1:1 time limit for basic licenses on free/paid accounts

[Spectra]

Does anyone know about the above different types of basic license?  Some of my colleages using  free accounts are getting notification that they will need to upgrade to pro for 1:1 meeting over 40mins by early May. Is this correct? Is Zoom really starting to cut down free license's meeting time?  I have found this article in Zoom: Time limits for Zoom Meetings. But it has a lot conflicts within the article and I am not sure what to believe now. Has anyone got the same problem?

[ommatinn]

@Spectra 

• Basic: A basic user is a free account user who can host up to 40 minutes meetings when there are more than 2 people in the meeting (Zoom Cloud).
• Licensed: A Licensed user is a paid account user who can host unlimited meetings on the public cloud (Zoom)

With the Basic you can do following:

• Host up to 100 participants
• Unlimited group meetings for up to 40 minutes
• Unlimited one-to-one meetings with a 30 hour time limit per meeting.
• Private & Group Chat
• Zoom Whiteboard - 3 editable boards with standard features and 25 MB of cloud storage

*Free, forever. No credit card is required. Ad-supported.

Please share what email you got that basic is not available.

If this answered your questions, please ACCEPT AS SOLUTION

[Ray_Harwood]

Hi, @Spectra – and @Chanandler!

I finally found an email notice similar to what @Chanandler showed, but sent to developers to alert them to potential changes/effects on API and related code.

Based on that email, it does indeed appear that 1:1 meetings (host + 1 attendee) will be limited to 40 minutes starting May 2.

 As a volunteer, I don’t get and haven’t seen any official discussion about why this change is being implemented, but if I had to guess … it’s probably due to a difference of expectations. Zoom probably assumed that many people would occasionally use the basic account for meetings longer than 40 minutes, but likely many people were routinely using 1:1 meetings for extended lengths of time, perhaps even 24 hours, ending the meeting, and starting back up for another 24 hours on a recurring basis – a practice which would tie up Zoom infrastructure/resources way more than was anticipated. I imagine in Zoom’s view, this would be viewed as excessive and abusive, and the only way to curb the practice is to reduce the time limit for essentially all multiple-person meetings. 

[x2CStews]

That's some helpful info, Ray. Thank you. I agree that it is  a bit strange that the change was not more widely publicised though. That would have been in Zoom's favour.

[Chanandler]

I just received this message, from my free Zoom account:

[Spectra]

I am very shocked that this change, if it is to be implemented, hasn't been annouced anywhere officially.  

[ChrisDugan]

There's always a limit to a free lunch, some people take advantage and that usually ends the free lunch for all.

I think Zoom are being quite good in retaining the free plan but cutting down the meeting lengths so that people are encouraged to pay if they need continuous meetings, otherwise their business model would collapse and the free AND paid for service wouldn't be available to anyone.

See the current service plans here: https://zoom.us/pricing

[mhvozda]

Agree on the business value, however the way they are communicating seems more Click-Bait than actually a change of policy. They have kept it on the low down, somehow hoping people wouldn't notice.  They Pricing page still advertises 1-1 calls up to 30 hs

Time to move to free Microsoft Teams imho

[ChrisRud]

Teams only allows free calls up to 60 mins though.. still better than 40 though..

[Ray_Harwood]

@mhvozda  - Can't argue with you there.  Seems uncharacteristically non-transparent of Zoom to me, but it's hard to tell what's happening on the inside from out here! Time will tell.

If it was me... the 40 minute limit would be moved to an hour, along with the new limitation.  Take a little, give a little.  But I'm "just a Zoom subscriber" like you folks.

[mhvozda]

Lol no hard feelings. I guess i am hopeful some moderator will pickup on user feedback to see they are going to lose clients and users to other platforms like Teams or Google Meet. Nice chatting with you though!

[x2CStews]

Hey Ray, 

Thanks for your insights. I totally agree. I would have made it a 60-90 min limit on free meetings with less than 3 people. 

Chloe

[Rachel54]

Yes I have the same problem. I attended a live Zoom webinar with Eleonore, Getting Started with Zoom meetings on 22/4, which was excellent but she said that the basic licence  allowed upto 30hours one to one. Then on the 23/4 I saw the message you are talking about. What is going on ?

[Ray_Harwood]

@Rachel54, I’m not a Zoom employee, so I can’t definitively answer your question. 

See my comments here on my opinion of what’s going on. 

[MariaCPDB]

Several people in my forums are starting to talk about this. Some people have actually had messages from zoom to upgrade, some have just had 1:1 cut out at 40m withut warning, and most have not had any message yet waiting for the guillotine to drop. Researching there seems to be a lot of confusing information out there. It feels like noone was prepared for this. I understand as a company they need to make business sense and I do appreciate the free zoom being so available these last two years. Why are zoom being so uncommunicative is a puzzle to me.   Unless they hope to catch some customers who sign up in a panic- although it has also led to people going elsewhere. I am disappointed in zoom.  I imagine there are going to be a lot of unhappy people soon if they roll this out quickly without any notice.  Is anyone from zoom paying attention?

[ChrisRud]

For me furutnely the money is not so much a problem, and I get Zoom being a business and wanting to make money. I just wish they would be explcit and communicate with their users and potential customers.  I know everyones meetings are important to them. I run an online psychohterapy practice and I know there are 1000s others who do the same, and on Tueday will be cut off without warning if this rolls out then without warning. Perhaps Zoom want to make the headlines with the chaos they will cause.

[LesleyT]

I've not had any emails yet and as others say the info given on pricing pages etc is conflicting. are we sure this is happening?

[MariaCPDB]

It seems unclear with a few getting messages and many not.   Some people swear they have clarified this after being questioned. A statement from zoom would be most helpful. I am going to wait till 2nd May and see what happens as its my day off. But I cant afford for this to happen when I am seeing people 1:1 online for work. 

[HRobbie]

I checked with zoom customer services. The 40 minute   change will apply to all meetings regardless of number of participants from 2nd May. 

[Viviana6]

Today I had 2x 1 to 1 meetings cut off at 40 minutes (a message after 30 minutes appeared saying the call will end in 10 minutes) without any previous warning. Very embarrassing and indelicate because I use it for my counselling work. I wish I had been informed before.

[spr007]

I am in the same situation. One to one counselling and with no prior communication had to cut the session and start off again. I'm debating moving platforms as its quite an expense to go to Pro. However I wonder if they'll find 1000's of users in the same position and alter the times?

[HRobbie]

Zoom's communication has been very poor but I do understand where they are coming from. Guess they have fully considered the potential reputational damage resulting from their decision and approach.  We have had 2+ years of a free service. They are offering a discount to people who migrate to the pro service that can be claimed as a business expense. There are other free platforms for those who don't want to upgrade. 

[DanielleGrégoir]

I got the same problem last week. So bad...