Alibaba Cloud offers three payment methods: bank card (including credit and debit), PayPal, and wire transfer. This document describes the requirements and procedures for each method.
Pay online with a bank card or PayPal
Both personal and enterprise accounts can use these methods. You must add a bank card or PayPal account to your Alibaba Cloud account. After you add a payment method, you can use it to pay for prepaid resources, such as subscription Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances, or to automatically settle monthly bills for pay-as-you-go services.
The table below shows the available payment methods for your account's registration country/region.
Payment method | United States | EU member states | Non-EU European countries | Malaysia | Other countries/regions | |
Bank card | Visa | |||||
Mastercard | ||||||
American Express | ||||||
JCB | ||||||
PayPal | ||||||
Other countries/regions: Include but are not limited to Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, China (Hong Kong), China (Taiwan), and China (Macao).
Alibaba Cloud does not support bank cards that only feature the UnionPay logo or PayPal accounts registered in the Chinese mainland.
The following sections describe how to add a bank card or PayPal account.
Add a bank card
Before adding a card, ensure it is enabled for online payments and international transactions. Your card must have sufficient funds or credit to cover a USD 1.00 pre-authorization charge.
You can add a bank card during account registration. For instructions, see Add payment information.
Alternatively, you can add a card through the Expenses and Costs console:
Log on to the Billing Account page. In the Bind Third-Party Payment Methods section, click Add Payment Method.
NoteIn the legacy console, navigate to Payment Methods and click Add Payment Method.
On the Bank Card tab, enter the following information.
Field | Description | |
Card number | No special instructions. | |
Expiration date | Use MM/YY format. Cards that expire in the current month cannot be added. | |
CVV | The 3- or 4-digit Security Code on the back of your card. | |
Name on card | Must match the name on the card. If it is a corporate card without a cardholder name, you can enter a personal name. | |
Company name on card | This field is optional for corporate cards. | |
Billing address | Include the full street address, city, and postal code. | |
Click Bind Now. The system initiates a pre-authorization to verify the card. If successful, the card is added to your account. The pre-authorization amount is typically USD 1.00. It will appear on your bank statement as a charge from ALIBABACLOUD.COM, and is usually released by your card issuer within 1 to 5 business days.
The system automatically sets the first bank card you add as the Preferred External Payment Method. You can use it once its Payment Method Status changes to "Active".
Alibaba Cloud does not charge a transaction fee for bank card payments. If your card's settlement currency differs from the transaction currency, your card issuer may charge a foreign currency conversion fee. For details, contact your card issuer.
3D Secure is an online payment security protocol that helps prevent fraud by requiring cardholders to complete an additional verification step. You may be prompted to complete a 3D Secure verification when making a payment. The system automatically opens your card issuer's verification page. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the verification.
Add a PayPal account
Log on to the Billing Account page in the Expenses and Costs console. In the Third-Party Payment Method section, click Add Payment Method.
On the PayPal tab, click Next. You are redirected to the PayPal website.
Sign in to your PayPal account and accept the PayPal agreement. The system automatically adds PayPal as a payment method for your Alibaba Cloud account and initiates a USD 1.00 pre-authorization.
If your PayPal account does not have a linked bank card or another funding source, PayPal may require you to add one immediately. For questions about adding a funding source to your PayPal account, contact PayPal customer support.
To switch your preferred payment method, first ensure you have another Active payment method added to your account. Then, in your list of payment methods, select the one you want to use and set it as the Preferred External Payment Method.
To remove a payment method, consider its Payment Method Status and the total number of methods on file:
Methods that are inactive or are not your Preferred External Payment Method can be removed directly from the console.
If you have only one Active payment method, you cannot remove it directly if you have running resources, unsettled bills, or an overdue payment. If your account has no resources or unsettled bills, please submit a ticket to remove it.
Use a wire transfer
Banks transfers are available only to users with credit limit. To use this method, contact your account manager. You can first use your credit line to purchase resources. After your monthly bill is generated, you can pay it by the due date on the invoice via wire transfer.
Alibaba Cloud provides two types of wire transfer accounts: a Dedicated Wire Transfer Account (unique to your account, for auto-settlement) and a Non-Dedicated Wire Transfer Account (a public account requiring a manual claim).
