Unsubscription rules
If you want to unsubscribe from a resource or service, we recommend that you follow the procedure below:
-
Confirm whether unsubscription is supported
Unsubscription applies to subscription products (pay before use). Depending on the purchased duration and whether the resource was used, refunds are categorized into full refunds, partial refunds, and other types.
Pay-as-you-go products do not require unsubscription (use before payment). For example, for pay-as-you-go ECS, back up your data and then go to the console and release the resource to stop billing.
-
Submit the unsubscription request
Go to the Expenses and Costs-Unsubscribe page, submit an unsubscription request for the target order, verify that the refund amount is correct, and then confirm the unsubscription.
ImportantUnsubscriptions cannot be reversed once completed. Carefully review the order information to avoid mistakes. Related resources are released after unsubscription, so back up your data in advance.
-
View the refund result
The refund amount is calculated as "actual cash paid - consumed amount".
After the unsubscription succeeds, the refund typically arrives within two business days. By default, the refund is returned to the original payment channel. If the original route fails, the funds are automatically transferred to the Alibaba Cloud account balance.
About unsubscription rules
Unsubscription rules for cloud products and resource plans
Based on resource attributes, purchase duration, and whether usage has been generated, unsubscription for cloud products and resource plans falls into 5-day no-reason unsubscription, Partial unsubscription, and unsubscription of unapplied renewal orders, resulting in a full refund or partial refund. The following table shows the applicable scenarios for common products, where indicates supported, indicates not supported.
The specific rules and applicable conditions for unsubscribing from cloud products and resource plans are listed in the following table:
|
Unsubscription scenario |
Applicable conditions |
||
|
5-day no-reason full unsubscription |
|
||
|
Unused full unsubscription / Unapplied full unsubscription |
|
||
|
Unapplied renewal order |
Note
If a configuration change was made, the resource and renewal order can only be unsubscribed together; the renewal order cannot be unsubscribed separately. |
||
|
Physical product unsubscription |
For physical goods delivered offline that are still within the return period, submit a ticket to request processing. |
||
|
Partial unsubscription |
|
||
|
Downgrade refund |
When a subscription instance supports configuration downgrade, the system automatically calculates and refunds based on the price difference between the old and new configurations. For the detailed refund rules, see Refund rules for downgrades. |
||
|
Subscription to pay-as-you-go |
The product supports billing-mode conversion. The remaining fee is calculated and refunded automatically upon conversion. For the detailed refund rules, see Refund policy for converting from Subscription to Pay-as-you-go. |
||
Savings plan unsubscription rules
Starting April 3, 2026, Alibaba Cloud supports self-service unsubscription for savings plans. The conditions and limitations are as follows:
|
Condition |
Description |
|
Supported unsubscription types |
|
|
Payment type restriction |
Only all-upfront savings plans support self-service unsubscription. Partial-upfront and no-upfront plans are not supported. |
|
Situations not supported for unsubscription |
Savings plans that have already generated deductions are not supported for self-service unsubscription. |
For more information, see Announcement: Savings plan self-service unsubscription is now available.
Scenarios where unsubscription is not supported
Unsubscription or refund is not possible in the following cases:
Unpaid orders exist: You cannot directly unsubscribe from a resource that has unpaid orders. Cancel all "Unpaid" orders for the instance first, and then submit the unsubscription request.
The resource has been upgraded: An upgrade order cannot be unsubscribed separately. You must submit the unsubscription for the entire instance.
The resource has been transferred: After a "resource transfer", unsubscription or downgrade does not produce any refundable amount.
Promotion restriction: The purchase was made through a promotion whose rules explicitly state "no refund".
-
ECS cannot be unsubscribed in the following cases:
The ECS instance uses a paid image. Replace it with a free image before submitting the unsubscription.
The monthly refund quota is used up: ECS (subscription) has a maximum monthly refund quota. Once the quota is exhausted, no further refunds can be processed in that month. The quota shown on the ECS unsubscription page is authoritative and resets automatically on the 1st of each month. For the quota details, see Limits.
Abnormal account behavior: If multiple accounts belonging to the same user are involved in refund abuse, such as unsubscribing from resources within 30 days after ICP filing approval, the refund is not granted.
