DOCS-559 Self-service checkout (#4778)

* DOCS-559 Self-service checkout

* fix links

* link

* Add image tagging

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

Co-authored-by: John Pipkin (Sumo Logic) <[email protected]>

* add temp staging

* temp staging

* rm staging

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

* Update docs/get-started/sign-up.md

* Rename 2024-11-25-manage.md to 2024-12-03-manage.md

* fixes

* edit upgrade-sumo-logic-credits-account

* fix

* staging (temp)

* broken links

* Rename 2024-12-03-manage.md to 2024-12-09-manage.md

* temp comments

* more edits

* edits

* fix

* fix header

* bookmark

* last edits

* Update .github/workflows/pr.yml

* last rounds edits

---------

Co-authored-by: John Pipkin <[email protected]>

Author: kimsauce

blog-service/2024-12-11-manage.md

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+title: Self-Service Checkout (Manage)
+image: https://help.sumologic.com/img/sumo-square.png
+hide_table_of_contents: true  
+---
+
+import useBaseUrl from '@docusaurus/useBaseUrl';
+
+<a href="https://help.sumologic.com/release-notes-service/rss.xml"><img src={useBaseUrl('img/release-notes/rss-orange2.png')} alt="icon" width="50"/></a>
+
+We’re excited to introduce self-service checkout, a streamlined way for trial users to upgrade to an **Essentials** plan directly from within the Sumo Logic platform. No more waiting for sales assistance—now you can unlock premium features in just a few clicks!
+
+With self-service checkout, you’ll enjoy:  
+- **Quick upgrades**. Complete your purchase in minutes.  
+- **Instant access**. Start using advanced features right away.  
+- **Convenient payments**. Pay securely with a credit card.  
+
+Ready to get started? [Learn how to upgrade your plan](/docs/get-started/sign-up).  

docs/get-started/sign-up.md

@@ -47,9 +47,10 @@ Next, you'll be taken to your onboarding checklist guide, where you can view das
 
 ### Upgrade or continue with Free account
 
-#### Free account
+After your trial ends, if you've not purchased a plan, your account will automatically convert to a Free account. This account lets you continue using Sumo Logic monitoring and log analytics services with limited features. To unlock premium features and scale as your needs grow, you can upgrade to a [paid plan](#essentials-plans) at any time.
 
-After your trial ends, your account will automatically convert to a Free account. This account lets you continue using Sumo Logic monitoring and log analytics services with limited features. To unlock premium features and scale as your needs grow, you can upgrade to a paid plan at any time.
+<details>
+<summary>What's the difference between a Trial and a Free account?</summary>
 
 |             | Trial accounts | Free accounts
 |:------------|:---------------|:------------
@@ -65,8 +66,20 @@ After your trial ends, your account will automatically convert to a Free account
 <sup>3</sup> Forwards your logs to an S3 bucket after being collected and analyzed in Sumo Logic.<br/>
 <sup>4</sup> Notifies you in real-time when errors occur on your systems.
 
+</details>
+
 For information on plan types and pricing, see [Sumo Logic Pricing](https://www.sumologic.com/pricing) and [Manage Subscription](/docs/manage/manage-subscription).
 
+#### Essentials plans
+
+Using our self-service checkout, you can sign up for a Sumo Logic Essentials plan in just minutes using a credit card—no need to interact with the sales team. Ready to get started? [Learn how to upgrade your plan](/docs/manage/manage-subscription/upgrade-sumo-logic-credits-account).
+
+<img src={useBaseUrl('img/manage/subscriptions/essentials-landing-page.png')} alt="Essentials landing page checkout" style={{border: '1px solid gray'}} width="600" />
+
+#### Enterprise plans
+
+If the Essentials plan doesn’t fully meet your needs and you’re interested in exploring further options like Cloud SIEM, contact [Sales](https://www.sumologic.com/contact-us/) to upgrade to an Enterprise plan. Our team is here to help you find the best fit for your organization.
+
 ## Sign up through AWS Marketplace
 
 Signing up for a Sumo Logic account through the AWS Marketplace creates a new Sumo Logic organization and account. It allows you to pay your bill using your Amazon account. All you need to sign up is a company email address and your location: North America, Europe, or Australia.
@@ -148,7 +161,7 @@ Should you decide to cancel, you can do this through AWS Marketplace.
 
 Your subscription will be cancelled immediately.
 
-### Kickstart your Sumo Logic experience with placeholder data  
+## Kickstart your Sumo Logic experience with placeholder data  
 
 Get started with Sumo Logic effortlessly using **Kickstart Data**, preloaded placeholder data designed to help you explore and understand the platform’s capabilities. With Kickstart Data, you can dive in immediately and explore Sumo Logic's features without needing to set up your own data sources.  
 

docs/manage/manage-subscription/sumo-logic-credits-accounts.md

@@ -20,33 +20,43 @@ This plan was formerly called *Cloud Flex Credits*.
 
