge and then near-zero hourly cost, which distorts trend analysis. Amortized cost divides that prepayment across the term so each hour reflects its real economic cost.
Amortized views are the right lens for unit economics and for judging whether commitments are actually being used efficiently.
Related terms
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