Billing FAQ

What are the differences between the Enterprise Edition subscription service versions?

The Enterprise Edition subscription service is available in multiple versions. Each version covers a different set of IMS features, and some features have a minimum version requirement. For example, Video Translation and Real-time Conversational AI require Standard Edition or later. Basic Edition subscriptions cannot use these features.

For a complete comparison of versions and pricing, see Subscription billing.

What does the monthly feature trial package include?

The monthly feature trial package provides access to all IMS features, except for dedicated customer service and the advanced video clip effects package (including advanced effects and a custom effects tool). In addition, the Intelligent Search capability is billed separately and is not included in the trial package.

The package has the following terms:

• Purchase limit — You can purchase the package only once per month.

• Price — The committed spend is fixed at CNY 20. No discounts are available for this package.

• Quota consumption — The trial package quota is consumed based on actual usage.

• After the package ends — When the package expires or its quota is exhausted, you must subscribe to an Enterprise Edition service to continue using IMS.

When can I use a subscription add-on package?

Only Enterprise Edition subscribers can use subscription add-on packages to offset charges. An add-on package is valid for your current subscription period. Purchase one when your subscription quota is used up before the validity period ends.

Why are some features still unavailable after I purchase a trial package or an add-on package?

Your subscription version determines whether you can use a feature. Your quota determines how much of the feature you can use.

• Add-on packages add quota only — A subscription add-on package only adds deductible quota. It does not upgrade your subscription version or unlock features that are included only in higher versions.

• Minimum version requirements — Some capabilities have minimum version requirements. For example, Video Translation and Real-time Conversational AI require Standard Edition or later, and Basic Edition subscriptions cannot use them.

• Solution — Upgrade to a version that meets the requirement of the feature instead of continuing to purchase add-on packages. Before you purchase, check on the purchase page in the console which subscription versions cover the feature you need.

How do I unsubscribe from an Enterprise Edition subscription service?

The subscription service currently does not support self-service unsubscription in the console. Submit a ticket for manual processing. Before you unsubscribe, review the following:

• Consequences — Unsubscribing during the validity period makes the service unavailable and invalidates your benefits. Consumed quota is not refunded.

• Resuming the service — To resume the service later, purchase a monthly feature trial package or subscribe to an Enterprise Edition service again.

How do I view my subscription quota, and what happens to unused quota when the validity period ends?

• View your quota — On the Resource Instances page in User Center, view the validity period and the remaining quota of your subscription service. In Billing Details, view the consumed usage by billable item.

• Unused quota at expiry — An Enterprise Edition subscription service provides quota for each subscription cycle, and the quota does not roll over to the next cycle. Quota that remains unused when the validity period ends is cleared, cannot be used any further, and is not refunded.

• Recommended practice — After you subscribe, check the actual consumption rate each month. If a large amount of quota remains as the expiration date approaches, plan your usage in advance. If the quota is insufficient, purchase a subscription add-on package or subscribe again to refresh the quota and the validity period.

Can I use my subscription to pay for Real-time Conversational AI?

Yes, if your subscription is Standard Edition or later. Basic Edition subscriptions cannot use Real-time Conversational AI. When your subscription covers the feature, subscription quota can offset the charges. If you do not have a subscription, you are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis.

If the quota for my Enterprise Edition subscription is used up during the validity period, can I switch to pay-as-you-go billing?

Yes, you can. By default, you are charged based on the pay-as-you-go prices listed on the official website. Features that do not support pay-as-you-go billing alone, such as Cloud Editing and Subtitle Removal, still require an Enterprise Edition subscription service. Alternatively, you can subscribe again to refresh the quota and the validity period, or purchase a subscription add-on package that is valid for your current subscription period.

Will I be charged on a pay-as-you-go basis after the monthly feature trial package is consumed?

