Invoice FAQ

Invoicing companies, content, and tax rates

• Products sold on the official Alibaba Cloud website are provided by different legal entities. The invoicing company, invoice content, and tax rate vary by product. The specific invoice details are subject to the information displayed on the invoicing page.

• The official Alibaba Cloud website (www.aliyun.com) offers a variety of cloud products and services. To simplify payments, Alibaba Cloud uses an exclusive account provided by Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. to collect payments on behalf of the affiliated companies listed below. If the invoicing entity differs from the payee, you can download the corresponding affiliate certification document to assist with financial processes, such as reimbursement.

Alibaba Cloud invoice amounts are tax-inclusive. The following is a tax calculation example:

• Scenario: Assume the invoiced amount is CNY 6,150 (tax inclusive) and the tax rate is 6% (0.06).

• Tax calculation:

  • Tax-exclusive price = Tax-inclusive price / (1 + Tax rate) = 6,150 / (1 + 0.06) = 6,150 / 1.06 = 5801.89 (rounded to two decimal places)

  • Tax amount = Tax-exclusive price × Tax rate = 5801.89 × 0.06 = 348.11 (rounded to two decimal places)

• Result: For an invoiced amount of CNY 6,150, the tax amount is approximately CNY 348.11.

Mismatched invoicing entity and payee

If the invoicing entity and payee differ, download the affiliate certification documents for the relevant Alibaba Cloud or Marketplace products. These documents assist with financial processes, such as reimbursement.

• Alibaba Cloud first-party products: invoicing entity differs from the payee

  To simplify customer payments, Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. uses an exclusive account to collect payments on behalf of the affiliated companies listed below. Alibaba Cloud also provides the corresponding certification documents.

  No.	Affiliated company name	Certification document
  1	Alibaba Cloud Computing (Beijing) Co., Ltd.	Download PDF
  2	Hangzhou Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd.	Download PDF
  3	Alibaba Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.	Download PDF
  4	Alibaba East China Co., Ltd.	Download PDF
  5	Zhiyu Internet Technology Co., Ltd.	Download PDF Download PDF Download PDF
  6	Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.	Download PDF
  7	Tongyi Cloud Intelligence (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd.	Download PDF
  8	Bainian Cloud (Shanghai) Network Technology Co., Ltd.	Download PDF

• Marketplace third-party products or services: invoicing entity differs from the payee

  For products or services purchased from vendors on Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, the vendor issues the invoice. If you have questions about the invoicing entity or payee, submit a ticket to request an explanation letter.

  No.	Marketplace vendor name	Explanation letter
  1	China United Network Communications Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Branch Note You can directly download and use the invoice explanation letter for the China Unicom High-Speed Channel.	Download PDF

Invoicing entity for Model Studio

The invoicing entity for Model Studio is Tongyi Cloud Intelligence (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Use an e-invoice for reimbursement

To align with the policy of China's State Taxation Administration promoting fully digital e-invoices, Alibaba Cloud has transitioned to using this system exclusively since May 31, 2024. All invoices are now issued as fully digital e-invoices, categorized as e-invoice (general) and e-invoice (special VAT). We no longer support requests for the previous types of tax-controlled invoices, such as electronic general VAT invoices or paper special VAT invoices.

E-invoices share the same legal validity, basic use, and regulations as traditional, tax authority-supervised VAT general invoices. Consumers can use them for reimbursement or to protect their rights, and companies can use them as official accounting records.

Support for fully digital e-invoices

When you request an invoice on the Issue an Invoice page, check the Confirm Invoice Information page. If the Invoice Type drop-down list contains "Fully digital special VAT invoice (electronic)" and "Fully digital general invoice (electronic)", the entity supports e-invoices.

For announcements related to e-invoices, see the Announcement on the Full Transition to Digital E-invoices by Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd.

Invoices for prepaid top-ups

In accordance with the "Measures for the Administration of Invoices of the People's Republic of China" and its implementation rules, Alibaba Cloud can only issue invoices for orders that you have already consumed. Since your prepaid balance has not been consumed on any Alibaba Cloud products or services, an invoice cannot be issued for the top-up amount. For details on the invoicing procedure, see Issue an Invoice.

