EDS monthly subscription billing, renewal, and unsubscription - Elastic Desktop Service

Elastic Desktop Service (EDS) Enterprise supports monthly subscription and pay-as-you-go billing. Monthly subscription is a prepaid method ideal for long-term use such as dedicated employee workstations.

Billing

Computing plans

Monthly subscriptions offer the following computing plan tiers:

Monthly plans with limited usage
- 120 Hours/Month
- 250 Hours/Month
- 360 Hours/Month
Monthly plans with unlimited usage

Billing rules

Billing cycle

Resources can be billed weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Available billing cycles vary by specification. The options on the console prevail.

Settlement cycle

The settlement cycle is the subscription duration for cloud computer computing resources (UTC+8). It starts when you create or renew a resource and ends at 00:00:00 (UTC+8) on the day after expiration.

For example, if you purchase a cloud computer at 15:20 on November 20, 2020 for a duration of one month, the subscription for the cloud computer expires at 00:00:00 on December 21, 2020.

Billing examples

Hour-limited plan

Unlimited plan

Billing formulas:

Compute resources
- In-plan usage (prepaid)
  Cost = Monthly plan price × Number of months
- Overage usage (pay-as-you-go)
  Cost = Pay-as-you-go hourly price × Running hours
Storage resources (prepaid)
Cost = Storage price per GiB/month × Capacity × Number of months

Purchase details:

Instance type: 4 vCPUs / 8 GiB memory
Compute plan: 120 hours/month
System disk: 80 GiB
Data disk: 100 GiB
Duration: 2 months

Compute usage:

Month 1:
- In-plan usage: 110 hours used (plan hours not fully consumed).
Month 2:
- In-plan usage: all 120 hours consumed.
- Overage usage: after the plan hours were consumed, the cloud computer ran for an additional 25 hours.

Cost calculation:

# Prepaid cost

Compute cost
= Monthly plan price × Number of months
= 15.80 × 2
= 31.60 (USD)

Storage cost
= Storage price per GiB/month × Capacity × Number of months
= 0.051 × (80 + 100) × 2
= 18.36 (USD)

Total prepaid cost
= Compute cost + Storage cost
= 31.60 + 18.36
= 49.96 (USD)

# Pay-as-you-go cost

Compute cost (overage)
= Pay-as-you-go hourly price × Running hours
= 0.148 × 25
= 3.7 (USD)

Billing formulas:

Compute resources (prepaid)
Cost = Monthly plan price × Number of months
Storage resources (prepaid)
Cost = Storage price per GiB/month × Capacity × Number of months

Purchase details:

Instance type: 4 vCPUs / 8 GiB memory
Compute plan: unlimited hours
System disk: 80 GiB
Data disk: 100 GiB
Duration: 2 months

Cost calculation:

Compute cost
= Monthly plan price × Number of months
= 53.30 × 2
= 106.60 (USD)

Storage cost
= Storage price per GiB/month × Capacity × Number of months
= 0.051 × (80 + 100) × 2
= 18.36 (USD)

Total cost
= Compute cost + Storage cost
= 106.60 + 18.36
= 124.96 (USD)

Usage restrictions

You cannot release a cloud computer before its subscription expires.

Shutdown and hibernation

For monthly subscription (limited hours) cloud computers, monthly available hours are not consumed while the cloud computer is shut down or hibernated. Shut down or hibernate cloud computers when not in use to save available hours.
For monthly subscription (unlimited hours) cloud computers, compute and storage resources continue to be billed after shutdown.

Billing rules for bandwidth and monthly spending cap

Bandwidth billing for hour-limited plans:

For monthly subscription hour-limited plans (such as the 120 hours/month plan), the included hours only account for the time the cloud computer is powered on and running. Shutdown or hibernation does not consume hours.

However, if you have bound a premium bandwidth plan with fixed bandwidth billing to your cloud computer, that bandwidth resource is billed continuously as long as it exists, regardless of whether the cloud computer is powered on or off. To stop bandwidth billing, you must manually release the Elastic IP (EIP) associated with the premium bandwidth plan.

Monthly spending cap:

The monthly spending cap applies only to compute resource fees. Storage resources (system disks and data disks) are NOT covered by the spending cap and are billed separately based on actual capacity and duration.

Coupon applicability and promotional pricing notes

Coupon restrictions:

The Premium quarterly package does NOT support coupon discounts.