 ## Credits - Account types
 
-You can select from Free, Trial, Essentials, Enterprise Operations, Enterprise Security, or Enterprise Suite Credits accounts.
+Sumo Logic offers the following account types: Free, Trial, Essentials, Enterprise Operations, Enterprise Security, and Enterprise Suite.
 
 ### Free
 
-Free accounts give you access to most Sumo Logic features, with a credit allocation of 20 credits a day. Credits can be used for logs, metrics, and traces, in any combination that meets your needs. The retention period for logs is 7 days. Free accounts allow three users. Free account holders can [upgrade](/docs/manage/manage-subscription/upgrade-sumo-logic-credits-account) to Sumo Logic paid service agreements in the Sumo Logic UI.
+Free accounts offer access to most Sumo Logic features with the following limitations:
+- **Daily Credit Allocation**. 20 credits for logs, metrics, and traces.
+- **Retention**. 7-day log retention.
+- **Users**. Limited to three users.
+
+Free accounts can be upgraded to a paid subscription in the Sumo Logic UI. For details, see [Upgrade a Sumo Logic Credits Account](/docs/manage/manage-subscription/upgrade-sumo-logic-credits-account).
 
 :::note
-[Data Management](/docs/manage/users-roles/roles/role-capabilities/#data-management) is not available for Free accounts.
+Free accounts do not support [Data Management](/docs/manage/users-roles/roles/role-capabilities/#data-management).
 :::
 
 ### Trial
 
-Trial accounts allow you to try all of Sumo Logic's advanced features to understand how Sumo Logic will fit within your organization before you buy. It includes a credit allocation to support a daily data volume limit of 1 GB per day, with 20 users and 30 days of data retention. If you use up the credits allocated for the trial period before the period ends, Sumo Logic’s [standard throttling mechanism](../ingestion-volume/log-ingestion.md) will be applied to your log ingest.
+Trial accounts allow full access all Sumo Logic features to test how Sumo Logic will fit within your organization before you buy. It includes:
+- **Daily Credit Allocation**: Supports a daily data volume limit of 1 GB per day.
+- **Retention**: 30 days for all data.
+- **Users**: Up to 20 users.
 
-To access your [Data Management](/docs/manage/users-roles/roles/role-capabilities/#data-management) page:
+Trial accounts enable you to leverage our full suite of [Data Management](/docs/manage/users-roles/roles/role-capabilities/#data-management) tools:
 * [**Classic UI**](/docs/get-started/sumo-logic-ui-classic). In the main Sumo Logic menu select **Administration > Account > Data Management**.
 * [**New UI**](/docs/get-started/sumo-logic-ui/). In the top menu select **Administration**, and then under **Account** select **Data Management**. You can also click the **Go To...** menu at the top of the screen and select **Data Management**.
 
-Trials are limited to 30 days. If you need to extend your trial period, contact our [sales team](mailto:[email protected]) to inquire about a Proof of Concept (PoC).
+Trials are limited to 30 days. If you use up the credits allocated for the trial period before the period ends, Sumo Logic’s [standard throttling mechanism](../ingestion-volume/log-ingestion.md) will be applied to your log ingest. If you need to extend your trial period or request a Proof of Concept (PoC), contact our [sales team](mailto:[email protected]).
 
 ### Essentials
 
-Essentials accounts scale to meet your growing needs for user licenses, data retention, and volume options based on subscription.
+Essentials accounts scale to meet your growing needs for user licenses, data retention, and volume options. The Essentials plan includes options tailored to various needs:
 
-<!-- add Collaborating, Troubleshooting, Orchestrating at launch -->
+* **Troubleshoot**. Foundational log analysis and troubleshooting.
+* **Collaborate**. Advanced team collaboration features.
+* **Orchestrate**. Designed for organizations requiring robust workflows and automation.
 
-You can [upgrade](upgrade-sumo-logic-credits-account.md) from a Essential plan to an Enterprise plan at any time.
+For details on upgrading to an Essentials plan or higher, see [Upgrade a Sumo Logic Credits Account](/docs/manage/manage-subscription/upgrade-sumo-logic-credits-account). Essentials accounts can be upgraded to Enterprise accounts anytime.
 
 ### Enterprise Operations
 
@@ -175,7 +185,7 @@ To analyze usage trends:
 * Use the pan feature (magnifying glass icon) to scroll through data.  
 * Hover over chart sections for detailed insights.  
 
-#### Promotional Credits  
+### Promotional Credits  
 
 There are times when Sumo Logic promotes services and consumables through the provision of Promotional Credits. Promotional Credits are non-transferrable and auto-expire at the end of the promotion period. In other words, if the Promotional Credits are not used within the promotion period, they do not carry over. They are of a "use it or lose it" nature. Promotional Credits are specific to a promotion and cannot be used for any service. The criteria, including promotion period, are listed in your contract. Promotional Credit consumption is calculated separately from the credits you paid for in your contract period. Promotional Credits are utilized as the priority credit for the specified credit variable.