Invoices for pay-as-you-go products

For pay-as-you-go products, you are billed based on actual resource consumption. After the 3rd of each month, a bill for the previous month is generated, and you can then request an invoice from the Invoice Management page. For details on the invoicing procedure, see Issue an Invoice.

Invoice request time and amount limits

You can request an invoice for any amount, provided it does not exceed your actual charges. There is no time limit for requesting an invoice. However, note that invoices cannot be issued after an account is closed. For specific steps, see Issue an Invoice.

E-invoices for general VAT taxpayers

E-invoices are available regardless of taxpayer status, and an electronic general VAT invoice has the same legal effect as a paper one. For details on the invoicing procedure, see Issue an Invoice.

Verifying invoice authenticity

• You can verify an invoice's authenticity at your local State Taxation Administration office (often as part of the tax deduction process) or by calling the local 12366 tax service hotline.

• Go to the website of the Zhejiang Provincial State Taxation Administration and click I want to query > Public Services > Invoice Query. Alternatively, you can use the National VAT Invoice Verification Platform for verification.

Sample e-invoices

Alibaba Cloud offers a wide range of products on its official website, and the invoicing company, content, and tax rate vary by product. The following samples are for reference only. The final details are shown on the officially issued invoice.

Changing the invoice expense type

No. The expense type (i.e., invoice content, such as "Information technology services*Software service fee" or "Information technology services*Technical service fee") is automatically determined by the system based on the products or services you purchased. It cannot be manually changed to another type (such as "Service Fee" or "Support Fee") before or after the invoice is issued. For special cases, please contact your account manager.

Invoicing rules for personal and enterprise accounts

Enterprise invoices for individual accounts

By default, the invoice title matches the information from your account's real-name registration. To issue an invoice with an enterprise title from an individual account, you have two options: update the account's real-name registration to enterprise (recommended, as this requires no special approval), or apply for a manual review. This review involves a strict approval process with comprehensive documentation to mitigate compliance risks. For details, see Issue an invoice with an enterprise title from an individual account.

An individual account can have only one active enterprise invoice title at a time.

University invoices for students and teachers

Students who need an invoice with a university title can apply from their individual account. Go to the Invoices > Invoice Information (Title) tab. Click Request Corporate Invoice Title in the upper-right corner, select Individual requesting Corporate Title, and then choose the Student identity. Follow the on-screen instructions to Select Application Type and Fill in Information. After your application is approved, you can use the university title to issue invoices. For detailed instructions and limitations, see Maintain invoice titles.

Reapply for an expired enterprise title

After an enterprise invoice title application for an individual account is approved, it is valid for up to 365 days (or up to 90 days for special VAT invoices). Once the title expires, you must reapply. You can reapply in two ways:

• Method 1: Resubmit the enterprise invoice title application. On the Invoice Information page, resubmit your application materials using the original procedure. The review process typically takes 3 to 5 business days.

• Method 2: Change to enterprise real-name registration. Update your account's real-name registration from individual to enterprise. You can then use the enterprise invoice title directly. For instructions, see Change real-name registration information.

Third-party invoice titles

The invoice title defaults to the entity registered to your account. If you need to issue an invoice with a different title, see Maintain invoice titles.

Cross-account invoicing

This depends on the account type:

• For individual accounts, invoices must be requested by the account that made the purchase. Cross-account invoicing is not supported.

• Multiple accounts with the same enterprise real-name registration can enable the enterprise multi-account management service to link a master account with member accounts. The master account can then request invoices on behalf of the member accounts, using one of its own valid invoice titles.

• Accounts with different enterprise real-name registrations cannot issue invoices for each other.

• In reseller payment scenarios, the invoice must be issued by the reseller.

Multiple invoice titles for enterprise accounts

An enterprise account's default invoice title matches its real-name registration entity. If you need to use other enterprise titles for invoicing (a "multi-title" setup), you must meet the following conditions:

• The account is associated with an account manager.

• Your account manager evaluates and signs a multiple-invoice-title agreement.

To apply, contact your account manager or submit a ticket with your contact details and the desired invoice title. The business team will then assess your request.

Request a digital special VAT e-invoice

When issuing an invoice, select digital special VAT e-invoice (electronic) as the Invoice Type. This electronic format is issued faster than paper invoices, eliminating mailing time and improving security. For detailed instructions, see Issue an invoice.

