When you assign a static public IP address to an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance, Alibaba Cloud charges only for outbound traffic. Inbound traffic is free. Outbound traffic is data sent from your ECS instance — for example, when the instance serves external requests or responds to file downloads.
This topic covers billing for static public IPv4 addresses only. If your instance accesses the internet through IPv6, elastic IP addresses (EIPs), or NAT Gateway, see the billing documentation for those products.
Choose a billing method
Static public IP addresses support two billing methods: pay-by-bandwidth and pay-by-traffic.
Billing method | How you're billed | Best for |
Pay-by-bandwidth | Based on the configured bandwidth value and how long the instance runs | Stable traffic with consistent bandwidth needs. |
Pay-by-traffic | Based on actual outbound traffic used | Unpredictable traffic with frequent peaks and troughs. |
To switch between methods later, see Change the billing method for network usage of an ECS instance that uses a static public IP address. Monitor your network bandwidth regularly to confirm your current method still fits your traffic patterns.
Billing rules
Pay-by-bandwidth
Fee = Unit price for bandwidth × Usage duration
Billing example
Scenario: Deploy a website for a 30-day event on an ECS instance in the China (Hangzhou) region using pay-by-bandwidth. Bandwidth is set to 10 Mbps.
The prices below are for reference only. See the ECS Pricing page for current pricing.
Instance billing method | Parameters and unit price | Fee calculation |
Subscription | Bandwidth: 10 Mbps Duration: 1 month Unit price: USD 76/month | USD 76 × 1 = USD 76 |
Pay-as-you-go, spot instances | Bandwidth: 10 Mbps Duration: 720 hours Unit price: USD 0.1341/hour | USD 0.1346 × 720 = USD 96.552 |
For a detailed breakdown of how unit prices are calculated across bandwidth tiers, see ECS Pricing.
Pay-by-traffic
Fee = Outbound traffic (GB) × Unit price per GB
For subscription, pay-as-you-go, and spot instances, you're billed based on actual outbound traffic. You can set a peak bandwidth to limit the maximum outbound traffic rate.
The peak bandwidth is an upper limit, not a guaranteed throughput. During periods of high network contention, actual bandwidth may be lower than the peak. For stable bandwidth, use pay-by-bandwidth instead.
If you use pay-by-traffic on a subscription instance, pay-as-you-go fees are generated each billing cycle. Monitor your account balance to avoid service disruptions from overdue payments.
Parameter | Description |
Outbound traffic | The total outbound traffic used by the instance. Usage is measured in bytes, then converted to GB and rounded for billing. The final amount is subject to your bill. To view usage by billing cycle, see Billing FAQ. |
Unit price per GB | Varies by region. See the Bandwidth tab on ECS Pricing. |
Billing example
Scenario: An ECS instance in the China (Hangzhou) region runs for a short-term promotional event and uses 15.5 GB of outbound traffic before being released.
The prices below are for reference only. See the ECS Pricing page for current pricing.
Parameters and unit price | Fee calculation |
Outbound traffic: 15.5 GB Unit price: USD 0.123/GB | 15.5 × 0.123 = USD 1.9065 |
Cost optimization
Pay-by-traffic
Optimization plan | Benefits |
Receive a free traffic allowance each month. Uses tiered pricing — the more traffic you use, the lower the unit price. After upgrading to CDT, filter bills by Cloud Data Transfer instead of Elastic Compute Service. | |
Settle traffic fees across multiple instances, regions, and products at a lower unit price. |
Pay-by-bandwidth
Optimization plan | Benefits |
Downgrade bandwidth if actual peak usage is consistently well below the configured value | Reduces fixed bandwidth costs and avoids paying for idle capacity. |
Use a temporary bandwidth upgrade for short-term requirements (subscription instances only) | Pay for higher bandwidth only during the period you need it, then revert automatically to the original value. |
View bills and usage
View detailed bills
Log on to the Expenses and Costs console.
In the left navigation pane, choose .
Filter by product and select Elastic Compute Service to view public bandwidth bills.
If you have upgraded to CDT, filter by product and select Cloud Data Transfer.
View outbound traffic for pay-by-traffic
This method applies only to instances using pay-by-traffic. It cannot be used to query traffic for instances using pay-by-bandwidth.
Log on to the Expenses and Costs console.
In the left navigation pane, choose , and then click View Usage Details.
Set Product Name to Elastic Compute Service-Pay-As-You-Go or Elastic Compute Service-Subscription. Set Billing Item to Outbound Traffic. Select a time range — you can query one calendar month at a time.
Set Product to Alibaba Cloud service ECS. Set the metering specification to Internet Traffic and select the time range.
Click Export CSV. On the Export Record page, wait for the status to change to Export Successful, then click Download.
Stop public bandwidth billing
Set the bandwidth value to 0 Mbit/s to release the static public IP address and stop billing. For instructions, see Modify the public bandwidth.
For subscription instances, a refund may be issued when you unsubscribe. The refund covers only cash payments — coupon values are excluded. See Refunds for resource downgrades for details.
Effects of overdue payments
Your account has an overdue payment when the available credit (account balance, coupons, and credit limit combined) falls below the outstanding bill amount.
Instance type | Impact |
Subscription instances | Continue using existing ECS resources. Cannot purchase, upgrade, or renew instances until the payment is settled. |
Pay-as-you-go instances | The static public IP address is retained for 15 days. If economical mode is enabled, the IP may be reclaimed when the instance stops — the IP address may change after you restart. The address is released if the payment is not settled within 15 days. |
An overdue payment stops pay-as-you-go ECS instances. To avoid disruptions, settle overdue payments promptly: log on to the Expenses and Costs console, and on the Overview page, click Pay Now in the top banner.
FAQ
How do I find billing rules for IPv6, EIP, or NAT Gateway?
IPv6: See IPv6 billing.
EIP: See EIP billing overview.
NAT Gateway: See NAT Gateway billing.
What traffic is not billed after I enable internet access?
Traffic between your ECS instance and other Alibaba Cloud services — such as ApsaraDB RDS (RDS), Server Load Balancer (SLB), and Object Storage Service (OSS) — over a private IP address within the same virtual private cloud (VPC) is not billed. Uploading files to the ECS instance over the internet is also free.
If you download files from other Alibaba Cloud services to your ECS instance over the internet, those services may charge egress fees. Check the billing documentation for each service.
Why do extra fees appear after I enable a static public IP address for a subscription instance?
If you enable pay-by-traffic on a subscription instance, pay-as-you-go fees are generated based on actual outbound traffic:
Subscription instances: No upfront payment for the public IP address, but fees are charged in each billing cycle where outbound traffic occurs.
Pay-as-you-go and spot instances: Outbound traffic fees are charged in each billing cycle along with other instance configuration fees.