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    Web Application Firewall:Change billing method

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    Web Application Firewall:Change billing method

    Last Updated:Sep 16, 2026

    If the billing method for your Web Application Firewall (WAF) no longer meets your business needs, you can change it. To do so, you must unsubscribe from your current instance and then purchase a new one with a suitable billing method.

    Billing method conversion

    WAF does not allow you to directly change the billing method for an existing instance. To switch, you must unsubscribe from or terminate your current instance and then purchase a new one with the new billing method.

    Warning

    • Data loss risk: All configurations, including protected assets and rules, are permanently deleted, and you must reconfigure them on the new instance.

    • Business interruption risk: If you use a CNAME record to direct traffic to WAF, your website becomes inaccessible after the instance is released because WAF can no longer forward requests. Before you proceed, make sure all web traffic is routed back to your origin server.

    Switch from subscription to pay-as-you-go

    1. Unsubscribe from a subscription instance

    Contact your account manager or solutions architect to unsubscribe from your instance. The following conditions must be met:

    • The instance was purchased within the last 5 days.

    • The instance is unused, meaning no traffic has been processed.

    2. Purchase a pay-as-you-go instance

    1. Go to the Web Application Firewall 3.0 (Pay-as-you-go) buy page.

    2. Set Billing method to Pay-as-you-go and configure the remaining parameters as needed.

    3. Click Purchase Now and complete the order.

    Note

    You can use a SeCU resource plan to offset pay-as-you-go fees for request processing and features, which helps reduce costs. For more information, see SeCU resource plan.

    Switch from pay-as-you-go to subscription

    1. Terminate the pay-as-you-go instance

    Pay-as-you-go instances are billed in real time based on actual usage, so refunds are not applicable. If you no longer need a pay-as-you-go instance, follow these steps to close it.

    1. Log on to the Web Application Firewall 3.0 console. From the top menu bar, select the resource group and region (Chinese Mainland or Outside Chinese Mainland) for the WAF instance.

    2. In the left navigation pane, click Overview.

    3. If you already have services protected by WAF, skip this step. Otherwise, the page displays Welcome to Web Application Firewall (WAF). Click Go to Console to go to the Overview page.

    4. In the Edition Information area, click Terminate WAF Service.

    5. In the confirmation dialog, review the risks of releasing the instance and click OK. After the instance is closed, the final bill for today is generated the next day (T+1), and no further charges are incurred.

    Note

    If you purchased a SeCU resource plan to offset the fees for your pay-as-you-go instance, you can contact your account manager to request a refund, if you meet the following conditions:

    • The SeCU resource plan was purchased within the last 5 days.

    • The SeCU resource plan is unused.

    2. Purchase a subscription instance

    1. Go to the Web Application Firewall 3.0 (Subscription) purchase page.

    2. Set Billing method to Subscription and select your desired instance edition. To compare edition features, see Editions and features.

    3. Click Purchase Now and complete the payment.

    Seamless conversion to subscription (application required)

    The standard method to switch from pay-as-you-go to subscription is to terminate the pay-as-you-go instance and then purchase a new subscription instance. If you require a seamless conversion to ensure business continuity, contact your account manager to apply for this feature.

    After your application is approved, follow these steps to perform the conversion:

    Important

    If you have enabled Simple Log Service (SLS), the conversion assigns a new LogStore. You must re-enable logging for your protected assets and reselect the log fields. The original LogStore for the pay-as-you-go instance is retained, and SLS continues to bill for its usage.

    1. Log on to the Web Application Firewall 3.0 console. From the top menu bar, select the resource group and region (Chinese Mainland or Outside Chinese Mainland) for the WAF instance.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Overview.

    3. On the Overview page, in the Edition Information section, choose More > Convert to Subscription, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the conversion.

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