E-invoice issuance time

You can check your e-invoice status on the Download and Return Invoices page after submitting a request.

• The e-invoice is typically emailed to you within one business day.

• For invoices for third-party products from Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, issuance is typically completed within seven business days. For more details, contact the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace vendor.

Splitting bills for invoicing

Yes, you can use the Invoice by Amount method to split the amount of a single order or bill into multiple invoices. For details, see Issue an invoice.

"Request Invoice" button is grayed out

Try refreshing the page, using a different browser, or opening an incognito or private window. Then, go to the invoice management page to request the invoice again. For details, see Issue an invoice.

Discrepancy between invoiced amount and consumption records

The monthly bill in your consumption records is based on the bill's generation time, whereas the invoiced amount is based on consumption through the end of the month. Any difference will be reconciled on the following month's bill.

Splitting invoice requests

• If selected orders belong to different invoicing entities or have different tax rates, they are split into multiple invoices.

• Requests are also split into multiple invoices if any of the following details differ: invoice title, tax ID, bank name, bank account number, registered address, or registered phone number.

Invoicing for purchased domains

After purchasing a domain name, check the transaction type on the My Purchased Domains page and refer to the table below to see if an invoice can be requested.

If invoicing is supported, follow these steps:

1. Go to the My Orders page, click Enterprise Service Product Orders, find the order number for your purchased domain name, and copy the order number.

2. On the Issue Invoice page, select Invoice by Order Detail. Search by the order number, select the order, and confirm the invoice details to proceed. For more details, see Issue an invoice.

Combining invoices from different accounts

Invoices from different Alibaba Cloud accounts cannot be combined. For invoicing instructions, see Issue an invoice.

RAM user permissions for invoicing

RAM users cannot be granted a standalone permission solely for requesting invoices.

Invoice receiving methods

You can receive invoices by email or manual download.

• Enter a Default Invoice Receiving Email on the Invoice Information (Title) page to have invoices automatically sent to that address upon issuance.

• Alternatively, you can manually download e-invoices with an Invoiced status from the Download and Return Invoices page.

Invoicing for the Wanjing Yike service

Invoices for the Wanjing Yike service are issued by Zhejiang Queniu Network Technology Co., Ltd.

Zhejiang Queniu Network Technology Co., Ltd. is an Alibaba Cloud affiliate that provides invoicing services for generative AI products like Wanjing. If you need a document to certify its affiliation with Alibaba Cloud, you can download it here.

Differences between invoicing methods

Alibaba Cloud offers several invoicing methods for different scenarios:

For detailed invoicing instructions, see Issue an invoice.

Invoicing for pay-on-behalf orders

The account that makes the payment (the payer) is responsible for requesting invoices for pay-on-behalf orders. The beneficiary cannot request the invoice.

• The invoice title will match one of the valid titles under the payer's account.

• If the beneficiary needs the invoice issued under their own title, the payer must either change their real-name registration to the beneficiary's entity or sign a pay-on-behalf agreement. This agreement requires a signature from an individual or a company seal from an enterprise.

To sign a pay-on-behalf agreement, submit a ticket to obtain the template.

Issuing an invoice after a company name change

If your company's business license name has changed, first update your account verification information. Then, before issuing an invoice, ensure the invoice title is updated to match your latest real-name information. You can do this on the Invoice Information (Title) page. For more details, see Maintain invoice titles.

Changing the invoice type

You cannot change the invoice type for an issued invoice. You must request an invoice return and then issue a new one.

Incorrect email for an electronic invoice

If an invoice has been issued, you can download it again from the Download and Return Invoices page. For instructions, see 4. View and download invoices.

To change your email address, see Maintain invoice titles.

Mismatched invoice title and verified entity

Update the invoice title to match the real-name verified entity. For instructions, see Maintain invoice titles.

Mismatched invoice title and certificate name

The exclusive account certificate syncs data from your account real-name verification information. Changes to your invoice title, contract, or other details do not automatically update the company name on the certificate.

Reissue an incorrect invoice

How do I find the invoice number?

To request an invoice return for a booked fully digitized special VAT e-invoice, you must provide the original invoice number. Go to the Invoice Download and Return page and click Details in the Actions column. You can find the invoice number on the Invoicing Record Details page.

