:FAQ about resource renewal

If I no longer use an instance after it expires, I can choose not to renew the instance. What is the Nonrenewal feature on the Renewal page?

The Nonrenewal feature is used in the following scenarios:

• Scenario 1: In most cases, the system sends three notifications to your Alibaba Cloud account before an instance of an Alibaba Cloud service is stopped. The number of notifications that are sent varies based on the cloud service. If you do not want to receive multiple notifications for an instance that you do not want to renew after it expires, you can configure non-renewal upon expiration for the instance. Then, the system sends only one notification to you.

• Scenario 2: After you reach an important cooperation agreement with Alibaba Cloud, you can request Alibaba Cloud not to stop the instances within your Alibaba Cloud account after the instances expire. If you want to stop some instances after the instances expire, you can configure non-renewal upon expiration for the instances.

Why am I unable to view my instance on the Renewal page?

Scenario 1: You can view only instances that can be renewed on the Renewal page. If an instance cannot be renewed, the instance is not displayed in the instance list of the Resource Renewal page. The following types of resources cannot be renewed:

• Instances that are released.

• Instances that do not support renewal, such as Apsara Conference tickets.

• Instances of specific cloud services. To renew such an instance, you must click the name of the cloud service next to Renew Other Services in the upper-right corner of the Resource Renewal page to go to the console of the cloud service. The following figure shows the procedure.

  

• Resource plans. To renew a resource plan, go to the Resource Plan page. The following figure shows the procedure.

  

• Resources of specific cloud services that can be renewed only in the console of the corresponding cloud service. Example: IoT SIM cards.

Scenario 2: If you cannot find the purchased resource after you complete the operations described in Scenario 1, check whether the current account is used to purchase the resource. You can retrieve a username or a password on the Alibaba Cloud official website.

Can I renew a resource only after the free trial of the resource expires?

No, the renewal time varies. The following list describes the details:

• Subscription: You can renew a subscription instance in the free trial period at any time. After renewal, the validity period of the instance is automatically extended from the end of the trial period.

• Pay-as-you-go: You do not need to renew a pay-as-you-go instance in the free trial period. After the free trial period ends, if your account balance is sufficient, the system automatically deducts fees for the pay-as-you-go instance based on the actual usage. If the account balance is insufficient, your account has overdue payments. To ensure business continuity, make sure that your account balance is sufficient. If you no longer need the instance, you can manually release the instance to avoid unexpected fees. Make sure that the required data is backed up.

Why does auto-renewal fail after I enable auto-renewal for an instance? What do I do?

• Cause: After you enable auto-renewal for an instance, an auto-renewal cycle is specified for the instance. The instance is not immediately renewed. The system attempts to deduct the fee three days and one day before the instance expires, on the expiration day, and on the 6th and 14th days after the instance expires. If a deduction fails at a point of time because your account balance is insufficient, the system attempts to deduct the fee at the next point in time until 14th day after the instance expires. If all the deductions fail, the renewal fails.

• Solution: Manually renew your instance.

Is auto-renewal performed after I manually renew a resource?

If you manually renew an instance before the system deducts fees, the system calculates the next auto-renewal time based on the new expiration date.

For example, an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance expires at 00:00 on March 30. You manually renew the instance on February 14 for a month. The new expiration date of the instance is April 30. The system deducts fees for the auto-renewal of ECS instance three days before the expiration date. Therefore, the system deducts fees for the auto-renewal of the instance at 08:00:00 on March 27.

Is a resource renewed when I export the renewal list?

When you export the renewal list, the system queries the renewal information for selected resources, such as the renewal resources, durations, and prices. However, the system does not renew the selected resources. To renew a resource, you must click Renew or Batch Renew in the Expenses and Costs console and complete the payment as promoted.

After I renew an instance for another month, the renewal duration may be 31 days, 30 days, or less than 30 days. Why are the renewal durations different?

If you renew an instance on Day N for another month, the new expiration day is Day N in the following month. Examples:

• If your instance expires at 00:00 on June 1 (24:00 on May 31) and you renew the instance for another month, the new expiration date becomes 00:00 on July 1 (24:00 on June 30). After the renewal, you can use the instance for another 30 days.

• If your instance expires at 00:00 on May 21 and you renew the instance for another month, the new expiration date becomes 00:00 on June 21. After the renewal, you can use the instance for another 31 days.

• If your instance expires at 00:00 on February 1 and you renew the instance for another month, the new expiration date becomes 00:00 on March 1 (24:00 on February 29 or February 28). After the renewal, you can use the instance for another 29 or 28 days.

The current expiration date of an instance is the 31st day of a month. Why does the expiration date become the 30th, 29th, or 28th day of a month after I renew the instance?

The number of days varies in different months of the year. In most cases, this issue occurs when you manually renew or enable auto-renewal for an instance whose expiration date is the 29th, 30th, or 31st day of a month. For example, you want to renew an instance for another month.

• Scenario 1: If Instance A expires on January 31 and you renew Instance A for another month, the new expiration date becomes February 29 or February 28. If you continue to renew Instance A for one or more months, the new expiration date is always the 29th or 28th day of a month.

• Scenario 2: If Instance B expires on May 31 and you renew the instance for another month, the new expiration date becomes June 30. If you continue to renew Instance B for one or more months, the new expiration date is always the 30th day of a month until it becomes January 30. After January 30, the new expiration date changes in the same way as described in Scenario 1.

After I cancel a pending renewal order, the refundable amount for the order is zero. Why?

The issue may occur due to one of the following reasons:

• Promotions: If you cancel a renewal order that is provided free of charge for an instance that you purchased earlier during a promotion, no refund is issued.

• Coupons or vouchers: If you use a coupon or voucher to offset a portion of the fee for the renewal order, the amount deducted from your account balance may be zero. In this case, no refund is issued.

I renewed an unwanted resource. Can I request a refund?

Yes, you can perform the following steps to request a refund:

1. Navigate to the Unsubscribe page.

2. Check whether the renewal order takes effect.

   • If the order is displayed on the Cancel Renewals tab, the current renewal order does not take effect. In this case, you can request a full refund for the amount deducted from your account balance. Coupons are excluded.

   • If the order is displayed on the Unsubscribe from In-use Resources tab, the order takes effect. In this case, the remaining amount can be refunded based on the partial refund rules.

   For more information, see Unsubscription rules.

3. If a resource does not support self-service unsubscription, you can submit a ticket for manual review and refund.