When your subscription resources are about to expire, you must renew them promptly to prevent service interruptions caused by instance suspension or release. For pay-as-you-go resources, you only need to ensure that your account has a sufficient balance to continue using them. No renewal is required.
Resource lifecycle after expiration
If you do not renew your subscription resources promptly after they expire, their services are stopped, and the resources are eventually released. After a resource is released, its data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
After expiration, most cloud products enter three stages: Grace period, Service suspension, and Release and deletion.
Grace period: This stage usually lasts for 1 to 15 days. During this period, the resource continues to provide services.
Service suspension: During this period, the service is stopped, but the resource and its data are retained.
Release and deletion: The resource is automatically released, and all its data is permanently deleted.
A few cloud products, such as Object Storage Service (OSS) resource plans with a fixed total amount, are released immediately after expiration. You can continue to use OSS, and the billing method automatically switches to pay-as-you-go.
For specific expiration rules, see the documentation for each product. The following table describes the status changes for common cloud products after they expire.
Common products | Grace period | Service suspension | Release and deletion |
ECS/Simple Application Server | Within 15 days of expiration | After 15 days of expiration, the instance is stopped, but data is retained. | 15 days after being stopped, the instance is automatically released. Data cannot be recovered. |
ApsaraDB RDS | NA | From day 1 to day 7 after expiration, the instance is locked and cannot be accessed. | From day 8 to day 15 after expiration, computing resources are released, but data backups are retained. On day 16 after expiration, data is no longer retained. |
ApsaraDB for Tair (Redis-compatible) | Within 15 days of expiration | From day 16 to day 30, the instance is Disabled and cannot be accessed. From day 31 to day 37, the instance status is Released, and the data is retained. | On day 38, the instance is permanently destroyed. The data is no longer retained and cannot be recovered. |
PolarDB | Within 15 days of expiration | After 15 days of expiration, the instance enters a suspended and locked state and cannot be accessed. | After 15 days of suspension, the cluster is released. Basic backups are deleted, but cross-region data backups are retained. |
Edge Security Acceleration (ESA) | NA | 15 days | The resource is released 15 days after the plan expires. |
Web Application Firewall | NA | Within 15 days of expiration, protection stops, but the instance configuration is retained. | On day 16 after expiration, the instance is automatically released. |
How to renew resources
To renew Domain Names and Alibaba Mail, you must navigate to their respective consoles.
You can renew a resource at any time before it is released. The new service period depends on when you renew:
Renew before expiration: The new service period begins at the end of the current subscription period.
Renew after expiration:
If the resource is not yet suspended, the new service period begins at the end of the previous subscription period.
If the resource is already suspended, the new service period starts after the renewal is successful. You are not charged for any downtime.
You can renew resources using either manual renewal or auto-renewal.
Renewal method | Availability | Execution Policy |
Manual renewal | Before the resource is released | You manually initiate the renewal at any time before the resource is released. The validity is extended immediately after successful payment. |
Auto-renewal | No later than 14 days after the resource expires | You pre-set a renewal cycle. The resource is automatically renewed at the specified time before it expires. The system attempts to deduct payment 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. If payment fails after 14 days, the system stops these attempts. You must then renew the resource manually before its release. You can cancel auto-renewal at any time after enabling it. |
Pay-as-you-go resources do not need to be renewed. You must ensure that your account has a sufficient balance to continue using them.
When you use auto-renewal, you must confirm that your payment method is active to ensure successful payment.
To renew third-party products from the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, you can log on to the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace console to renew them or contact customer service.
An Alibaba Cloud account has renewal permissions by default. Before a Resource Access Management (RAM) user can perform renewal operations, the Alibaba Cloud account must grant the RAM user permissions such as AliyunBSSFullAccess or AliyunBSSRenewFullAccess.
Manual renewal
You can renew resources manually from the console.
New console
Go to the Renewal page. Click the Manual Renewal tab. Select the product to renew and click Renew. You can select multiple instances of the same cloud product to perform a batch renewal and generate a single order.
On the renewal details page, select a renewal duration. The new expiration date is displayed. Then, click Confirm Order or Buy Now.
On the Payment page, confirm the order details and complete the payment.
To download a list of costs for price inquiries or funding applications, you can click Export Renewal Checklist before manual renewal.
Legacy console
Navigate to the Renewal Management page and click the Manual Renewal tab. Find the product that you want to renew and click Renew. You can also select multiple instances of the same cloud product for a batch renewal to generate a single order.
On the renewal details page, select a renewal duration. The new expiration date is displayed. Then, click Confirm Order or Buy Now.
On the Payment page, confirm the order details and complete the payment.
You can also click Export Renewal Checklist before manual renewal to download a list of charges for price inquiries or funding requests.
You can also call the RenewInstance API for programmatic renewal.
This API does not support renewal for ECS, RDS, or Redis instances. You must use the dedicated renewal API for each of those products.
Auto-renewal
You can enable auto-renewal either during the initial purchase or later from the console.
New console
Log on to the Renewal page. On the Manual Renewal tab, select one or more products to renew, and then click Enable Auto-renewal.
On the Enable Auto-renewal page, configure the Unified Auto Renewal Cycle, and then click Enable Auto-renewal. After auto-renewal is enabled, you can view the renewal details on the Auto-renewal tab.
On the Auto-renewal tab, you can perform operations such as Cancel and Restore Manual Renewal for instances that have auto-renewal enabled.
• Renew: Manually renews an instance that is set for auto-renewal. After a successful renewal, auto-renewal resumes based on the new expiration date.
