This topic provides answers to some frequently asked questions about the billing of elastic IP addresses (EIPs).

Can I renew multiple subscription EIPs at a time?

Yes, you can renew multiple subscription EIPs at a time.

You can go to the Renewal page to renew subscription EIPs.

After I release a pay-as-you-go EIP, am I still charged for the EIP?

For a pay-as-you-go EIP, the bill for the current hour is generated within the next hour. Although the bill is sent to you after the EIP is released, the billing is stopped when the EIP is released. For example,

after you release a pay-by-data-transfer EIP at 10:30:00, you receive the bill for the data transfer from 10:00:00 to 11:00:00.

Why do I need to set a maximum bandwidth value for a pay-by-data-transfer EIP?

For a pay-by-data-transfer EIP, we recommend that you set a maximum bandwidth value to prevent unnecessary fees caused by excessive outbound traffic.

The maximum bandwidth is not guaranteed for a pay-by-data-transfer EIP. For example, if the maximum bandwidth value of a pay-by-data-transfer EIP is set to 200 Mbit/s, the peak bandwidth may not reach 200 Mbit/s. If you want to use an EIP with a guaranteed maximum bandwidth value, you must purchase a pay-by-bandwidth EIP or an EIP bandwidth plan.

Am I still charged for an EIP after I associate the EIP with an EIP bandwidth plan?

After you associate an EIP with an EIP bandwidth plan, whether you are charged for the EIP is based on the actual scenario:
  • If the EIP is associated with an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance in a virtual private cloud (VPC), you are not charged for the EIP. In this case, the maximum bandwidth of the EIP bandwidth plan replaces that of the EIP, and the previous billing of the EIP stops regardless of its metering method (pay-by-data-transfer or pay-by-bandwidth).
  • In other scenarios, whether you are charged for an EIP is irrelevant to whether the EIP is associated with an EIP bandwidth plan. For example, in scenarios where the EIP is associated with a NAT gateway or a Server Load Balancer (SLB) instance, or not associated with a cloud resource, you are charged for the EIP.