Function Compute:FAQ about billing

How do I release Function Compute instances or deactivate Function Compute?

You can directly delete functions you no longer use. For more information, see Manage functions.

Can I switch between CPU instances and GPU-accelerated instances?

No, you cannot switch between CPU instances and GPU-accelerated instances.

When does a resource plan expire?

The validity period of resource plans in Function Compute is 12 months. For example, if you purchase a resource plan on August 14, 2023, it expires on August 14, 2024.

You can log on to the Function Compute console and view the expiration time of all your resource plans in the Resource Plan section on the right side of the Overview page.

Can I use my resource plan to offset resource usage across regions?

Yes, you can use your resource plan to offset resource usage in any region.

How do I deactivate Function Compute when I have an overdue payment? How do I settle the overdue bill?

If you no longer want to use Function Compute, you can delete your functions. For more information, see How do I release Function Compute instances or shut down Function Compute?

To settle an overdue payment, log on to the Expenses and Costs console. Find Current Amount in the Available Credit section of the Account Overview page. If the value is less than 0, your account has an overdue payment. You can click Pay Now to settle the payment.

Why am I still charged after I deactivate Function Compute?

Function Compute resources used during each clock hour will be billed at the conclusion of the following clock hour. For example, if you invoke a function sometime between 13:00 and 14:00, and you stop the service at 14:00, you may receive the bill at around 15:00. Therefore, the bills that you receive after deactivating Function Compute are for the resource usage that took place prior to the deactivation.

You can also view the billing details to check whether bills are generated by other Alibaba Cloud services that are associated with Function Compute. In cases where bills are indeed generated by other Alibaba Cloud services, check whether those service instances or resources are still needed. If not, you can delete them in the corresponding consoles.

Why are fees still generated even when my functions are not processing requests?

If the billing continues when your functions are not processing requests, check whether provisioned instances are configured. The billing of provisioned instances begins when Function Compute starts the instances and ends when you release them. Delete any provisioned instances that are no longer needed at your earliest opportunity. For more information, see Configure provisioned instances and auto scaling rules.

You can also check whether instances of other Alibaba Cloud services within your account are generating fees. You can log on to the Expenses and Costs console to view the billing details and check whether bills of other Alibaba Cloud services exist. For more information, see View bills.

Why am I still charged after I purchase a resource plan?

You are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis after your resource plan is used up or expires. For more information about how to view the remaining quota of a resource plan, see Manage resource plans.

Does Function Compute support auto-renewal of resource plans? If so, how do I disable auto-renewal?

No, Function Compute does not support auto-renewal of resource plans. You can purchase new resource plans when the existing ones expire.

Why can I only buy CU-based resource plans now? Where are other types of resource plans?

To simplify billing, Function Compute has adopted a unified billable item: Compute Unit (CU) usage. All types of resource usage are converted to CU usage following specific rules, and you are charged based on the unit price of CU usage.

Function Compute now only offers CU resource plans for offsetting CU usage fees. Resource plans for GPU, vCPU, memory, function invocation, and outbound Internet traffic are no longer provided. Once you purchase a CU resource plan, your usage of all types of resources is converted into CU usage based on specific rules, and the resulting fees are offset by the resource plan. For more information, see CU conversion factors.

Why is my newly purchased CU resource plan not used to offset resource usage fees?

Resource plans are used in chronological order of their expiration dates. After you purchase a CU resource plan, any existing resource plans that have not expired or been fully utilized are applied first to offset resource usage. This means that resource usage is converted to CU usage and deducted first from these existing plans rather than the new one.

Am I charged more with the new billing rules that are based on CU usage?

After Function Compute adopts the unified billable item CU usage, some resource usage may incur higher fees, whereas others may incur lower fees. The new billing rules are designed to balance all types of resource usage. As a result, only in a few cases will your overall costs increase or decrease compared to before. Function Compute offers a 20% discount on CU usage during the promotion period. In most cases, your cost does not increase. We also recommend that you use the idle mode feature and resource plans to reduce costs. For more information, see Billing overview.

Can I unsubscribe from notifications of Function Compute?

Yes, you can unsubscribe from notifications of Function Compute. To do so, log on to the Alibaba Cloud portal and click Console in the upper-right corner. In the Alibaba Cloud Management Console, click the bell icon in the top navigation bar to go to the Message Center console. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Message Settings > Common Settings. On the Common Settings page, click Manage Contacts in the upper-right corner. On the Manage Contacts page, add or remove contacts as prompted based on your business requirements. For more information, see How do I configure notifications?

Am I charged after I purchase a free trial plan?

Function Compute provides a free trial plan for first-time users. You are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis if the trial quota is exhausted or expires. For more information, see Billing overview.

After I purchase a trial plan, my account has overdue payments. How do I view the overdue payments, and why are overdue payments generated?

Overdue payments occur if your resource usage exceeds the quota in the free trial plan or you have not purchased resource plans for other Alibaba Cloud services that you use.

If your account has an overdue payment, log on to the Expenses and Costs console to view the details. For more information, see View overdue payments. You can view the billing details to check the fees of billable items. For more information, see View bills.

Can I still use Function Compute if I have overdue payments for other Alibaba Cloud services?

If your account has overdue payments for other Alibaba Cloud services (with the suspension protection period having ended or the protection quota being fully utilized), you can still use Function Compute services normally at this point, as long as no pay-as-you-go fees are incurred. Once the first pay-as-you-go bill is issued, there will be an overdue payment for Function Compute as well, and the services will be frozen. If you have sufficient resource plans and vouchers to cover all your Function Compute usage and fees, and no outstanding bills are greater than 0, you can use Function Compute normally.

What resource usage items are involved in the running of GPU-accelerated instances?

If you configure GPU-accelerated instances for a function, the following resource usage items are involved during function executions: the number of function invocations, active vCPU usage, idle vCPU usage, memory usage, disk usage, active GPU usage, idle GPU usage, and outbound Internet traffic (if Internet access is involved). For more information, see Billing overview.

CPU resources are also required for GPU-accelerated instances. The following table shows the specifications of GPU-accelerated instances.