Request a new invoice after a return

After you submit a request for an electronic invoice return, the tax authority will process it and issue a credit note. Monitor the invoice status on the Invoice Download and Return page. Once the credit note is issued, you can request a new invoice. For detailed instructions, see Issue an Invoice.

Reissue an invoice after a refund

After your refund is processed, you can request an invoice on the Issue an Invoice page. For detailed instructions, see Issue an Invoice.

Request an e-invoice return

No. When you submit the online invoice return request, provide a reason for the return. You do not need to mail a physical proof of rejection.

Handling differences for booked and unbooked invoices

The procedure for an invoice return (creating a credit note) for a fully digitized special VAT e-invoice depends on whether the invoice has been booked or used for deduction:

• Not booked or used for deduction: Request an invoice return directly on the Invoice Download and Return page. No extra steps are needed.

• Booked or used for deduction: First, obtain a credit note confirmation form from the electronic tax bureau. Then, request an invoice return on the Invoice Download and Return page, where you will enter the 20-digit credit note confirmation form number and a reason for the return. Alibaba Cloud will process the invoice return within 3 business days.

What is a credit note?

A credit note is generated when a refund is issued for an order or bill that has already been invoiced, typically after an unsubscription or downgrade. This results in the actual consumption amount being lower than the original invoiced amount. For example:

• A user pays CNY 1,200 for an order and receives an electronic special VAT invoice for the full invoiced amount of CNY 1,200.

• The user later unsubscribes, generating a CNY 200 refund and reducing the actual consumption amount to CNY 1,000.

• Because the actual consumption amount (CNY 1,000) is now less than the invoiced amount (CNY 1,200), this creates a credit note of CNY 200.

Invoicing with a credit note

If you see a system message like "Cannot submit request due to an outstanding credit note," it means your account has an outstanding credit note resulting from a previous refund or downgrade.

• If you requested an invoice before the refund or downgrade, you can either return the original invoice and request a new one, or you can offset the credit note with new consumption before requesting a new invoice.

• If you did not request an invoice before the refund or downgrade, go to the Issue Invoice page, select consumed orders to offset the credit note, and then request a new invoice.

For more information, see Handling credit notes.

Credit notes from stored-value card refunds

If you purchase a product using a stored-value card and then receive a refund, the funds are returned to your account balance. You can then apply this balance towards new consumption to offset the resulting credit note.

Invoice shipped but not received

Go to the Invoice Download and Return page and click Details in the Actions column for the invoice. Use the tracking number from the invoice details to track the shipment on the official EMS website. If tracking shows the package was delivered but you have not received it, contact the express delivery company directly.

Paper invoice return and exchange

Check whether the invoice issuing entity for each invoice has the same address. If the addresses are the same, you can mail the invoices together in one package. If not, you must mail them separately to their respective addresses.

example:

• If you are returning invoices issued by Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. and Zhiyu Internet Technology Co., Ltd., you can mail them together in a single package to the Hangzhou address because both are issued from Hangzhou.

• If you are returning invoices issued by Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. and Alibaba Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., one is issued from Hangzhou and the other from Beijing. You cannot mail them together. You must mail them separately to their respective addresses.

Return address for paper invoices

If the invoice issuing entity is: Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd., Alibaba Cloud Computing (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Bainian Yunqi (Shanghai) Network Technology Co., Ltd., Zhiyu Internet Technology Co., Ltd., Alibaba East China Co., Ltd., or Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., please mail to:

• Address: C3 Mini Post Office, Zone C, 969 West Wenyi Road, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province [COD not accepted]

• Attention: Hangzhou Invoice Team

• Phone: 0571-85022088

If the invoice issuing entity is: Umeng Tongxin (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., Alibaba Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., or Alibaba (Beijing) Software Services Co., Ltd., please mail to:

• Address: Mini Post Office, Zone A, Alibaba Chaoyang Science and Technology Park, 20 Guangshan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing [COD not accepted]

• Recipient: Dong Chaoyue

• Phone: 0571-85022088

Lost paper invoices

If you lose a paper invoice, go to the Invoice Download and Return page to find the invoice and check its delivery status.

Invoicing entity for Model Studio

Invoices for Model Studio products, including generative AI products like Tongyi Qianwen, are issued by Tongyi Cloud Intelligence (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd., not Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. acts only as a payment collector on their behalf.