-
The product's own rules do not support unsubscription: For common products that do not support unsubscription, see the following table.
Common products that do not support unsubscription
Refund calculation
If you used a voucher when purchasing a subscription product, the voucher is refunded in proportion to the payment structure upon unsubscription. Vouchers are not refunded for downgrade-triggered refunds.
The resource plan unsubscription rules have been upgraded. If the plan is unused during its validity period, a full refund is available. If a voucher was used when purchasing the plan, the voucher is refunded in proportion to the payment structure upon unsubscription. For details, see: Extension of the full-refund window for unused public-cloud resource plans, Notice: Public-cloud resource plan refund rule upgrade.
Full refund
Refund amount = order payment amount. The actual cash you paid is refunded.
|
Unsubscription type |
Example |
|
5-day no-reason full unsubscription |
You buy a new ECS instance for CNY 500 (CNY 300 in cash and CNY 200 in voucher). If you unsubscribe 3 days later, CNY 300 in cash and CNY 200 in voucher are refunded. |
|
Unused full unsubscription (resource plan) |
You buy a new NAS resource plan for CNY 150 in cash. If you submit an unsubscription request 3 days later without using the plan, the CNY 150 is refunded. |
|
Unsubscribe unapplied renewal order |
An ECS instance exists, and you pay CNY 300 in cash for its renewal order. If you unsubscribe before the renewal takes effect, the CNY 300 is refunded. |
Partial refund
Partial refunds include three types: Partial unsubscription, Downgrade refund, and Subscription-to-pay-as-you-go refund.
Partial unsubscription
Refund amount = order payment amount - consumed amount
The consumed amount is calculated based on the used duration, by rematching the discount applicable to a short-term purchase and applying a refund coefficient. The following table shows the calculation rules for common cloud products:
|
Product type and usage duration |
Calculation formula |
|
|
Usage duration < 30 days |
(Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration) × 1.5 |
|
Usage duration ≥ 30 days |
Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration |
|
|
Usage duration < 30 days |
(Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration) × 1.2 |
|
Usage duration ≥ 30 days |
Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration |
|
|
Model Studio provisioned throughput (daily) |
(Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration) × 1.5 |
|
|
Usage duration < 30 days |
(Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration) × 1.2 |
|
Usage duration ≥ 30 days |
Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration |
|
|
Usage duration < 28 days |
(Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration) × 1.5 |
|
Usage duration ≥ 28 days |
(Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration) |
|
|
Web Application Firewall 3.0 |
(Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration) × 1.5 |
|
|
Other (see the product documentation for details) |
Daily unit price × Usage duration × Discount applicable to the used duration |
|
|
Resource plan |
Quota-type |
Used quantity × Unit price × Discount applicable to the used quantity |
|
Cycle-based |
Used cycle count × Cycle unit price × Discount applicable to the used cycles |
|
Calculation example
The scenarios below are for illustration only. The actual prices and discounts shown on the purchase page prevail.
Scenario 1: You buy a new subscription ECS instance (2 vCPUs, 4 GiB memory) for 3 years. The list price is CNY 5040, with a 45% discount for the 3-year subscription, so you pay CNY 2736.
-
Case 1: Unsubscribe after 1 year (365 days) of use
Days used: 365 days.
Discount applied: Calculated for a 1-year purchase duration, assuming a 15% discount.
Daily unit price:
CNY 5040 / (365 days × 3) = CNY 4.6027/day.Consumed amount:
CNY 4.6027/day × 365 days × 0.85 = CNY 1428. (Over 30 days of use, no handling fee)Final refund amount:
CNY 2736 - CNY 1428 = CNY 1308.
-
Case 2: Unsubscribe after 10 days of use
Days used: 10 days.
Discount applied: Calculated for 10 days of use with no discount (that is, 1.0×).
Daily unit price:
CNY 4.6027/day.Consumed amount:
(CNY 4.6027/day × 10 days × 1.0) × 1.5 = CNY 46.03 + CNY 23.02 = CNY 69.05. (Less than 30 days of use, multiplied by 1.5)Final refund amount:
CNY 2736 - CNY 69.05 = CNY 2666.95.