Trial and paid plans:

Paid plans do not include free usage time. After a trial period ends, you must purchase according to the standard plan pricing.

Effects of expiration

A subscription cloud computer expires at the end of its subscription period.

Time period	Description
From the time of purchase until 15 days after the expiration time.	The cloud computer is active and can be used normally. You cannot release the cloud computer during this period.
From 16 to 30 days after the expiration time.	The cloud computer enters the Expired state. Data is retained, but the cloud computer cannot be used. Starting, stopping, restarting, and connecting are not supported. To continue using the cloud computer, renew its subscription.
31 days after the expiration time and onward.	The cloud computer is automatically released. All data and snapshots are permanently deleted and cannot be restored.

Warning

You receive expiration reminders in the console or by text message. After 30 days, all resources and data are permanently deleted. Renew promptly and back up important data to prevent loss.

Modify monthly usage exhaustion policy

For hour-limited subscription cloud computers, configure an exhaustion policy to control behavior after the monthly included hours run out.

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Cloud Computers page, perform one of the following operations:
- Single resource: Find the target cloud computer, click Actions in the More column, and select Change Exhaustion Policy.
- Multiple resources: Select the target cloud computers and choose More > Change Exhaustion Policy at the bottom of the list.
In the Exhaustion Policy dialog box, select one of the following policies and click OK.
- Automatically Start Billing (Pay-as-you-go): After the included hours are used up, continued usage is billed on a pay-as-you-go basis for the rest of the month.
- Automatically Stop/Hibernate: After the included hours are used up, the cloud computer shuts down or hibernates. If restarted, usage is billed on a pay-as-you-go basis for the rest of the month.
- Shut Down and Switch to Maintenance Mode: After the included hours are used up, the cloud computer shuts down and enters Under Maintenance mode. End users cannot access the cloud computer until you disable this mode in the console. At the start of the next monthly cycle, Under Maintenance mode is automatically disabled.

Renewal

Renew cloud computers promptly to prevent data loss and business interruption from expired subscriptions.

Renew a cloud computer

Renew a cloud computer subscription by using one of the following methods:

Manual renewal: A subscription cloud computer is released 30 days after expiration. Renew at any time before release.
Auto-renewal: The system automatically renews the subscription, preventing release from missed renewals.

Auto-renewal

Auto-renewal prevents resource release from missed renewals.

Rules

After you enable auto-renewal, the system attempts to automatically deduct the renewal fee three days before the expiration date. Ensure that your Alibaba Cloud account has a sufficient balance. If the automatic payment fails, the system sends you renewal reminders by email. Check for these messages to prevent the cloud computer from being released upon expiration.
If you manually renew a subscription before auto-renewal is triggered, the system will not perform another automatic renewal for that cycle.

Enablement methods

You can enable auto-renewal in one of the following ways:

Enable auto-renewal when you create a cloud computer. For details, see Create a cloud computer.
- If you select the monthly subscription billing method and the subscription period is one month or longer, you can turn on the Enable Auto-renewal switch as needed.
- The auto-renewal period matches the subscription duration. For example, a two-month subscription auto-renews for two months.
After enabling auto-renewal, you can select Price>Renewal from the top menu bar of the console, and modify the auto-renewal period on the Renewal page.

Procedure

To enable auto-renewal on the Renewal page:

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the top navigation bar, hover over Price and click Renewal.
On the Renewal page, filter by expiration time, product, and region.
On the Manual Renewal tab, perform one of the following operations as needed:
Note
Auto-renewal is available only for cloud computers in the Running state with more than one day before expiration.
- Single resource: Find the cloud computer for which you want to enable auto-renewal and click Actions in the Actions column.
- Multiple resources: Select multiple cloud computers for which you want to enable auto-renewal and click Enable Auto Renewal at the bottom of the list.
In the Enable Auto Renewal dialog box, select an auto-renewal period and click Enable Auto Renewal.

After enabling, find the cloud computer on the Auto-renewal tab to view, modify, or cancel auto-renewal. To change the period, find the cloud computer on the Auto-renewal tab, click Actions in the Actions column, then select a new renewal period as prompted.

