Refund policy

Refund rules

Security Center supports five-day unconditional full refund, partial refund, and cancel unactivated renewal — three unsubscription types. Before you unsubscribe from your Security Center instance, review the unsubscription rules, usage notes, and examples. For details, see Cancellation rules.

Data retention after unsubscription

• Configuration data: Retained for 7 days after unsubscription. You can renew within this period to restore access.

• Log analysis data: Retained until 00:00:00 (UTC+8) on the day after unsubscription. If you renew before that time, your log analysis data is not released.

Close and billing rules for pay-as-you-go instances

Pay-as-you-go (postpaid) Security Center instances cannot be unsubscribed through the Unsubscription Management page. To stop billing, use the Deactivate feature in the Security Center console.

Before you close a pay-as-you-go service, note the following:

• If the pay-as-you-go instance is suspended due to overdue payments, go to User Center to top up your account and clear the outstanding balance first. You can use the Deactivate feature only after your account is restored to normal status.

• After you close the service, charges may still be incurred for the current day. Pay-as-you-go bills are typically generated on the next day (T+1), after which no further charges are incurred. Bills received after closure are usually for usage that occurred before the closure.

Unsubscribe from the console

You can unsubscribe from a subscription Security Center instance through the console.

1. Go to the Unsubscription Management page. Filter for your target resource by Instance ID or Order Time.

2. Select the unsubscription type based on the subscription status of your Security Center instance.

   • Five-day unconditional refund

     1. On the Resource Unsubscription page, click the Unsubscribe Resource tab.

     2. On the Unsubscribe Resource page, click the Regular Cloud Resource tab and view the resources under 5-day Money-back Guarantee.

     3. In the Actions column for the target resource, click Unsubscribe Resource.

     4. On the Unsubscribe Resource page, read the unsubscription agreement and related instructions. Select the checkboxes for I have read the "Unsubscription Rules" and confirmed the refund amount and I have confirmed that data for the instance to be unsubscribed has been backed up and migrated.

     5. Click Unsubscribe . In the Confirm Unsubscription Information dialog box, confirm the resource information, set the Reason for Unsubscription, and click OK.

   • Partial refund

     1. On the Resource Unsubscription page, click the Unsubscribe Resource tab.

     2. On the Unsubscribe Resource page, click the Regular Cloud Resource tab, and select the Partial Refund type.

     3. In the Actions column for the target resource, click Unsubscribe Resource.

     4. On the Unsubscribe Resource page, read the unsubscription agreement and related instructions. Select the checkboxes for I have read the "Unsubscription Rules" and confirmed the refund amount and I have confirmed that data for the instance to be unsubscribed has been backed up and migrated.

     5. Click Unsubscribe . In the Confirm Unsubscription Information dialog box, confirm the resource information, set the Reason for Unsubscription, and click OK.

   • Cancel unactivated renewal

     1. On the Resource Unsubscription page, click the Unsubscribe Renewal That Does Not Take Effect tab.

     2. In the Actions column for the target resource, click Unsubscribe from Renewal.

     3. On the Unsubscribe from Renewal page, confirm the resource information and set Updated Expiration Time. Select the checkbox for I have read the "Unsubscription Rules" and confirmed the refund amount.

     4. Click Unsubscribe . In the Confirm Unsubscription Information dialog box, confirm the details and click OK.

3. Optional: After the unsubscription request is submitted, go to the Resource Unsubscription page and click Unsubscribe Order Details to view the unsubscription details.

Troubleshooting

• "Failed to obtain unsubscription resource information" error: This error typically indicates that the resource is in an abnormal state, such as overdue payment, security lock, or an ongoing configuration change (upgrade or downgrade). Self-service unsubscription is not available in this state.

• Console status not updated after unsubscription or closure: The expiration time or instance status displayed in the console may have a brief delay after you unsubscribe or close a service. Refresh the page or wait a few minutes and check again.

• Charges incurred by an action you did not perform: If you did not activate Security Center but notice related charges, use ActionTrail to identify who performed the operation:

  1. Log on to the ActionTrail console.

  2. On the Event Query page, set the service name filter to Sas.

  3. Set the event name filter to ModifyPostPayModuleSwitch.

  4. Review the matching event records to identify the operation time and operator (such as a RAM user or another authorized account).

Refund destination

• Refunds are typically processed within two business days after unsubscription.

• The refund is returned to the original payment method. If the original payment method fails, the refund is automatically credited to your Alibaba Cloud account balance.

• If an overdue balance adjustment is involved, the adjusted amount is credited to your account balance instead of the original payment method.

• After the refund is processed, the invoiceable amount for the corresponding order is automatically reduced. If you have already issued an invoice, the original invoice remains valid, but you cannot apply for an invoice for the refunded amount.

• For more information, see Initiate unsubscription and Refund destinations.

FAQ

Can I get a refund for accidental activation or unexpected charges on a pay-as-you-go instance?

Bills already generated for pay-as-you-go (postpaid) usage generally cannot be refunded or reversed through a balance adjustment.

For the following non-malicious scenarios, contact customer service to apply for a general-purpose cloud product coupon as compensation:

• Accidental activation of a pay-as-you-go service due to a non-malicious error.

• Unexpected charges incurred because you did not receive a notification before the trial period ended.

Coupon details:

If you have a dispute about charges, submit an appeal through the ticket system. A specialist will review the operation records (such as ActionTrail logs) and process your request.

References

• Upgrades and downgrades: Learn how to add or reduce the number of authorized licenses and value-added services for your instance.

• Cancellation rules and Unsubscription FAQs: General unsubscription rules and limits for Alibaba Cloud products.

• Purchase and Unsubscribe from Security Center: Review Security Center editions and pricing for repurchase decisions.