This topic helps you choose a cost-effective billing method for metric data ingestion in your Managed Service for Prometheus instances.
Billing methods
Method | Description | Scenario |
By written data volume | You are charged based on the size of uncompressed metric data transmitted to your Managed Service for Prometheus instances. | Recommended when there are few labels on your metrics. |
By reported data volume | You are charged based on the number of data points when the metric data is transmitted to your Managed Service for Prometheus instances. | Recommended when there are many labels on your metrics. |
Specify a billing method
You can specify a billing method during instance creation, and change that of existing instances.
During instance creation
Log on to the Prometheus console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances.
Click Create Prometheus Instance. In the panel that appears, choose a billing method. You can also configure this method as the default setting for future instances.
For existing instances
Effective immediately upon changing your billing method, all charges from that day onwards will be calculated based on the new method.
The billing method can be changed only once per instance.
Log on to the Prometheus console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances.
Click Settings in the Actions column of the instance that you want to manage. In the panel that appears, click
next to the billing method. 
In the dialog box that appears, choose the other billing method and click OK.