Renewal management and resource renewal - Expenses and Costs

Renew your subscription resources before they expire to prevent service disruptions. Pay-as-you-go resources do not require renewal.

Impact of not renewing after resource expiration

If you do not renew a subscription resource after it expires, the service stops and the system eventually releases it automatically. Once released, all data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

After expiration, most cloud products go through three phases: Grace period, Suspension, and Release and deletion:

Grace period: Typically lasts 1 to 15 days. During this time, the resource continues to provide service.
Suspension: The service stops, but the resource and its data are retained.
Release and deletion: The system automatically releases the resource and permanently deletes all data.

A few cloud products are released immediately upon expiration. For example, fixed-quota OSS resource plans are released right after expiration. You can continue using Object Storage Service (OSS), and billing automatically switches to pay-as-you-go.

For specific expiration rules, refer to each product's documentation. The following table describes the post-expiration state changes for common cloud products:

Common products	Grace period	Suspension	Release and deletion
ECS/Simple Application Server	First 15 days after expiration	After 15 days, the instance enters suspension. Data is still retained.	15 days after suspension, the instance is automatically released. Data cannot be recovered.
ApsaraDB RDS	None	Days 1–7 after expiration: Instance is locked and inaccessible.	Days 8–15 after expiration: Compute resources are released; data backups are retained. On day 16 after expiration, data is no longer retained.
Tair (Redis OSS-compatible)	First 15 days after expiration	Days 16–30 after expiration: Instance is disabled and inaccessible. Days 31–37 after expiration: Instance is in the released state, but data is retained.	On day 38 after expiration, the instance is permanently destroyed. Data is no longer retained and cannot be recovered.
PolarDB	First 15 days after expiration	After 15 days, the cluster enters a suspended and locked state and becomes inaccessible.	15 days after suspension, the cluster is released. Basic backups are deleted, but remote data backups are retained.
Edge Security Acceleration (ESA) plan	None	15 days after expiration	The resource plan is released 15 days after expiration.
Web Application Firewall (WAF)	None	15 days after expiration: Protection stops, but instance configuration is retained.	On day 16 after expiration, the instance is automatically released.

How to renew

Note

For Domain Names and Alibaba Mail, go to the corresponding product consoles to perform operations.

You can renew a resource at any time before it is released. The instance status and service period vary depending on whether you renew before or after the expiration date.

Renew before expiration: The new service period starts when the previous subscription ends.
Renew after expiration:
- If the resource has not been suspended, the new service period starts when the previous subscription ends.
- If the resource has been suspended, the new service period starts after the renewal is successful. You are not charged for the time the resource was suspended.

You can renew resources using manual renewal or auto-renewal.

Renewal method

Renewal window

How it works

Manual renewal

Before the resource is released

You initiate renewal manually. The resource's validity is extended immediately after successful payment.

An instance can have only one pending renewal order. If you successfully initiate a manual renewal, you cannot renew the instance again until the pending order takes effect.

Auto-renewal

Auto-renewal must be enabled before expiration. If enabled, the system will attempt payment up to 14 days after expiration.

You preset a renewal period. The resource is automatically renewed at the specified time before it expires.

The system automatically attempts payment on key dates: 3 days and 1 day before expiration, on the expiration day, and on days 6 and 14 after expiration. If a payment fails, the system retries at the next scheduled time. If all attempts fail by day 14 after expiration, auto-renewal stops. You must then renew manually (if still within the product's allowed grace period).

You can cancel auto-renewal at any time.

Note

Pay-as-you-go resources do not require renewal. Ensure your account has a sufficient balance for continued use.

For auto-renewal, ensure your payment method is valid to ensure a successful payment.

To renew third-party products from the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, log on to the Marketplace console to view them, or contact Marketplace customer service.

Alibaba Cloud accounts have renewal permissions by default. Before a RAM user can perform renewal operations, the Alibaba Cloud account must grant relevant permissions, such as AliyunBSSFullAccess or AliyunBSSRenewFullAccess.

Manual renewal

You can renew resources manually in the console. Follow these steps.