Scenario 2: The SMS plan list price is CNY 1 per message. 500 messages get a 10% discount, and 1,000 messages get a 20% discount, valid for 1 year. You buy a 1,000-message SMS resource plan for 1000 messages × CNY 1 per message × 0.8 = CNY 800.
-
Case: Unsubscribe after using 500 messages.
Used quantity: 500 messages.
Unit price: CNY 1 per message.
Discount applicable to the used quantity: 10% off.
Consumed amount:
500 messages × CNY 1 per message × 0.9 = CNY 450.Final refund amount:
CNY 800 - CNY 450 = CNY 350.
Downgrade refund
When you downgrade the specification of a subscription instance, the system automatically refunds a portion of the fee based on the rules. However, if the calculated refund amount is less than 0, no refund is issued. For the specific calculation rules and formulas, see: Refund rules for downgrades.
Subscription-to-pay-as-you-go refund
If the cloud product you purchased supports converting the billing method from subscription to pay-as-you-go, the system automatically refunds the remaining subscription fees based on the conversion rules. However, if the calculated refund amount is less than 0, no refund is issued. For the specific calculation rules and formulas, see: Refund policy for converting from Subscription to Pay-as-you-go.
Impact of unsubscription
Unsubscription has irreversible impact on resource state and data. Review the following in advance:
-
Data and resource changes
After unsubscription, the resource or instance is released automatically and data is no longer retained. Back up your data in advance.
Resource plan unsubscription takes effect in the next billing cycle. For an hourly-deducting plan, the current hour can still be used, and the corresponding product automatically switches to pay-as-you-go from the next hour. A monthly-deducting plan expires in the next month. Ensure that your account balance is sufficient to avoid service interruption or overdue fees.
Benefits and entitlements: After unsubscription, you can no longer participate in the promotion that applied to the purchase. Benefits attached to the order (such as coupons) are invalidated and reset to zero.
Unsubscribing an unapplied renewal order: the resource reverts to the expiration date before the renewal. Back up or migrate your data before the expiration date.
Invoicing quota changes: After a successful refund, your invoiceable quota is automatically reduced. Do not request an invoice for a refunded order, so that a negative invoiceable quota does not affect your withdrawal.
Refund destination
After the unsubscription succeeds, the refund typically arrives within two business days. Sign in to **Transactions**, search for Transaction type = Refund to view the detailed unsubscription information.
Refunds generally follow the original payment channel. If the original-channel refund fails, the refund is typically transferred to the Alibaba Cloud account balance automatically. The following table shows the original-channel refund timeframe for each payment method.
|
Payment method |
Original-channel refund timeframe |
Description |
|
Alipay |
Within 18 months (548 days) after payment |
If the timeframe is exceeded or the original-channel refund fails, the funds are returned to the Alibaba Cloud account balance. |
|
Online Banking |
Within 90 days after payment |
The actual arrival time may be slightly delayed due to the bank's processing speed. |
|
Alibaba Cloud account balance |
- |
- |
|
Other payment methods (such as UnionPay QuickPass) |
The specific timeframe depends on the rules of each payment channel |
If the original-channel refund fails, the funds are returned to the Alibaba Cloud account balance. |
If an invoice has been issued before you request the refund, the refund path for the invoiced order depends on the invoiceable quota in your account:
If the refund amount ≤ Invoiceable Amount+Unavailable Amount This Month, the system first attempts the original-channel refund. If that fails, the funds are returned to the account balance.
If the refund amount > Invoiceable Amount+Unavailable Amount This Month, to comply with tax regulations, the refund goes directly to the Alibaba Cloud account balance.
You can request a withdrawal of funds returned to the account balance. For details, see: Balance withdrawal.
If the refund in your account cannot be withdrawn, you may have an invoice shortfall. Resolve the shortfall before withdrawing. An invoice shortfall occurs when a refund is issued on an order that already has an invoice, so the actual consumed amount is less than the invoiced amount, and the refunded portion is frozen. For details, see: Manage invoice deficits.
Submit an unsubscription request
Sign in to Expenses and Costs console and go to the Resource UnsubscriptionResource Unsubscription page to unsubscribe. For detailed instructions, see Initiate unsubscription.
Unsubscription FAQ
Can I unsubscribe from a purchased domain name?
