This topic answers frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Simple Application Server billing.
What are the billable items for a Simple Application Server?
The main billable items for a Simple Application Server include package configuration fees, data disk fees, and excess data transfer fees. For more information, see Billable items.
Does a Simple Application Server incur data transfer fees?
Before you purchase a package:
When an Internet Traffic Package has a status of No Fixed Traffic, the traffic fee is included in the package price and no additional traffic fees will be charged.
If your plan includes a fixed data transfer quota for Monthly Traffic, Alibaba Cloud charges for excess data transfer on a pay-as-you-go basis after the quota is exceeded. For more information about billing rates, see Billing details.
After you purchase a server:
Log on to the Simple Application Server console. On the server card, find the Simple Application Server that you want to manage and click its instance ID.
On the Server Overview page, check the Server Monitoring section. If the Traffic metric is displayed, your plan includes a fixed data transfer quota. After the quota is used up, Alibaba Cloud charges for excess data transfer on a pay-as-you-go basis. For specific billing rates, see Billing details.
If the metric is not displayed, data transfer fees are included in the package price and no extra data transfer fees are charged.
Is there a monthly usage limit for Simple Application Server data transfer, and what are the billing rules for exceeding it?
Log on to the Simple Application Server console. On the server card, find the Simple Application Server that you want to manage and click its instance ID.
On the Server Overview page, view the Server Monitoring section. If this section contains the Traffic metric, you have a fixed data transfer quota. After the quota is used, Alibaba Cloud charges for excess data transfer on a pay-as-you-go basis. For more information about billing specifications, see Billing details.
If the metric is not displayed, data transfer fees are included in the package price and no extra data transfer fees are charged.
Are there fees for creating snapshots and custom images?
Creating snapshots and custom images for a Simple Application Server is free, but the following limits apply:
Snapshots:
You can create up to three snapshots for each Simple Application Server.
An Alibaba Cloud account can have a maximum number of snapshots equal to three times the number of Simple Application Server instances owned, up to a limit of 15.
Custom images: An Alibaba Cloud account can have a maximum number of custom images equal to three times the number of Simple Application Server instances owned, up to a limit of 15.
What packages does Simple Application Server support?
Simple Application Server provides cost-effective compute resources in packages. A variety of packages are available. For specific package information, see the product purchase page. Package prices may vary by region. The actual price is displayed on the purchase page in the console.
Can I change my Simple Application Server package?
Yes, but you can only upgrade to a package with higher specifications. You cannot downgrade the package after the server is upgraded. Before you change the package, create a snapshot of the Simple Application Server disk to back up your data. For more information about the operations, see Upgrade configurations.
Does Simple Application Server support pay-as-you-go purchases?
No. Simple Application Server currently only supports the subscription billing method.
How is excess data transfer billed?
For Simple Application Server instances whose packages include a monthly data transfer quota, only outbound Internet traffic that exceeds the quota incurs pay-as-you-go fees.
For Simple Application Server instances whose packages do not include a monthly data transfer quota, no fees are charged for outbound or inbound Internet traffic.
For more information, see Billable items.
What does peak bandwidth in a package refer to?
Peak bandwidth is the maximum instantaneous data transfer rate allocated to a Simple Application Server. The peak bandwidth varies based on the Simple Application Server package. The specific value is displayed on the purchase page in the console.
Is the peak bandwidth limit applied only after the monthly fixed data transfer quota is used up?
No. The bandwidth is limited by the peak bandwidth from the moment you purchase the Simple Application Server.
If my account has an overdue payment but the package has not expired, will my Simple Application Server be stopped?
If your Simple Application Server's bandwidth usage does not exceed the data transfer quota in your package, an overdue payment does not cause the server to stop. If the bandwidth usage exceeds the quota, the excess data transfer is billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. If your Alibaba Cloud account has an overdue payment at this time, the server is automatically stopped, which affects its services. For more information, see Expiration or overdue payments.
Renewal
Can I get a refund for a renewal order?
Yes. You can log on to the Unsubscribe page to check if the renewal order has taken effect:
If an order is on the Pending Renewal Cancellations tab, the cancellation is still pending. You are eligible for a full refund.
If an order is listed on the Unsubscribe Resources tab, the cancellation is complete. You will receive a partial refund according to the refund rules.
For more information about the refund rules, see Refund policy.
Why did my auto-renewal fail?
After you enable auto-renewal, only the renewal cycle is set. The renewal is not processed immediately. The system attempts to deduct payment for renewal on the following schedule: 3 days before expiration, 1 day before expiration, the day of expiration, 6 days after expiration, and 14 days after expiration. If a deduction attempt fails, the system tries again at the next scheduled time. Your account may have an insufficient balance, which causes renewal payments to fail repeatedly up to 14 days after expiration. You must top up your account and renew the instance manually.
Can I downgrade the instance configuration during renewal?
Currently, Simple Application Server only supports upgrades. Downgrades are not supported.
Refunds
Where does the refund go after unsubscription, and how long does it take to arrive?
Refund processing and bank transfers take time. The funds are expected to arrive within 30 business days. The refund is returned to the original payment method by default.