New console

Log on to the Expenses and Costs console. In the navigation pane on the left, choose Orders > Resource Renewal.
On the Resource Renewal page, click the Manual Renewal tab, and click Renew in the Actions column of the target product. Use Batch Renewal to generate a single order for multiple cloud instances.
On the renewal details page, select a Renewal Duration. The new Expiration Time is displayed. Then, click Confirm Order.
On the Payment page, confirm that the order information is correct, and then complete the payment.

Note

Before you renew, you can also select Export Renewal Checklist to download a list of costs for price inquiries or funding requests.

Legacy console

Log on to the Expenses and Costs console. In the navigation pane on the left, find Renewal.
On the Renewal Management page, click the Manual tab, and click Renew in the Actions column of the product you want to renew. You can also select multiple instances of the same cloud product to batch renew and generate a single order.
On the renewal details page, select a Renewal Duration. The new Expiration Time is displayed. Then, click Confirm Order.
On the Payment page, confirm that the order information is correct, and then complete the payment.

Note

Before you renew, you can also select Export Renewal Checklist to download a list of costs for price inquiries or funding requests.

You can also use the RenewInstance API operation to renew instances.

Note

This API does not support the renewal of ECS, RDS, or Redis instances. Use the dedicated renewal APIs for those products.

Auto-renewal

You can enable auto-renewal when you purchase a subscription resource.

You can also set up auto-renewal rules in the Expenses and Costs console.

New console

Log on to the Resource Renewal page. On the Manual Renewal tab, select one or more products you want to renew, and then click Enable Auto-renewal.
On the Enable Auto-renewal page, configure the Auto-renewal Period, and then click Enable Auto-renewal. After auto-renewal is enabled, you can view the renewal details on the Auto-renewal tab.
Go to the Auto-renewal tab. For instances with auto-renewal enabled, you can perform operations such as Cancel and Restore to Manual Renewal.
- Renew: Immediately perform a manual renewal for an instance that is set for auto-renewal. After a successful renewal, the system will perform the next auto-renewal based on the new expiration date.
- Modify Auto-renewal Settings: Change the auto-renewal period.
- Nonrenewal: Set the instance to not renew after its expiration date.
- Restore to Manual Renewal: Change an instance from auto-renewal back to manual renewal.

Legacy console

Log on to the Renewal Management page. On the Manual Renewal tab, select one or more products you want to renew, and then click Enable Auto-renewal.
On the Enable Auto-renewal page, configure the Auto-renewal Period, and then click Enable Auto-renewal. After auto-renewal is enabled, you can view the renewal details on the Auto-renewal tab.
Go to the Auto-renewal tab. For instances with auto-renewal enabled, you can perform operations such as Cancel and Restore to Manual Renewal.
- Renew: Immediately perform a manual renewal for an instance that is set for auto-renewal.
- Modify Auto-renewal: Change the auto-renewal period.
- Do Not Renew: Set the instance to not renew after its expiration date.
- Restore to Manual Renewal: Change an instance from auto-renewal back to manual renewal.

Note

Enabling auto-renewal does not immediately renew the resource. It only sets the renewal period. The rule takes effect the next day.
If your resource instance expires the next day, auto-renewal will not be performed. Renew it manually.

You can call the SetRenewal operation to set up auto-renewal for an instance.

Note

Enabling auto-renewal does not immediately renew the resource. It only sets the renewal period. The rule takes effect the next day.
If your resource instance expires the next day, auto-renewal will not be performed. Renew it manually.

After a successful renewal, you can log on to the Resource Renewal page. On the Manual Renewal tab, you can view all instances for which manual renewal is enabled. On the Auto-renewal tab, you can view all instances for which auto-renewal is enabled.

Note

If you have enabled enterprise multi-account management, the management account (MA) can view the resources of member accounts on the Resource Renewal page but cannot perform operations on them.

Renewal recommendations

Monitor expiration and renewal notifications

The system sends notifications by internal message, email 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before expiration, and on the expiration day and the day before release. You can manage your subscriptions by logging on to Message Center - Basic Receiving Management.

