Behind the Scenes: Billing, VAT, and Why Nothing Is Fully “Instant” Yet

A quick update on what’s going on behind the curtain at 4Development.

Right now I’m deep in the glamorous world of billing systems, VAT thresholds, and making sure everything is wired up properly before I let automation loose. It’s not the fun part of running a hosting company, but it is one of the most important. The goal here isn’t speed for the sake of it. It’s building something that does not need quietly rebuilt later.

At the moment, none of the hosting plans are set to auto-provision through the billing system. That’s deliberate. Every new signup is manually reviewed and onboarded by me. No instant buttons, no silent automation in the background. Early on, I’d rather spend ten minutes too long setting something up than spend weeks later fixing avoidable mistakes.

On the VAT front, I’m also working through the realities of what registration actually means in practice. It affects pricing, invoicing, and accounting. Getting this right early protects both sides, not just the business.

So if things feel a little more human-driven than big-provider automated right now, that’s exactly how it’s meant to be. Once the financial side is fully locked in, the automation layers will follow very quickly.

More updates soon as the pieces lock into place.