Domain registration takes effect immediately and is irreversible. After a successful registration, modifications, deletions, and refunds are generally not supported (only a few TLDs support paid deletion during a grace period). According to industry rules, fees for new registrations, renewals, redemptions, and transfers-in are non-refundable once paid.
Where can I view refund records?
After the unsubscription succeeds, the refund typically arrives within two business days. Sign in to **Transactions**, search for Transaction type = Refund to view the refund channel. You can also use My Orders to view the order details.
Why does the refund amount show as 0 when I submit an unsubscription request?
According to the calculation rules in Partial unsubscription (Refund amount = order payment amount - consumed amount), if the calculated consumed amount exceeds the amount you paid, there is nothing left to refund, so the refund amount is 0.
Why wasn't the refund returned to the original payment channel?
In the following cases, the refund is credited to the Alibaba Cloud account balance instead of the original payment channel:
Time limit exceeded: The unsubscription time is beyond the period during which the payment channel supports original-channel refunds.
Original payment account issue: The refund is rejected because the bank card is closed or the account is frozen, for example.
Invoice restriction: The order is refunded after an invoice is issued, and the refund amount exceeds the current invoiceable quota.
Why can't I withdraw the refund?
If the refund in your Alibaba Cloud account cannot be withdrawn, you may have an invoice shortfall. Resolve the shortfall before withdrawing. An invoice shortfall occurs when a refund is issued for an order that already has an invoice, so the actual consumed amount is less than the invoiced amount. For details, see: Manage invoice deficits.
Why wasn't my coupon returned when I unsubscribed from an order that used it?
The coupon used in your order may not be refunded in the following cases:
Wuying Workspace, cloud communications products, and Alibaba Cloud virtual hosting do not support coupon refunds.
For products that support coupon refunds, only vouchers are returned upon unsubscription; threshold coupons and discount coupons are not refundable.
Why can't I use the coupon returned after unsubscription?
If the coupon returned upon unsubscription has expired, you can no longer use it. Go to the **Coupons** page to check the coupon's rules and effective time.
Why did my costs increase after I unsubscribed from a resource plan?
After you unsubscribe from a resource plan, products whose usage was previously deducted from the plan immediately switch to pay-as-you-go billing. If those products are still running, they start generating pay-as-you-go bills.
How is the usage duration calculated when upgrades, downgrades, or renewals happen before the refund?
When a subscription instance undergoes upgrade/downgrade, auto-renewal, and unsubscription in close sequence near the renewal date, the operation order determines the order status, the refund calculation rules, and the starting point of "usage duration" in the refund formula.
Scenario 1: Upgrade/downgrade first, then auto-renew, then refund
The instance is upgraded or downgraded first, then auto-renewed, and then unsubscribed. The upgrade/downgrade and renewal are recorded as two separate orders that are not merged.
Remaining duration of the upgrade/downgrade order: covers only the remaining duration of the original cycle (from the upgrade/downgrade moment to the original cycle expiration).
Renewal order: Auto-renewal is calculated independently as a complete new renewal cycle.
Starting point of "usage duration" at unsubscription: starts from the first day of the new renewal cycle.
Scenario 2: Auto-renew first, then upgrade/downgrade, then refund
The instance is renewed first, then upgraded or downgraded, and then unsubscribed. In this case, the upgrade/downgrade order covers both the remaining original cycle and the entire renewal cycle at once.
Remaining duration of the upgrade/downgrade order: covers from the upgrade/downgrade moment to the renewed expiration time.
Refund basis: The refund is calculated against the upgrade/downgrade order at unsubscription.
Starting point of "usage duration" at unsubscription: starts from the day of the upgrade/downgrade.
Because the usage durations differ, the refund amounts in the two scenarios are not the same.
Why can't I see my instance on the self-service unsubscription page?
On the self-service unsubscription page, enter the ID of the instance you want to unsubscribe and try searching again.
Unsubscription instructions for common cloud products
ECS (subscription): Unsubscription policy
Wuying Workspace: Monthly purchase - Unsubscription and refund
ApsaraDB RDS: Refund policy
SSL Certificates, PCA, and HTTPS acceleration gateway: Certificate Management Service (formerly SSL Certificates) refund
SMS plan refund: Refund policy
For more issues, see: Unsubscription FAQs.