Periodically check for expiring resources

Log on to the Resource Renewal page and filter for expiring resources by Start/End Time or Region. You can also search by a specific Instance ID or Status to find and renew resources.

Unify ECS instance expiration dates for centralized renewal

There is an ECS feature that lets you unify expiration dates to renew multiple ECS instances to the same day of the month. The new billing cycle starts on the renewal date, which makes it easier to manage renewals. For more information, see Unify expiration dates for subscription ECS instances.

Set resources to not renew to reduce notifications

If you no longer need a resource after it expires, you can set it to not renew to reduce the number of expiration notifications you receive. We recommend that you back up your data before the resource expires to avoid business impact.

Log on to the Expenses and Costs console and go to the Resource Renewal page.
On the Manual Renewal/Auto-renewal tab, find the resources that you do not want to renew.
In the Actions column on the right, click Nonrenewal, or select multiple instances of the same cloud product and click Set as Nonrenewal.
Switch to the Nonrenewal upon Expiration tab to view the resources that are set not to renew.

FAQ

Why can't I find the resource instance I want to renew on the renewal page?

If a resource instance does not support renewal, it is not displayed in the list on the renewal page. Common examples include:
- Pay-as-you-go instances, which do not require renewal.
- Instances that have already been released, which cannot be renewed.
Resource plan instances. You can renew these on the Resource Plan page.
Domain names, Alibaba Mail, and other similar products. You must go to their specific consoles to renew them.

I have enabled auto-renewal. Why did the renewal fail?

After you enable auto-renewal, you are only setting the renewal period. The renewal is not performed 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 fails, the system tries again at the next scheduled time. Your renewal may have failed because your account balance was insufficient for all deduction attempts up to 14 days after expiration. Add funds to your account and renew the resource manually.

I renewed the wrong resource. Can I get a refund?

Refunds depend on whether the renewal order has taken effect. Log on to the Unsubscribe page to check the status of your renewal order:

If the order is on the Unsubscribe from Pending Renewals tab, the renewal order has not yet taken effect. You can apply for a full refund.
If the order is on the Unsubscribe from Resources tab, the order has already taken effect. A partial refund will be issued for the remaining fees according to the non-full refund rules.

For detailed refund rules, see Unsubscription rules.

When I renew for one month, why is the duration sometimes different, such as 30, 31, or 29 days?

When you renew for one month, the expiration time is extended to 00:00 on the corresponding day of the next month. For example:

If a resource expires at 00:00 on January 31 and you renew it for one month, the new expiration date is February 29 (or February 28 in a non-leap year). Subsequent renewals will also expire on the 29th (or 28th).
If a resource expires at 00:00 on February 1 and you renew it for one month, the new expiration time is 00:00 on March 1. The renewal period is 29 days (in a leap year) or 28 days.
If a resource expires at 00:00 on May 21 and you renew it for one month, the new expiration time is 00:00 on June 21. The renewal period is 31 days.
If a resource expires at 00:00 on June 1 (which is 24:00 on May 31) and you renew it for one month, the new expiration time is 00:00 on July 1 (which is 24:00 on June 30). The renewal period is 30 days.

If I don't want to use an instance after it expires, I can just not renew it. What is the purpose of the 'Do Not Renew Upon Expiration' feature on the renewal management page?

The "Do Not Renew Upon Expiration" feature is typically used in two scenarios:

Scenario 1: Alibaba Cloud typically sends three notifications before an instance is suspended (the number of notifications may vary for different products). If you plan not to renew an instance and do not want to receive multiple notifications, you can set it to "Do Not Renew Upon Expiration". Alibaba Cloud will then send you only one notification.
Scenario 2: After establishing a key partnership with Alibaba Cloud, you can request that instances in your account are not suspended upon expiration. However, you might want some specific instances to be suspended normally after they expire. Setting these instances to "Do Not Renew Upon Expiration" meets this requirement.

For other renewal-related questions, see Resource Renewal FAQ.