Dear Alibaba Cloud customers,

From September 1, 2020, Apple, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox will reduce the allowed validity period of trusted SSL certificates from 825 days to 398 days. In response to the changes, CA vendors plan to shorten the maximum validity periods. Therefore, Alibaba Cloud plans to stop selling SSL certificates that are valid for two years beginning from August 20, 2020.
  • From August 20, 2020, if you purchase a new SSL certificate, the maximum validity period allowed is 365 days. If you renew an SSL certificate, the maximum validity period allowed for the renewed certificate is 398 days.
  • If an SSL certificate is deployed before August 27, 2020, it is not affected. If you want to change or add domains for the certificate, the maximum validity period of the new certificate cannot be longer than 398 days.
To deal with these changes and reduce their impact, we recommend that you take the following measures:
  • Pay close attention to the validity periods of your SSL certificates and make sure that the certificates are valid under the new rules. This prevents service interruption caused by certificate expiration. You can also purchase the hosting service of Alibaba Cloud SSL Certificates Service. It automatically renews certificates. For example, if you pay for a two-year hosting service, Alibaba Cloud SSL Certificates Service automatically issues a new certificate for you 30 days before your certificate expires for the first year. The hosting service automatically deploys your certificate on cloud services five times.
  • Automate certificate management by using tools. In the SSL Certificates Service console, Upload Certificate allows you to manage your certificates throughout the lifecycle.

Thank you for your continued support for Alibaba Cloud SSL Certificates Service. We will provide you better services with sincerity.

What do I do if I have purchased a two-year SSL certificate but cannot apply for it?

Worldwide CA vendors all shorten the maximum validity period of SSL certificates from two years to one year. If you have purchased a two-year SSL certificate but have not applied for it, we recommend that you perform one of the following operations:
  • Request a refund. In this case, perform the following operations: Log on to the SSL Certificates Service console. Find the purchased SSL certificate. Then, click Refund. After your request is approved, you will receive a refund in your payment account that you used to complete the purchase.
  • Request a replacement. Before September 16, 2020, perform the following operations: Log on to the SSL Certificates Service console. In the upper-right corner, choose Tickets > Submit Ticket. In the ticket, provide the instance ID and basic information about the purchased certificate. After your request is approved, Alibaba Cloud will split the certificate into two one-year certificates within 10 business days.

    From September 16, 2020, Alibaba Cloud will provide refunds for two-year certificates for which no application is submitted.

Notice The split operation is irreversible. You cannot request refunds for split certificates.