PolarDB clusters support two billing methods: subscription and pay-as-you-go. Switch between them at any time from the PolarDB console without interrupting your cluster or affecting running workloads.
Usage notes
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A Serverless cluster always uses pay-as-you-go billing. The billing method cannot be changed.
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Non-Serverless clusters (subscription or pay-as-you-go) cannot be converted directly to Serverless clusters. To use a Serverless cluster, migrate data using Data Transmission Service (DTS) or enable the serverless feature on your existing cluster. See the FAQ for details.
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Make sure your account balance stays sufficient after switching to pay-as-you-go to avoid downtime from overdue payments.
Refunds
When you switch from subscription to pay-as-you-go, the unused portion of your subscription fee is refunded to your original payment account. Only the actual amount paid is refunded — vouchers and coupons are not refunded. For refund calculation details, see Request a refund after the change of the billing method from subscription to pay-as-you-go.
Switch from subscription to pay-as-you-go
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure that:
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The cluster is in the Running state
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No temporary upgrade task is in progress and no scheduled configuration change tasks exist
Procedure
Switching billing methods does not interrupt your cluster or affect running workloads.
In the PolarDB console, go to the Clusters page, find the target cluster, and choose More > Switch to Pay-as-you-go in the Actions column.
If the cluster is not listed, verify that you are viewing the correct region.
Switch from pay-as-you-go to subscription
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure that:
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The cluster is in the Running state
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No unpaid orders exist. Go to Expenses and Costs > Orders to pay or cancel any outstanding orders.
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The cluster uses currently available specifications. Some older specifications (for example, dedicated specifications with 2 cores and 4 GB of memory) are no longer sold. If your cluster uses a retired specification, manually upgrade or downgrade the cluster to an available specification before switching billing methods.
Procedure
Switching billing methods does not interrupt your cluster or affect running workloads.
In the PolarDB console, go to the Clusters page, find the target cluster, and choose More > Switch to Subscription in the Actions column.
If the cluster is not listed, verify that you are viewing the correct region.
A Switch to Subscription order is generated. The billing method changes only after the order is paid. An unpaid or failed order blocks new cluster purchases and additional billing method switches. Go to Expenses and Costs > Orders to pay or cancel the order before proceeding.
Storage billing after switching to subscription
Storage billing behavior depends on your storage type and how the cluster was originally purchased.
| Storage type | Original billing combination | Storage billing after switch |
|---|---|---|
| PSL4 or PSL5 | Cluster purchased with pay-as-you-go | Storage remains pay-as-you-go |
| PSL4 or PSL5 | Previously changed from subscription (compute + storage) to pay-as-you-go (compute + storage) | Storage changes to subscription |
| Enhanced SSD | Any | Storage changes to subscription |
FAQ
A message about ineffective orders appears when I switch from subscription to pay-as-you-go. What should I do?
How do I migrate a non-Serverless cluster to a Serverless cluster?
Use Data Transmission Service (DTS) to migrate data between PolarDB for MySQL clusters. For step-by-step instructions, see Migrate data between PolarDB for MySQL clusters.
Can I enable the serverless feature on a non-Serverless cluster without migrating data?
Yes. Enable the serverless feature directly on a subscription or pay-as-you-go cluster without migrating data. For instructions, see Enable the serverless feature for a cluster with defined specifications.