Close an Alibaba Cloud account
If you no longer need your Alibaba Cloud account, you can permanently close it. Closure is irreversible—all data, resources, and assets are deleted after the cool-down period.
Overview
Account closure involves manual preparation, automated system checks, and a mandatory cool-down period of several days. The cool-down period settles any final fees from billing delays. It is irreversible and cannot be shortened.
After the cool-down period ends, the account is permanently closed. All data, resources, information, and assets are deleted and cannot be recovered by any means. You can no longer log on to any Alibaba Cloud service with this account.
How long does the process take?
The total time required depends on whether workloads are still deployed in the account.
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Scenario |
Estimated timeline |
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Accounts without workloads |
It takes several minutes to initiate closure, followed by a cool-down period of several days. |
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Accounts with workloads |
Allow 2 to 5 business days to complete preparations (resource backup and migration), then initiate closure, followed by a cool-down period of several days. |
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Accounts with domain names or ICP filings |
An additional 7 to 15 business days are required to handle domain name transfers and ICP filing cancellations. |
Process stages
Account closure has four stages:
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Prepare for closure: Settle finances, back up data, release resources, and remove dependencies. Thorough preparation prevents blocking issues in later stages. Use the Closure Check feature in Account Center to pre-check common resources that require manual handling before initiating closure.
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Initiate the closure process: Submit a closure request in the console. The system performs automated checks to verify all closure conditions are met.
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Enter the cool-down period: An irreversible waiting period that accommodates billing delays, ensuring all final fees are settled before the account is permanently closed.
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Confirm the closure result: After the cool-down period, the account is permanently closed. If issues arise, the account is restored to active state and you receive a notification to restart the process.
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The cool-down period accommodates billing delays and is irreversible and cannot be shortened.
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After the cool-down period begins, unsubscribed resources and released balances cannot be recovered.
Who can close an account?
You must log on with your Alibaba Cloud account. RAM users cannot close accounts.
Step 1: Prepare for closure
Clear all items that may block closure and back up critical data.
Initiate Closure Check
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Log on to Account Center. Under **My Account**, choose . The closure check completes in a few minutes. The system clearly identifies items that require manual handling.
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After you initiate the formal closure process, the system performs another resource check. Unmet conditions are clearly identified with resolution guidance.
1. Financial settlement
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Settle overdue payments: Go to Fee Hub. Pay all outstanding bills and fees. Handle invoice discrepancies from refunds generated after unsubscription or downgrade.
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If the account has a balance, you cannot withdraw it after closure. The system supports abandoning only small balances (i.e., 1,000 CNY or less) or small overdue payments (10 CNY or less), which are canceled along with the account.
2. (Optional) Data and credential backup
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Financial credentials: Batch export all historical bills, orders, and invoices from Expenses and Costs for audit purposes.
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Business data: Back up all important business data, such as files in OSS, ApsaraDB RDS Database Backup, and ECS snapshots.
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Configurations and logs: Export critical configuration information and operation logs.
3. Resource and dependency cleanup
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Release resources: Release all pay-as-you-go resources and ensure all subscription resources have expired or been unsubscribed. Perform these operations in each product's console.
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Handle domain names and ICP filings
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Domain names: Transfer all domain names under the account to another account or service provider.
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ICP filings: Log on to the ICP filing system. Complete the cancellation of website ICP filings or transfer the ICP filing entity to another account.
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Handle multi-account relationships: If the account belongs to a multi-account system, remove the relationship first.
Multi-account type
Administrator
Member account
Resource directory
You cannot close the account directly. First, close the resource directory, then proceed with the closure.
Use the management account to remove the member from the resource directory, then proceed with closure. Delete a resource account type member.
Finance trusteeship
You cannot close the account directly. First, remove all member accounts, then initiate closure. Associate and disassociate finance trusteeship.
See the present topic.
Financial Management
You cannot close the account directly. First, unbind all member accounts, then initiate closure. Remove relationships.
See the present topic.
Enterprise multi-account
You cannot close the account directly. First, transfer super administrator permissions to another member account, then proceed with the closure.
See the present topic.
4. Cancel partner relationships
If the account has a partnership with an Alibaba Cloud partner (reseller), cancel the partnership before closing the account.
Step 2: Initiate the closure process
Access the Alibaba Cloud website on a computer or use the Alibaba Cloud app. A computer is recommended.
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Log on to your account and verify your identity.
PC
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Log on to Account Center, and first, under My Account, select .
Perform an account check before closure to identify blocking items early.
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In the Verify Identity dialog box, select a method to complete the identity verification for your account.
NoteIf your account has not completed identity verification, only mobile phone number validation is supported.
Alibaba Cloud app
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Open the Alibaba Cloud app, tap the Me tab at the bottom, select Account Management, tap Close Account, and then tap Continue.
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On the Input Captcha page, complete account identity verification via your mobile phone number.
NoteIf your account is identity-verified, you can also click Other verification methods to complete account identity verification through Alipay authorization.
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Read the Alibaba Cloud Account Closure Agreement, select the checkbox, and click Next.
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System check and processing: The system scans account resources and financial status. This takes 3 to 5 minutes and produces one of the following results:
If the check passes
You are prompted that the account can be closed. Click Confirm Deletion to proceed.
If blocking items are found
The system lists all pending resources, categorized as follows:
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You must process: Unexpired domain names, unsettled bills, and resource instances that cannot be abandoned. Click Process next to each item, resolve it as instructed, then click Re-check.
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Renounceable: Small balances and releasable cloud service instances. Select all Renounceable resources, click Discard or Release Selected Resources, select the checkbox in the risk prompt, and click Confirm Discard or Release.
After submitting the closure, unsubscribed resources and released balances cannot be recovered. Proceed with caution.
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After all items are processed and pass the check, in the Confirm Deletion dialog box, select a closure reason and click Confirm Deletion.
ImportantAfter you confirm, the closure process executes automatically and cannot be terminated. Do not perform any operations with this account during this period. After closure, all resources are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
Step 3: Enter the cool-down period
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After you confirm closure, the account enters the irreversible closure cool-down period within about 5 minutes and automatically logs off. The system creates a service-linked role
AliyunServiceRoleForAccountDeletionfor resource cleanup. This role is deleted with the account—no action required. -
During the cool-down period, you can log on to check the remaining time, but you cannot perform any other operations or revoke the account deletion request.
After entering the cool-down period, unsubscribed resources and released balances cannot be recovered. Proceed with caution.
Step 4: Confirm the closure result
After the cool-down period ends, you receive text message and email notifications indicating whether the closure was successful or failed.
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Closure successful: The account and all data are permanently deleted.
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Closure failed: Typically caused by billing delays that generate new overdue payments during cool-down. The account is restored to a normal state. Log on, settle the overdue payments, and restart the closure process.
What happens after your account is closed?
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You cannot log on: You can no longer access any Alibaba Cloud service. To continue using Alibaba Cloud, create a new Alibaba Cloud account.
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Resources and information cannot be recovered: All resource instances, services, funds, bills, and invoices under the account are permanently deleted.
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Third-party accounts are not affected: Alibaba Cloud accounts are independent of other Alibaba Group accounts (Taobao, Alipay, DingTalk). Closing your Alibaba Cloud account does not affect other accounts, but third-party account associations are automatically removed.
FAQ
Why is there still a cool-down period after all resources are cleared?
Some billing records are delayed. Bills may still be generated after resource release, so the cool-down period ensures all charges are settled.
Can I revoke a closure request during the cool-down period?
No. Once the cool-down period begins, the closure process is irreversible. You must wait for it to end.