Cloud Firewall provides pay-as-you-go savings plans. You can use the savings plans to offset the fees for the billable items of Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method. This helps reduce the costs of cloud assets. This topic describes pay-as-you-go savings plans and how to purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan.
Introduction to a pay-as-you-go savings plan
A savings plan is a discount plan that provides savings over pay-as-you-go rates in exchange for a commitment to use a consistent amount of resources for a specific period of time. You can obtain a greater discount and reduce more costs when you purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan with a larger committed consumption amount.
Offset rules
The following table describes the offset rules for pay-as-you-go savings plans.
Item | Description |
Fees that can be offset | You can use savings plans only when your Cloud Firewall uses the pay-as-you-go billing method. You can use savings plans to offset the configuration fee of public IP addresses and traffic processing fee generated within your Alibaba Cloud account. |
Savings plan types | The all upfront payment method is supported. You can select one of the following types of savings plans based on your committed consumption amount:
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Committed consumption amount | The committed consumption amount in a savings plan specifies the minimum amount that you commit to consuming within the subscription duration that you specified. You must specify a committed consumption amount when you purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan. You cannot change the committed consumption amount before the savings plan expires. You can estimate a committed consumption amount based on the number of public IP addresses that you want to protect and the volume of your traffic. The committed consumption amount is calculated by using the following formula: Committed consumption amount = Daily fee × Subscription duration (days) × Discount. Important After you purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan, you cannot claim a refund. You must consume the entire amount specified in the savings plan within the subscription duration. After the savings plan expires but the amount is not used up, you cannot unsubscribe from the savings plan or claim a refund for the remaining amount. We recommend that you use Cloud Firewall based on the pay-as-you-go billing method for one to seven days and then calculate the required committed consumption amount based on the generated fees. For more information about the billable items of Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method, see Pay-as-you-go. |
Offset method | When fees for the billable items of Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method are settled, the system automatically uses pay-as-you-go savings plans to offset the fees. Example Your Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method generated a configuration fee of public IP addresses of USD 12 and a traffic processing fee of USD 2.247 on July 1.
Note The billing cycle of Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method is one day. Bills are generated and fees are deducted at 18:00 on Day T+1. |
Offset order | A savings plan is used to offset the fees for pay-as-you-go billable items based on when resources are first used. If you purchase multiple pay-as-you-go savings plans, Cloud Firewall preferentially uses the savings plan that first expires. |
Effective date | After you purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan, the savings plan immediately takes effect. The bill for Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method for the previous day is settled at 18:00 every day. Therefore, a savings plan is used to offset the fees that are generated on Day T+1. For example, if you purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan at 15:00 on July 20, you can use the pay-as-you-go savings plan to offset the fees generated for Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method after 15:00 on July 20, and the bill for the fees generated on July 20 is settled on July 21. |
Subscription duration | 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. |
Benefits
After you purchase pay-as-you-go savings plans, you can use Cloud Firewall in a more cost-effective and flexible manner.
Compared with the subscription billing method
You can use Cloud Firewall at lower costs. You can also purchase, upgrade, or release Cloud Firewall at any time.
Compared with the pay-as-you-go billing method
The fees for the billable items of Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method are discounted, which reduces costs.
Prerequisites
You can use savings plans only when your Cloud Firewall uses the pay-as-you-go billing method. Before you can purchase a savings plan, you must purchase Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method. For more information about how to purchase Cloud Firewall that uses the pay-as-you-go billing method, see Pay-as-you-go.
Purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan
Go to the Savings plan buy page.
Set Product Type to Pay-as-you-go Savings Plan.
Configure the parameters based on your business requirements.
Parameter
Description
Savings Plan Type
You can select one of the following savings plans based on your committed consumption amount:
Upfront (10-99): You can set Committed Consumption Amount (USD) to a value that ranges from 10 to 99. You can enjoy a 5% discount when you offset fees.
Upfront (100-999): You can set Committed Consumption Amount (USD) to a value that ranges from 100 to 999. You can enjoy a 9% discount when you offset fees.
Upfront (1,000-10,000): You can set Committed Consumption Amount (USD) to a value that ranges from 1,000 to 10,000. You can enjoy a 14% discount when you offset fees.
Committed Consumption Amount (USD)
Specify the minimum amount that you commit to consuming based on the selected savings plan type. After you specify a value, you cannot change the value before the savings plan expires.
Subscription Duration
Valid values: 3 Months, 6 Months, and 1 Year.
Read and select Terms of Service, click Buy Now, and then complete the payment.
View the usage of pay-as-you-go savings plans
Log on to the Billing Management console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose .
Click a tab to view the usage statistics, such as the usage overview, usage details, and usage rate.
Refund description
You cannot claim refunds for pay-as-you-go savings plans.
FAQ
How are fees for Cloud Firewall settled after my usage exceeds the savings plans?
If your savings plans are exhausted, you are charged for the excess usage based on the pay-as-you-go billing method. For more information, see Pay-as-you-go.
After a savings plan expires, my actual cost is less than the committed consumption amount of the savings plan. How are fees settled?
If you purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan, your fees are settled based on the committed consumption amount that is specified in the savings plan.
After you purchase a pay-as-you-go savings plan, you cannot claim a refund. You must consume the entire amount specified in the savings plan within the subscription duration. After the savings plan expires but the amount is not used up, you cannot unsubscribe from the savings plan or claim a refund for the remaining amount.
What is the offset order when I purchase multiple pay-as-you-go savings plans?
If you purchase multiple pay-as-you-go savings plans, Cloud Firewall preferentially uses the savings plan that expires first.
For example, if you purchase a savings plan that is of the Upfront (10-99) type and is valid for three months, and a savings plan that is of the Upfront (100-999) type and is valid for six months, the savings plan of the Upfront (10-99) type is first used to offset the fees that are generated.