Therefore, it is normal to see "Tongyi Cloud Intelligence (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd." as the invoicing company on the invoicing page. If you need a supporting document for financial reimbursement, see What do I do if the invoicing entity differs from the payee?.

Invoicing after a domain transfer

Transferring the ownership of a domain name does not change the ownership of historical orders. The invoicing rules are as follows:

• Purchase or renewal orders before the transfer: Invoices must be requested from the original purchasing account, regardless of who currently owns the domain name.

• New renewal orders after the transfer: Invoices must be requested from the new owner's account.

By default, you cannot issue an invoice with an enterprise title for a domain name purchased with a personal account. To do so, contact your account manager to add multiple invoice titles.

Invoicing after changing to an enterprise account

Yes. After you change your account's real-name registration from individual to enterprise, you can request invoices for all previously paid orders under the new enterprise entity. Contracts will also use the new entity's information. To change your real-name registration, see Change real-name registration information.

Changing the date on an invoice

No, you cannot change the date directly. The issue date on an invoice reflects the time the system generated it, and re-downloading it will not change this date. If you need an invoice with a new date, you must first return the original invoice then request a new one. For instructions, see How do I reissue an invoice if it contains errors?.

Invoicing for Alibaba Cloud Marketplace products

The invoicing entity for Alibaba Cloud Marketplace products depends on the service provider:

• Products from Alibaba Cloud-affiliated companies: Alibaba Cloud issues the invoice on their behalf. The process is the same as for Alibaba Cloud's own products.

• Products from third-party service providers: The third-party service provider issues the invoice, and their company is the invoicing entity. You must contact the provider to handle invoicing.

You can check the product details page on the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace to find the provider's information and determine the invoicing entity. For a third-party product, if you have submitted an invoice request and its status remains pending for a long time, find the provider's contact information on the original purchase page and contact them directly.

Statement letter for Marketplace invoices

If you need an official explanation letter (with a company seal) stating that the invoicing entity and the payee for an Alibaba Cloud Marketplace product are different, submit a ticket.

Updating the invoice title

The system does not automatically update your invoice title after you change your real-name registration. Go to the Invoice Information page and click Update to the latest real-name information next to your current title. The system will then sync the invoice title with your new registration information, making the old title invalid.

Invoiceable amount for pay-as-you-go products

Post-paid products are billed monthly, and the system does not generate a bill ready for invoicing until after the 3rd of the following month. If you used a pay-as-you-go product this month, wait until after the 3rd of the next month to request an invoice.

When requesting the invoice, select the invoice by monthly bill method. If you use "Invoice by order line items," you may not see the billing details for post-paid products. For the differences between these methods, see What is the difference between issuing invoices by order line items, by monthly bill, and by amount?.

Invoice title update for company name change

The invoice title must match your account's real-name registration information. If your company name changes, follow these steps in order:

1. First, update the company name in your account's real-name registration. For instructions, see Change real-name registration information.

2. After the registration is updated, go to the Invoice Information page and click Update to the latest real-name information to sync the new title.

Adding or modifying invoice titles

The invoice title is automatically generated based on your account's real-name registration information and cannot be manually added or modified. If you need to change your invoice title, first update your account's real-name registration. After the update is complete, go to the Invoice Information page and click Update to the latest real-name information.

In special cases where you need to use an invoice title that does not match your real-name registration (such as for multiple titles), submit a ticket.

Enterprise title for a personal account

Go to the Invoice Information page, click Apply for Enterprise Title, select Individual Application, and under Identity, select Employed. Upload proof of your employment relationship with the company, fill in the invoicing information, and submit for review. The review process takes 3 to 5 business days.

Acceptable proof of employment includes:

• Certificate of employment issued by the company

• Social security contribution records

• Personal income tax payment records

• Housing provident fund contribution records

• Employment contract

A reviewing specialist decides whether to approve non-standard proof, such as a screenshot of your personal DingTalk profile page.

Only one invoice title can be active for an account at a time. If you have pending invoices under an individual title, issue those invoices first then apply for an enterprise title.

Blank invoice download or export page

Browser compatibility issues usually cause the invoice download or export page to be blank. Try the following:

• Switch to a different browser (Chrome is recommended).

• Clear your current browser's cache and refresh the page.