Category | Questions |
Credit cards and PayPal | |
Billing and invoice management |
Credit cards and PayPal
What payment methods does Alibaba Cloud support?
Alibaba Cloud supports the following online payment methods:
Credit and debit cards: Most major credit and debit cards are accepted. Cards that only have the UnionPay logo are not supported.
PayPal: PayPal accounts registered outside of mainland China are supported.
Prepaid cards, virtual cards, and gift cards are not supported.
For users with credit control, bank transfer is also available as a payment option.
Why was my credit card charged after I added it to my Alibaba Cloud account?
This is a temporary authorization hold, not a final charge. It is used to verify that you are the legitimate cardholder and to protect your account security.
When you add a credit card, Alibaba Cloud initiates a small authorization hold, typically for an amount less than USD 1.00. To complete the verification, follow these steps:
Check your credit card statement for a pending transaction with the descriptor "ALI*ALICLOUD".
Note the exact amount of this transaction.
Go to the Payment Methods management page in the Alibaba Cloud Console.
Click Verify next to the card and enter the exact authorization amount.
You have five attempts to enter the correct amount. If you continue to have issues, please contact us by submitting a ticket.
Can I use an unverified credit card on Alibaba Cloud?
No. You must complete the credit card verification process before you can use it to make any purchases. This is a required security measure to confirm card ownership.
Will the credit card verification charge be refunded to my account?
Yes. This is a temporary authorization hold that will be reversed.
Alibaba Cloud voids the authorization within 24 hours. However, depending on your card issuer's processing time, it may take up to 30 days for the reversal to be reflected in your account balance.
Why can't I see the verification charge on my bank statement?
There is often a delay before an authorization hold appears on your statement. It typically takes 2 to 3 business days for the transaction to be posted by your bank. The exact timing depends on your card issuer.
Billing and invoice management
How do I view my monthly spending?
You can view your current month's spending on the Overview of Monthly Bill page within the Expenses and Costs console.
New console
Sign in to the Expenses and Costs console.
Navigate to Bills > Overview of Monthly Bill. The page will display your spending for the current month.
Legacy console
Go to the Account Overview page. Your monthly spending is displayed on this page. For example, the following image shows an account that has incurred USD 144.52 in charges for September.
Note that for pay-as-you-go services, Alibaba Cloud will automatically charge your default payment method when your accumulated fees reach a specific billing threshold.
What is a rounding-off discount?
The Rounding-off Discount is a small credit applied to your bill that results from the truncation of billing calculations.
For pay-as-you-go services, Alibaba Cloud calculates charges to three decimal places. During settlement, this amount is truncated to two decimal places. The sum of these truncated fractions (the third decimal place amount) is credited to your bill as the Rounding-off Discount.
How do I view bill details?
You can view a detailed breakdown of your charges on the Bill Details page in the Expenses and Costs console.
New console
Log on to the Expenses and Costs console.
Navigate to Bills > Bill Details.
Legacy console
Log on to the Expenses and Costs console.
Navigate to Bills > Billing Details.
How do I view instance-specific spending details?
To view spending details for individual instances, go to the Bill Details page and adjust the reporting settings.
New console
Navigate to Expenses and Costs > Bills > Bill Details.
Set Statistic Item to Instance.
Set Statistical Period to Billing Period.
Legacy console
Navigate to Expenses and Costs > Bills > Bill Details.
Set the Statistic Period to Billing Period.
What should I do if my account has an overdue payment?
You must settle the outstanding balance to avoid service interruptions. You can pay overdue bills from the Expenses and Costs console.
New console
Go to Bills > Overview of Monthly Bill.
Select a past bill that has an outstanding balance and click Pay Bill.
Complete the payment using Transfer or Top-up & Remittance.
Legacy console
Go to Payment Details.
On the Unpaid tab, select the bills you want to pay and complete the payment process.
When are pay-as-you-go fees charged?
Pay-as-you-go fees are charged automatically based on two triggers:
Billing Threshold: A charge is triggered when your accumulated fees reach a specific threshold.
End of Month: Any outstanding balance that has not reached the billing threshold is charged at the end of each month.
The billing thresholds (tax-exclusive) are as follows:
Debit or Credit Card: Typically USD 1,000.
PayPal: Varies by user, ranging from USD 8 to 500.
If you use PayPal, Alibaba Cloud may place a pre-authorization on your account when you activate your first pay-as-you-go service.
How do I download an invoice?
Because you use a credit card or PayPal, Alibaba Cloud generates a real-time invoice immediately after each successful payment for a subscription or pay-as-you-go bill. You can download these invoices from the Expenses and Costs console.
New console
Sign in to the Expenses and Costs console and select Invoices.
Click the Download Invoice tab to find and download your invoices.
Legacy console
Log on to the Expenses and Costs console and select Payment Details.
On the Paid tab, you can download the invoice for each paid bill.
