diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-traceability.yml b/.github/workflows/release-traceability.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cdc7343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-traceability.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+name: release-traceability
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      service_image_ref: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.service_image_ref }}
+      service_image_tag: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.service_image_tag }}
+      service_image_commit: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.service_image_commit }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Derive image identity
+        id: meta
+        run: bash ./scripts/github-actions/resolve-service-image-ref.sh
+
+      - name: Build image
+        env:
+          SERVICE_IMAGE_REF: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.service_image_ref }}
+          SERVICE_IMAGE_LATEST_REF: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}:latest
+        run: bash ./scripts/github-actions/build-service-image.sh
+
+      - name: Push image
+        run: bash ./scripts/github-actions/push-image-placeholder.sh
+
+  deploy:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: build
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Deploy via playbook
+        env:
+          IMAGE_REF: ${{ needs.build.outputs.service_image_ref }}
+          BILLING_SERVICE_IMAGE_REF: ${{ needs.build.outputs.service_image_ref }}
+          BILLING_SERVICE_IMAGE_TAG: ${{ needs.build.outputs.service_image_tag }}
+          BILLING_SERVICE_IMAGE_COMMIT: ${{ needs.build.outputs.service_image_commit }}
+        run: bash ./scripts/github-actions/deploy-billing-service.sh
+
+  validate:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: deploy
+    steps:
+      - name: Validate runtime traceability
+        env:
+          SERVICE_IMAGE_REF: ${{ needs.build.outputs.service_image_ref }}
+        run: bash ./scripts/github-actions/validate-release-traceability.sh
diff --git a/scripts/github-actions/build-service-image.sh b/scripts/github-actions/build-service-image.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82abc0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/github-actions/build-service-image.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+docker build \
+  --tag "${SERVICE_IMAGE_REF:?SERVICE_IMAGE_REF is required}" \
+  --tag "${SERVICE_IMAGE_LATEST_REF:?SERVICE_IMAGE_LATEST_REF is required}" \
+  .
diff --git a/scripts/github-actions/deploy-billing-service.sh b/scripts/github-actions/deploy-billing-service.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae5c976
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/github-actions/deploy-billing-service.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+test -n "${IMAGE_REF:?IMAGE_REF is required}"
+ansible-playbook -i inventory playbooks/deploy_billing_service.yml
diff --git a/scripts/github-actions/push-image-placeholder.sh b/scripts/github-actions/push-image-placeholder.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..febb0ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/github-actions/push-image-placeholder.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+echo "Push step is intentionally left as an integration point for the target registry."
diff --git a/scripts/github-actions/resolve-service-image-ref.sh b/scripts/github-actions/resolve-service-image-ref.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fe9c13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/github-actions/resolve-service-image-ref.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+full_sha="${GITHUB_SHA:?GITHUB_SHA is required}"
+tag="sha-${full_sha}"
+image_ref="ghcr.io/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY:?GITHUB_REPOSITORY is required}:${tag}"
+
+printf 'service_image_ref=%s\n' "${image_ref}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+printf 'service_image_tag=%s\n' "${tag}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+printf 'service_image_commit=%s\n' "${full_sha}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
diff --git a/scripts/github-actions/validate-release-traceability.sh b/scripts/github-actions/validate-release-traceability.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1bb474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/github-actions/validate-release-traceability.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+service_image_ref="${SERVICE_IMAGE_REF:?SERVICE_IMAGE_REF is required}"
+tag="${service_image_ref##*:}"
+commit="${tag#sha-}"
+
+curl -fsS "https://billing-service.example.com/api/ping" | jq -e \
+  --arg image "${service_image_ref}" \
+  --arg tag "${tag}" \
+  --arg commit "${commit}" \
+  '.image == $image and .tag == $tag and .commit == $commit'