Payment FAQ

What payment methods does Alibaba Cloud support?

Use cases for each payment method are listed in the following table:

Are credit card payments supported for purchases?

• If you pay with Alipay, you can use any credit card linked to your Alipay account.

• If you pay with personal online banking (including credit cards), you can use credit cards from the following banks: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Postal Savings Bank of China, Bank of Communications, China Merchants Bank, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China CITIC Bank, China Minsheng Bank, China Everbright Bank, Ping An Bank, Hua Xia Bank, Industrial Bank, Bank of Shanghai, Bank of Hangzhou, Bank of Guilin, Bank of Lanzhou, and Qilu Bank.

Automatic payment deduction order

When Alibaba Cloud settles a postpaid bill, deductions are applied in the following order:

1. Valid coupons in the Alibaba Cloud account (must meet the usage conditions).

2. Valid vouchers in the Alibaba Cloud account (must meet the usage conditions).

3. Valid stored-value cards in the Alibaba Cloud account (must meet the usage conditions).

4. Cash balance in the Alibaba Cloud account (balance transferred in from other accounts is used before balance you topped up yourself).

5. Alipay account linked to the Alibaba Cloud account through a signed agreement (available only to a small subset of customers).

That is, if your account has valid vouchers or stored-value cards that apply to the order, the system first deducts from the vouchers or stored-value cards. If none are available, it deducts from the cash balance. If the cash balance is also insufficient, it deducts from your linked Alipay account, and so on.

How do I view transaction details?

To view the details of transactions you made on Alibaba Cloud or HiChina, go to the Expenses and Costs console, and then navigate to Fund Management >Transaction Details.

What should I do if a payment times out?

Go to your Alibaba Cloud Expenses and Costs console, open the Order Management page, find the unpaid order, and complete the payment.

What should I do if the payment page fails to open after I confirm an order?

If the Alipay payment page fails to open, the issue is usually caused by the network or the browser. First, check whether the network is working. If the network is fine, troubleshoot as follows:

• Firewall issue

  Disable your firewall (both any third-party firewall and the built-in Windows Firewall). To disable Windows Firewall, click Start > All Programs > Control Panel > Windows Firewall, and then set it to off. If you installed a third-party firewall, exit the firewall program.

• Browser cookie settings issue

  In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Internet Options> Privacy > Advanced, and then select Override automatic cookie handling and Always allow session cookies.

  Alternatively, add www.alipay.com as a trusted site. In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Internet Options> Privacy/Security > Sites, and add https://www.alipay.com to the list of trusted sites. Also check whether https://www.alipay.com is listed under restricted sites and, if so, remove it.

  For instructions on changing cookie settings in other browsers, see the "Modify cookie settings" section in the "The logon page is unusual. How to do?" topic of the Account Logon documentation.

How can I change my payment method during checkout?

If you have already selected a payment method on the Pay page and want to change it on the transaction page, do the following:

Go to the Orders page and find the order. Click Pay to open the Pay page, select a new payment method, and complete the payment.

What should I do if a 403 error occurs when I top up using ICBC enterprise online banking?

When you top up using ICBC enterprise online banking, insert the U-shield before you click Top up. Otherwise, a 403 error occurs.

What should I do if I am prompted to "check the service status" when paying for an upgrade or renewal?

This issue usually occurs because the resource associated with the order has been released. Log on to the Management Console, and in your products and services, check whether the resource associated with the upgrade or renewal order is running.

Why does my order show as unpaid after I have already paid?

Verify that the payment was successful. If the payment was successful, go to the Alibaba Cloud Expenses and Costs console and check the order details on the Order Management page.

Why is my service not activated after I have paid?

Check whether the order is still unsettled. If you topped up the account first, you must still pay for the order after the top-up before the service payment is considered complete and the service can be activated.

Can I restore an unpaid order after it is canceled?

If an order is not paid within the time limit after it is created, the order is automatically canceled when it expires and cannot be restored. If you still need the service, place a new order.

Typically, the validity period of an unpaid order on Alibaba Cloud is 7 days, but the validity period for unpaid orders can vary by product and scenario. Plan your payment timing based on the specific situation.

What is the Alipay auto-debit service?

After you sign up for the auto-debit service, your Alibaba Cloud account does not need to maintain a cash reserve. Overdue bills are automatically deducted from the linked Alipay account.

The Alipay account you link for auto-debit must be the Alipay account that is already bound to your Alibaba Cloud account and must have completed real-name verification. Otherwise, the account cannot be linked or signed up.

Due to bank gateway issues, new sign-ups for Alibaba Cloud auto-debit were closed on January 3, 2017. This does not affect users who have already signed up and continue to use the auto-debit service, and these users can cancel the service at any time. Once canceled, the auto-debit service cannot be activated again.

What are the supported services and limitations of the Alipay auto-debit service?

• Supported services: The Alipay auto-debit service currently supports automatic deduction only for pay-as-you-go product bills.

• How it works: After you sign up for the auto-debit service, you do not need to maintain a cash reserve. Overdue bills are automatically deducted from the linked Alipay account.

• Signing requirements: The Alipay account you link for auto-debit must be the Alipay account that is already bound to your Alibaba Cloud account and must have completed real-name verification. Otherwise, you cannot complete the binding or signing process.

