This topic answers frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Simple Application Server billing.
Billable items
The main billable items for Simple Application Server include package configuration, data disks, and excess data transfer. For more information, see Billable items.
Data transfer fees
Before you purchase a package:
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If the Public Traffic Package for a package is listed as Unlimited data transfer, data transfer fees are included in the package price and no additional fees are charged.
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If a package includes a fixed data transfer allowance for Monthly Data Transfer, you are charged for excess data transfer on a pay-as-you-go basis after the allowance is used up. For more information about billing, see Billing details.
After you purchase an instance:
Log on to the Simple Application Server console, find the instance that you want to check, and click the instance ID on the instance card.
On the server overview page, go to the server monitoring section. If the data transfer metric is displayed, your package includes a fixed data transfer allowance. After this allowance is used up, you are charged for excess data transfer on a pay-as-you-go basis. For more information about billing, see Billing details.
If this metric is not displayed, data transfer fees are included in your package price, and no additional fees for data transfer are charged.
Data transfer limits and overage billing
Log on to the Simple Application Server console, find the instance that you want to check, and click the instance ID on the instance card.
On the server overview page, go to the server monitoring section. If the data transfer metric is displayed, your package includes a fixed data transfer allowance. After this allowance is used up, you are charged for excess data transfer on a pay-as-you-go basis. For more information about billing, see Billing details.
If this metric is not displayed, data transfer fees are included in your package price, and no additional fees for data transfer are charged.
Data center addresses
For instructions, see How do I find the data center address of a Simple Application Server instance?.
Snapshot and custom image fees
Creating snapshots and custom images for Simple Application Server is free, but the following limits apply:
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Snapshots:
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You can create up to three snapshots for each Simple Application Server instance.
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For each Alibaba Cloud account, the maximum number of snapshots that you can create is three times the number of your Simple Application Server instances, with a cap of 15.
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Custom images: For each Alibaba Cloud account, the maximum number of custom images that you can create is three times the number of your Simple Application Server instances, with a cap of 15.
Internal network communication fees
Multiple Simple Application Server instances and Simple Database Service instances that belong to the same Alibaba Cloud account and are in the same region are located within the same VPC by default. Data transfer between these instances over the internal network is free of charge.
Supported packages
Simple Application Server provides cost-effective computing resources as packages. A variety of packages are available. For details, see the product purchase page. Package prices may vary by region. The price displayed on the purchase page in the console is the final price.
Package changes
Yes, but you can only upgrade to a package with a higher configuration. You cannot downgrade a package after the upgrade is complete. Before you change the package, we recommend that you create a snapshot of the instance's disk for data backup. For instructions, see Upgrade configurations.
If you upgrade the package for an instance purchased through a special offer, such as for new users or as part of the Developer Growth Plan, you are no longer eligible for promotional renewal discounts.
Pay-as-you-go support
No. Simple Application Server currently supports only the subscription billing method.
Excess data transfer billing
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For Simple Application Server instances with packages that include a monthly data transfer allowance, only outbound public data transfer that exceeds the allowance incurs pay-as-you-go fees.
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For Simple Application Server instances with packages that do not include a monthly data transfer allowance, no fees are charged for inbound or outbound public data transfer.
For more information, see Billable items.
Peak bandwidth
Peak bandwidth is the maximum instantaneous data transfer rate allocated to a Simple Application Server instance. The peak bandwidth can vary depending on the package. The specific value is displayed on the product purchase page in the console.
Peak bandwidth limit
No. The bandwidth is limited by the peak bandwidth from the moment you purchase the Simple Application Server instance.
Impact of overdue payments on active instances
If the data transfer of your Simple Application Server instance does not exceed the allowance in your package, an overdue payment will not cause the instance to stop. If the data transfer exceeds the allowance, the excess data transfer is billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. If your Alibaba Cloud account has an overdue payment, the instance is automatically stopped, interrupting its services. For more information, see Expiration or overdue payments.
Renewal
Renewal order refunds
Yes. You can log on to the Unsubscribe page to check the status of your renewal order:
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If the order is on the Unsubscribe - Not Taken Effect tab, the renewal has not yet taken effect. You can apply for a full refund.
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If the order is on the Unsubscribe - Taken Effect tab, the renewal has already taken effect. You will receive a partial refund based on the partial refund rules.
For more information about the refund rules, see Refund policy.
Auto-renewal failures
Enabling auto-renewal does not trigger the renewal immediately. It only sets the renewal cycle, which takes effect the next day. After it takes effect, the system starts to deduct payment for the renewal 9 days before the expiration date. If a deduction fails, the system retries daily until the payment succeeds or until one day before expiration. The renewal may fail repeatedly if your account has an insufficient balance. You must top up your account and renew the instance manually.
Downgrading during renewal
Currently, Simple Application Server supports only upgrades. Downgrades are not supported.
Refunds
5-day unconditional refunds
Yes. Each account can receive a 5-day unconditional full refund for one instance per product within a calendar year (January 1 to December 31). This policy may not apply in cases of identified account correlations or security concerns. Alibaba Cloud reserves the right to reject refund requests that are suspected to be malicious. For more information, see Refund policy.
Refund destination and processing time
After you successfully unsubscribe, the refund is typically processed within two business days. You can go to the Transaction Details page and filter by a Transaction Type of Refund to view the details. Refunds are generally returned to the original payment method. If the refund to the original method fails, the amount is automatically transferred to your Alibaba Cloud account balance.