API renewal parameters and common failure causes

When using the API to renew a cloud computer, ensure the following key parameters are configured correctly:

Parameter	Value	Description
AutoPay	true / false	Whether to auto-pay the order
Period	1	Renewal period quantity
PeriodUnit	Month	Billing period unit
ResourceType	DesktopMonthPackage	Resource type for monthly subscription
DesktopId.1	{instance ID}	The cloud computer instance ID to renew

Common causes of order cancellation:

Insufficient balance in the payment method.
The order has remained unpaid for more than 7 days and has been automatically cancelled.
Risk control interception by the security system.

Troubleshooting tips:

Check your unpaid order list. Existing unpaid orders may block the creation of new orders. Cancel or complete any pending orders before attempting a new renewal.
If you receive a chargeType invalid error, verify that the ResourceType and PeriodUnit parameters match the current billing model of the instance.

Manual renewal

Manually renew subscription cloud computers on the Cloud Computers page in the selected region.

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Cloud Computers page, perform one of the following operations:
- Single resource: Find the cloud computer that you want to renew and click Actions in the Renew column.
- Multiple resources: Select up to 100 cloud computers that you want to renew and choose More > Renew at the bottom of the list.
On the Renew Cloud Computer page, confirm the information in the To-be-renewed Cloud Computer section and select a renewal duration.
(Optional) To also renew an expiring premium bandwidth plan, select Simultaneously renew premium bandwidth plans that are about to expire and choose the premium bandwidth plan from the To-be-renewed Premium Bandwidth Plan list.
Important
You must select a specific premium bandwidth plan from the To-be-renewed Premium Bandwidth Plan list after selecting Simultaneously renew premium bandwidth plans that are about to expire, or the plan will not be renewed.
Confirm the new expiration dates and fees for the cloud computer and premium bandwidth plan, then click Confirm Order.
Complete the payment as prompted.

What is the difference between renewal and new purchase? How do I handle accidental new purchases?

It is important to distinguish between renewal and new purchase:

Renewal extends the subscription duration of your existing cloud computer instance, preserving all data and configurations. Access it via the Actions > Renew menu on the Cloud Computers page.
New purchase creates an entirely new, independent cloud computer instance that does not contain any of your original data. Access it via the standard purchase flow.

If you accidentally made a new purchase instead of renewing:

Unsubscribe from the newly purchased instance. See Unsubscription and refunds for details.
Perform a renewal on your original instance.

Note

After a Personal Edition cloud computer is released upon expiration, its data cannot be retained. A newly purchased instance will NOT automatically inherit data from the original instance. We recommend backing up your data promptly or migrating via custom images before the original instance expires.

Renew an associated premium bandwidth plan

If the cloud computer's office network has an expiring subscription premium bandwidth plan, you can renew the premium bandwidth plan simultaneously. Rules:

If a subscription premium bandwidth plan is associated with a single cloud computer, the premium bandwidth plan renewal duration aligns with the cloud computer's new expiration date.
If a monthly subscription premium bandwidth plan is bound to multiple cloud computers, the premium bandwidth plan renewal duration syncs with the latest cloud computer expiration date in the office network.

Example: office network A uses a subscription premium bandwidth plan named Plan A. This office network contains two subscription cloud computers. After renewal, Cloud Computer 1 expires on April 26, 2023, and Cloud Computer 2 expires on May 1, 2023. In this case, the premium bandwidth plan Plan A is also renewed to expire on May 1, 2023.

Renew a computer pool

When you create a computer pool with the subscription billing method, the system automatically creates the corresponding number of subscription cloud computers based on the quantity and subscription duration you set. A computer pool supports the following renewal methods:

Manual renewal: Cloud computers in a subscription computer pool are released 30 days after expiration. Renew at any time before release.
Auto-renewal: The system automatically renews the computer pool subscription, preventing release from missed renewals.

Auto-renewal

You can enable auto-renewal when you create a computer pool. For details, see Create a cloud computer.

Note

The auto-renewal period matches the subscription duration. For example, a two-month subscription auto-renews for two months.

Manual renewal

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Shared Cloud Computer.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Shared Cloud Computer page, find the subscription computer pool that you want to renew, and click Actions in the Renew column.
On the page that appears, select a Renewal Duration and select Enable Auto-renewal if needed.
Confirm the configuration fee, click Confirm Order, and complete the payment as prompted.

Switch billing method

Switch from an unlimited to an hour-limited plan

Prerequisites

The cloud computer must have one of the following specifications:
- 4 vCPUs, 8 GiB memory
- 8 vCPUs, 16 GiB memory
The cloud computer is in the Running or Stopped state.