• Modify Auto-renewal: Changes the auto-renewal period.
• Do Not Renew: Sets the resource to expire without renewal.
Legacy console
Log on to the Renewal Management page. On the Manual Renewal tab, select one or more products to renew, and then click Enable Auto-renewal.
On the Enable Auto-renewal page, configure the Unified Auto Renewal Cycle, and then click Enable Auto-renewal. After auto-renewal is enabled, you can view the renewal details on the Auto-renewal tab.
On the Auto-renewal tab, you can perform operations such as Modify, Cancel, and Restore Manual Renewal for instances that have auto-renewal enabled.
• Renew: Manually renew an instance that is set for auto-renewal.
• Modify Auto-renewal: Change the auto-renewal period.
• Do Not Renew: Prevents an instance set for auto-renewal from being renewed after it expires.
• Restore Manual Renewal: Revert an instance set for auto-renewal back to manual renewal.
Enabling auto-renewal does not execute the renewal immediately. It only sets the renewal period. The rule takes effect on the next day.
If your resource instance expires on the next day, auto-renewal is not executed. You must renew it manually.
You can also call SetRenewal to manage auto-renewal settings.
Enabling auto-renewal does not trigger an immediate renewal. It only sets the renewal cycle, and the rule takes effect on the following day.
Auto-renewal does not trigger for a resource that expires on the next day. In this case, you must renew it manually.
After a successful renewal, you can log on to the Renewal page. Click the Manual Renewal tab to view all instances with manual renewal enabled. Click the Auto-renewal tab to view all instances with auto-renewal enabled.
If you have enabled multi-account management, the management account can view instances under the member accounts on the Renewal page but cannot perform renewal operations on them.
Renewal recommendations
Pay attention to expiration and renewal notifications
The system sends notifications using internal messages and emails 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before expiration, on the expiration day, and on the day before release. You can manage your notification subscriptions in Message Center - Basic Recipient Management.
Regularly check for expiring resources
Log on to the Renewal page to find and renew resources that are about to expire. You can filter by Expiration Time and Region, or search by a specific instance ID or instance status.
Align ECS expiration dates for centralized renewal
You can use the unified expiration date feature to renew multiple ECS instances on the same day of the month. This centralizes renewals and simplifies management. For more information, see Unify the expiration dates of subscription ECS instances.
Set resources to Do Not Renew to reduce notifications
If you want to stop using a resource after it expires, you can set it to Do Not Renew. This reduces the number of expiration reminders that you receive. You must back up your data before the expiration date to avoid business disruptions.
Log on to the Expenses and Costs console and go to the Renewal page.
On the Manual Renewal/Auto-renewal tab, find the resource that you do not want to renew.
In the Actions column, click Do Not Renew. Alternatively, you can select multiple cloud products of the same type in a batch and click Set to Do Not Renew.
Click the Do Not Renew Upon Expiration tab to view the resources that are set to not renew.
FAQ
Why can't I find my resource on the renewal page?
If a resource instance does not support renewal, it is not displayed on the renewal page. Common examples include the following:
Pay-as-you-go instances, which do not require renewal.
Instances that have already been released, which cannot be renewed.
Resource plan instances are renewed separately on the Resource Plan page.
For products such as Domain Names and Alibaba Mail, you can click the link in the upper-right corner of the renewal management page to go to the respective console for renewal.
I enabled auto-renewal, but it failed. Why?
After you enable auto-renewal, you only set the renewal cycle. The renewal is not performed immediately. The system attempts to deduct the payment 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. The renewal may fail if your account balance is insufficient for all attempts up to 14 days after expiration. In this case, you must top up your account and renew the resource manually.
Can I get a refund if I renewed by mistake?
You can log on to the Unsubscribe page to check whether the renewal order has taken effect:
If the order appears under the Unsubscribe Inactive Renewals tab, the renewal has not yet taken effect. You can apply for a full refund.
If the order appears under the Unsubscribe Resources tab, the renewal is already active, and you may be eligible for a partial refund for the remaining service period.
For more information about the refund rules, see Unsubscription rules and procedures.
Why is renewing for "one month" sometimes 29, 30, or 31 days?
A one-month renewal extends the expiration date to the same calendar day of the following month. For example:
If an instance expires at 00:00 on January 31, a one-month renewal extends the expiration to 00:00 on February 29 (in a leap year) or February 28. Subsequent one-month renewals also expire on that day.
If an instance expires at 00:00 on February 1, a one-month renewal extends the expiration to 00:00 on March 1. The renewal duration is 29 days (in a leap year) or 28 days.
If an instance expires at 00:00 on May 21, a one-month renewal extends the expiration to 00:00 on June 21. The renewal duration is 31 days.
If an instance expires at 00:00 on June 1, a one-month renewal extends the expiration to 00:00 on July 1. The renewal duration is 30 days.
If I don't want to use a resource after it expires, can't I just do nothing? What is the purpose of the "Do Not Renew" feature on the renewal management page?
The "Do Not Renew" feature is typically used in two scenarios:
Scenario 1: Alibaba Cloud usually sends three notifications before an instance is suspended. The number of notifications may vary by product. If you do not plan to renew an instance and want to avoid receiving multiple notifications, you can set it to "Do Not Renew". In this case, Alibaba Cloud sends only one notification.
Scenario 2: If you have a special agreement with Alibaba Cloud that prevents your instances from being suspended upon expiration, you might still want certain instances to be suspended normally. Setting these instances to "Do Not Renew" allows them to follow the standard expiration process.
For other renewal issues, see FAQ about resource renewal.