Cancel the Alipay auto-debit service

Open the Alipay app and go to Me > Settings > Payment Settings > Password-free Payment/Auto-debit. Find the corresponding auto-debit agreement and disable it.

After the agreement is disabled, your pay-as-you-go products can no longer be paid through Alipay auto-debit. Keep sufficient balance in your Alibaba Cloud account to avoid service suspension due to overdue payments.

How do I set up auto-debit from my Yu'e Bao balance?

After you sign up for Alipay auto-debit, auto-debit from your Yu'e Bao balance is enabled by default.

However, if you have disabled the Yu'e Bao auto-debit service in the Alipay system, bills can no longer be deducted from your Yu'e Bao balance.

To enable or disable Yu'e Bao auto-debit, log on to Alipay and go to My Alipay > Account Assets > Yu'e Bao. Next to Auto-debit service, click Enable or Disable.

If I have signed up for Alipay auto-debit and my account balance is insufficient, can the system first deduct the available account balance and then deduct the remaining amount from my Alipay account?

No. The cash balance deduction and Alipay auto-debit features are not yet integrated.

Does Alipay auto-debit require SMS confirmation? Will I receive an SMS notification after a deduction?

• Within the limits (CNY 0-2,000 per transaction, CNY 0-2,000 per day, and CNY 0-10,000 per month), auto-debit deductions do not require SMS confirmation and are processed directly.

• When the limits are exceeded (CNY 2,000-5,000 per transaction, CNY 2,000-5,000 per day, or CNY 10,000-50,000 per month), the customer must confirm by SMS reply before the deduction can proceed.

• Alipay does not send an SMS notification after a successful auto-debit deduction. SMS notifications from the bank card follow the bank's current notification rules and are not related to the auto-debit service itself.

• The limits for the auto-debit service are CNY 5,000 per day and CNY 50,000 per month. If a bill exceeds these limits, the auto-debit fails and you must pay through another payment method. Choose Alipay auto-debit based on the actual size of your bills.

How can I use my Yu'e Bao balance for auto-debit?

• After you sign up for the Alipay auto-debit service, auto-debit from your Yu'e Bao balance is enabled by default.

• If you have disabled the Yu'e Bao auto-debit service in the Alipay system, even after signing up with Alibaba Cloud, the system cannot deduct from your Yu'e Bao balance and cannot settle overdue bills.

• Log on to Alipay to check whether the Yu'e Bao auto-debit toggle is enabled. The path is My Alipay > Account Assets > Yu'e Bao.

Interface description: On the Yu'e Bao page, in the Feature Settings section, find Auto-debit service and click Disable on the right to turn the service off.

What is the Shebei service?

Shebei is a guarantee service that Shangcheng Financing Guarantee Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Ant Group, provides to buyers and sellers in credit-based transactions. When you purchase cloud products on Alibaba Cloud, you can use your Shebei credit limit to pay upfront without paying cash immediately—buy now and pay later for your cloud journey.

Who is eligible for the Shebei service?

Alibaba Cloud users who have completed personal real-name verification and are approved for Shebei can activate the service through their Alipay account to pay for self-operated prepaid cloud products purchased on the Alibaba Cloud website.

What are the advantages of a Shebei credit limit?

Your Shebei credit limit is determined by a comprehensive evaluation of your personal Alipay account. Different account profiles have different Shebei limits. Shebei currently shares the credit line with MYbank's online business loan. As long as you continue to use your personal Alipay normally and maintain a good credit record, your credit limit remains stable.

How do I check whether an order was paid through Shebei?

In the Expenses and Costs console, go to the Transaction Details list, and filter by Transaction Channel.

What is the repayment cycle for Shebei?

Shebei generates a bill for the previous month's transactions on the 1st of each month, with a fixed repayment date on the 8th of each month.

How do I cancel the Shebei service?

In the Alipay app, search for the Shebei service mini program, and then follow this path to cancel the service: Shebei home page > Settings > Cancel Shebei > Confirm.

Before you formally cancel the Shebei service, you must pay off all outstanding Shebei bills.

Refunds for cloud products paid through Shebei: how are they processed?

Refunds for cloud products paid through Shebei are returned to the original payment account.

What types of orders does Shebei support?

Shebei supports prepaid orders.

How do I view my Shebei bills?

If you have activated the Shebei service, search for the "Shebei" service mini program in the Alipay app to view your usage records and bills.

How do I use Shebei to pay for cloud product orders?

If you have activated the Shebei service, after you confirm the order, go to the cashier page and select "Shebei" to use your credit limit for free:

On the cashier page, in the Other payment methods section, select the Alipay tab, and then select the Shebei option. Select the Service Agreement check box below, and then click Activate and Pay to complete the payment.

What products does Shebei support?

Shebei supports self-operated cloud products under Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. For the full list, see Products supported by the Shebei service.

How do I repay a Shebei bill when it is due?

Shebei issues a bill on the 1st of each month. After the bill is issued, you can choose to pay the full amount in advance, using your Alipay balance or Yu'e Bao.

Shebei deducts the payment on the 8th of each month, the fixed repayment date. The system automatically deducts the amount from your Alipay balance, Yu'e Bao, MYbank account, or the debit cards linked to your Alipay. Proactive repayment on the due date itself is not supported.