No charges are incurred for the services covered by the trial package. After the trial package quota is exhausted or the package expires, those services stop. However, if your account also has other billing methods, resource plans, or pay-as-you-go services enabled, related calls can still incur charges. To verify what you are being charged for, view Billing Details in User Center.

Are storage fees for edited videos included in the subscription?

No. Edited videos and source materials are stored in Object Storage Service (OSS) and are billed separately based on actual OSS usage.

Edited videos generated through API calls are automatically registered as media assets. When you no longer need them, complete both of the following steps to stop storage billing:

• Call DeleteMediaInfos to delete the media assets.

• Delete the corresponding files from OSS.

Does adding a watermark to a video incur transcoding fees?

Yes. Adding an image or text watermark requires the video to be rendered and packaged again. This is a transcoding operation and is billed based on the transcoding duration.

Digital watermarking (invisible watermarking) is billed as a separate item. For specific prices, see the purchase page in the console.

Why am I charged for intelligent search and face search when no data is stored?

Intelligent search capabilities are billed based on the indexes that are enabled. Charges are incurred as long as an index is enabled, regardless of whether data is stored in the library.

If you no longer use an index, disable or delete it in the IMS console. To confirm that billing has stopped, verify that the index status indicates that the index is no longer configured.

How is the number of stored faces for intelligent search calculated?

You are billed based on the number of stored faces. The system detects faces frame by frame, and each detected face counts as one storage unit. For example, if the same face is detected once per second in a 30-second video, 30 storage units are counted.

How are digital human features billed?

Digital human charges depend on the avatar and the voice that you use:

• Free public avatar — When you use a free public avatar to synthesize a presenter video, you are billed based on the duration of the generated video. Failed synthesis jobs are not charged.

• Custom avatars and custom voices — Custom digital human avatars and custom voices are billed per request and cannot be offset by subscription quota.

• Existing avatars and voices — Charges for synthesizing videos with existing avatars and voices can be offset by subscription quota.

  For specific prices, see the purchase page in the console.

Am I charged if intelligent subtitling extraction returns an empty recognition result?

Yes. Once the job runs, you are billed based on the actual processing duration.

(Recommended) To improve the recognition hit rate, use the roi parameter to specify the subtitle area when you submit the job. Example: {"roi": [[0.5,1],[0,1]]}.

How do I troubleshoot unidentified charges on my bill?

To find the source of an unidentified charge on your IMS bill:

1. View Billing Details in User Center to identify the specific billable item and usage.

2. Check the call records and the source IP address in ActionTrail to trace the operation that generated the charge.

3. Check whether auto-renewal is enabled for the service. If auto-renewal is not enabled, no further charges are incurred after the service expires.

Why is the service unavailable when my subscription still has remaining quota?

Your subscription quota and your account payment status are checked independently. As long as your account has an overdue payment, the service is restricted even if the subscription quota is not exhausted.

• Associated product fees — Subscription quota offsets only IMS usage and does not offset fees from associated products. OSS storage and traffic fees are settled separately, and even a small amount, such as a few cents, can cause your account to become overdue.

• Typical symptoms — Job submission failures, jobs that show as complete but whose output videos cannot be downloaded, and unresponsive console operations. These symptoms are easily mistaken for feature failures.

• Troubleshooting order — First check in User Center whether your account has an overdue payment, and add funds if necessary. Then troubleshoot parameter and permission issues, and confirm in the IMS console that your subscription package has taken effect and covers the feature you are calling.

What do I do if an API call returns Forbidden.SubscriptionRequired?

Core IMS features, such as Cloud Editing and Subtitle Removal, do not support pay-as-you-go billing alone. You must purchase an Enterprise Edition subscription service to call them. If you already purchased a monthly feature trial package but still receive this error, you are usually calling a feature outside the scope of the trial package, such as the advanced video clip effects package. In that case, upgrade to Standard Edition or Ultimate Edition.

To troubleshoot, log on to the IMS console and confirm that the subscription package has taken effect and that your subscription version covers the feature you are calling.