Procedure

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Cloud Computers page, find the cloud computer for which you want to switch the billing method, click Actions in the More column, then select Switch Billing Method.
Note
You can also select multiple cloud computers (up to 20 at a time), click More at the bottom of the page, and select Switch Billing Method to perform the switch in batches.
In the Switch Billing Method panel, set New Billing Method to Monthly Subscription, select a computing plan, then click OK.
Note
If the included hours of the selected computing plan are used up early, the cloud computer continues to run. To prevent this, select When the monthly running hours of a cloud computer are exhausted in advance, the system automatically stops or hibernates the cloud computer.
In the Note dialog box, confirm the refund information and click OK.

Switch from an unlimited plan to pay-as-you-go

You can switch an unlimited-plan subscription cloud computer to pay-as-you-go. Data and usage are unaffected.

Note

You cannot switch the billing method for a computer pool.

Refunds when switching

If you switch to pay-as-you-go before the subscription expires, a refund is issued. Rules:

Refunds consume your refund quota. After the monthly refund quota is exceeded, you cannot receive more refunds until the quota is reset on the first day of the next month. The consumed refund quota is calculated based on the number of vCPUs of the cloud computer and the remaining hours in the current billing cycle. A refund unit is 1 vCPU × 1 hour.
For example, if you purchased a 4-vCPU cloud computer for six months and switch it to pay-as-you-go after three months, the refund quota consumed is 4 × 3 × 30 × 24 = 8,640 (vCPU × hours). For details, see Rules for unsubscribing from resources.
Only cash payments are refunded to the original payment method. Coupons are not returned.
Renewal orders not yet in effect receive a full refund. Active orders receive a partial refund.

Billing after switching

You can convert back to a monthly subscription. The cloud computer is billed as a new purchase and first-purchase discounts no longer apply. For information about cloud computer pricing, see the Product Pricing page.

Prerequisites

Your remaining monthly refundable vCPU-hour quota must exceed the amount this switch consumes. To check, hover over the Switch Billing Method field in the Estimated Refund panel.
The cloud computer is in the Running or Stopped state.
No unpaid orders exist for the cloud computer. Complete or cancel any unpaid orders before switching.

Procedure

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Cloud Computers page, find the cloud computer for which you want to switch the billing method, click Actions in the More column, then select Switch Billing Method.
Note
You can also select multiple cloud computers (up to 20 at a time), click More at the bottom of the page, and select Switch Billing Method to perform the switch in batches.
In the Switch Billing Method panel, set Switch Billing Method to Pay-as-you-go, confirm the estimated refund amount, and click OK.
In the Confirm Change dialog box, confirm the refund information again and click OK.

Switch from an hour-limited to an unlimited plan

You can switch a 120, 250, or 360 hours/month plan to an unlimited plan.

Prerequisites

The cloud computer is in the Running or Stopped state.

Procedure

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Cloud Computers page, find the cloud computer for which you want to switch the billing method, click Actions in the More column, then select Switch Billing Method.
Note
You can also select multiple cloud computers (up to 20 at a time), click More at the bottom of the page, and select Switch Billing Method to perform the switch in batches.
In the Switch Billing Method panel, set New Billing Method to Monthly Subscription, select the Unlimited computing plan and a specific subscription duration, then click OK.
In the Note dialog box, confirm the refund information and click OK.

Switch from an hour-limited plan to pay-as-you-go

You can switch a 120, 250, or 360 hours/month plan to pay-as-you-go.

Prerequisites

The cloud computer is in the Running or Stopped state.

Procedure

Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Cloud Computers page, find the cloud computer for which you want to switch the billing method, click Actions in the More column, then select Switch Billing Method.
Note
You can also select multiple cloud computers (up to 20 at a time), click More at the bottom of the page, and select Switch Billing Method to perform the switch in batches.
In the Switch Billing Method panel, set Switch Billing Method to Pay-as-you-go and click OK.

Billing cycle change limitations

When the subscription duration is exhausted, the system automatically shuts down or hibernates the instance. It does NOT automatically switch to pay-as-you-go billing unless the auto pay-as-you-go billing policy has been configured.

Unsubscription and refunds

Considerations

Only cash payments are refunded. Coupon amounts are not refunded.
Refunds are not available if you violate applicable laws, regulations, or the product terms of service.
Before unsubscribing, verify the resource information, unsubscription terms, and refund amount.
Rules for unsubscribing from resources.