Comparison | Dedicated wire transfer account (Recommended) | Non-dedicated wire transfer account |
Description | A unique remittance account assigned to each Alibaba Cloud account. | A shared bank account specified in your contract or provided by your Alibaba Cloud sales representative. |
Crediting method and time | Funds are automatically credited to your Alibaba Cloud Account Balance after the wire transfer is received. | Funds are not automatically credited to your Account Balance after the wire transfer is received. You must contact your Alibaba Cloud sales representative to claim the payment, which is then credited to your Alibaba Cloud account. |
Process | Obtain dedicated account details → Make the wire transfer → Funds are automatically credited. | Obtain non-dedicated account details → Make the wire transfer → Check transaction records → Initiate a claim → Wait for approval → Funds are credited. |
Depending on your country/region and remitting bank, it may take 2 to 4 business days for Alibaba Cloud to process a wire transfer. The arrival time is subject to your bank's processing time.
The following sections describe the procedures for both types of wire transfers.
Method 1: Make a payment via a dedicated account
New console
On the Billing Account page in Expenses and Costs, click Top-up & Remittance.
On the Add Funds page, select the account you want to recharge, click Business Wire Transfer, and view your Dedicated Wire Transfer Account details.
To get a document with the dedicated account details, click Download Remittance Application Form.
The available bank account information for business wire transfers varies by country. The information displayed in the console is definitive.
The Dedicated Wire Transfer Account for your Alibaba Cloud account cannot be used for other Alibaba Cloud accounts or users. Verify the account information before making a transfer to avoid errors.
Using your bank account, transfer the funds to the dedicated account via online banking, a mobile banking app, an ATM, or at a bank counter.
The transferred amount is automatically credited to your Account Balance. Please check and confirm the transaction.
Legacy console
On the Account Balance page in the Expenses and Costs console, click Deposit.
On the Account Deposit page, view your Dedicated Wire Transfer Account details.
The available bank account information for business wire transfers varies by country. The information displayed in the console is definitive.
The Dedicated Wire Transfer Account for your Alibaba Cloud account cannot be used for other Alibaba Cloud accounts or users. Verify the account information before making a transfer to avoid errors.
Using your bank account, transfer the funds to the dedicated account via online banking, a mobile banking app, an ATM, or at a bank counter.
The transferred amount is automatically credited to your Account Balance. Please check and confirm the transaction.
Method 2: Make a payment via a non-dedicated account
Using your bank account, transfer the funds to Alibaba Cloud's receiving bank account via online banking, a mobile banking app, an ATM, or at a bank counter.
After the transfer, contact your Alibaba Cloud sales representative to claim the payment. The funds are credited to your Account Balance only after you claim the payment.
Automatic Write-off (new console) or Auto-Pay (legacy console) is enabled by default. Once the transfer is credited, it automatically pays off outstanding bills in chronological order. In the new console, you can enable or disable Automatic Write-off on the Billing Account page. In the legacy console, you can enable or disable Auto-Pay in the Available Credit section of the Account Overview page.
If Automatic Write-off or Auto-Pay is disabled, the system will not settle any outstanding amounts for any billing month. You must pay your bills manually. After receiving an invoice, please make the transfer promptly according to the due date on the invoice.
If you are a user with credit limit and have also added a bank card, the bank card will not be charged automatically in this scenario.
FAQ
How do I determine my account's country or region?
Sign in to the Alibaba Cloud Console. In the Account Center, go to Basic Information to view the Country/Region you selected and your registration date.
Can I add a credit card that has not been activated or verified?
No. To protect your account and financial security, you must first verify your credit card to confirm ownership before you can add it and use it for payments.
Why can't I add my bank card?
Adding your card might fail for several reasons:
Unsupported card network: Alibaba Cloud does not support cards that only feature the UnionPay logo.
Unsupported card type: Alibaba Cloud does not support prepaid cards, gift cards, or virtual cards.
Unsupported issuing country: Your card's issuing country is not currently supported.
Online payments disabled: Your bank card is not enabled for online payments. Please contact your card issuer to enable this feature.
Insufficient funds: The USD 1.00 pre-authorization (or MYR 1.00 for users in Malaysia) initiated by Alibaba Cloud failed.
Issuer decline: The USD 1.00 pre-authorization (or MYR 1.00 for users in Malaysia) was declined by your card issuer. Contact your card issuer for more information.
Unrecognized card number: If you see the following error message, your bank card may not be activated, or the system could not recognize your card number. Contact customer support. After we manually identify the card number, your bank card can be supported.
Is the pre-authorization charge from adding a bank card refunded?
Yes. After the USD 1.00 pre-authorization is successfully processed, it is automatically voided. Your card issuer typically releases the hold within 1 to 5 business days.