Payment FAQ

Supported payment methods

Use cases for each payment method

Not Supported: The payment method cannot be used in this scenario.

Supported: The payment method can be used in this scenario.

Credit card payments

• When you use Alipay for purchases, you can pay with a credit card linked to your Alipay account.

• When you use personal online banking (including credit cards) for purchases, credit cards from the following banks are supported: 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, Huaxia Bank, Industrial Bank, Bank of Shanghai, Bank of Hangzhou, Bank of Guilin, Bank of Lanzhou, and Qilu Bank.

Automatic payment deduction order

Alibaba Cloud automatically deducts payments for postpaid bills in the following order:

1. Valid coupons in your Alibaba Cloud account (subject to usage conditions).

2. Valid cash coupons in your Alibaba Cloud account (subject to usage conditions).

3. Valid prepaid cards in your Alibaba Cloud account (subject to usage conditions).

4. Your Alibaba Cloud account balance (if the balance includes transferred funds, they are used before funds you topped up).

5. The Alipay account linked to your Alibaba Cloud account (available only to select customers).

This means if your account has a valid cash coupon or prepaid card applicable to the order, the amount is deducted from it first. If not, the amount is deducted from your account balance. If the account balance is insufficient, the amount is deducted from your linked Alipay account, and so on.

Viewing transaction details

To view the details of your transactions on Alibaba Cloud or HiChina, go to the Billing Management console and navigate to the Fund Management >transaction details page.

Payment timeout

Go to your Alibaba Cloud Billing Management console. On the order management page, find the unpaid order and complete the payment.

Payment page fails to open

The Alipay payment page may fail to open due to network or browser issues. Check if your network connection is stable. If the network is working, try the following solutions:

• Firewall issues

  Disable your firewalls, including third-party firewalls and the built-in Windows Firewall. To disable Windows Firewall, go to Start > All Programs > Control Panel > Windows Firewall and set it to Off. If you have a third-party firewall, exit the program.

• Browser cookie settings

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

  Alternatively, add www.alipay.com to your trusted sites. In Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options> Privacy/Security > Sites, and add https://www.alipay.com to your trusted sites. Also, check if https://www.alipay.com is in the list of restricted sites. If it is, remove it.

  For information about changing cookie settings in other browsers, see the "Modify cookie settings" section in the "What do I do if I encounter an issue on the logon page?" topic of the Account Logon documentation.

Changing the payment method

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

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

ICBC top-up 403 error

When topping up using ICBC enterprise online banking, insert your U-Shield first and then click Top-up. Otherwise, a 403 error may occur.

"Check service status" prompt

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

Order shows unpaid after payment

Please verify that your payment was successful. If the payment was successful, go to the Alibaba Cloud Billing Management console and check the order information on the order management page.

Service not activated after payment

Check whether your order has been paid for. If you top up your account first, you must still pay for the specific order after the top-up is complete. The service activates only after the order is paid.

Restoring a canceled order

If you do not pay for an order before it expires, it is automatically canceled and cannot be restored. If you still need the service, you must place a new order.

Typically, unpaid Alibaba Cloud orders are valid for 7 days. However, the validity period may vary depending on the product and scenario.

Alipay auto-debit service

After signing up for the auto-debit service, overdue bills for your Alibaba Cloud account can be paid directly from your linked Alipay account without needing a cash balance in your Alibaba Cloud account.

The Alipay account used for the auto-debit service must be the same account that is linked to your Alibaba Cloud account and must have completed real-name verification. Otherwise, you cannot link the account and sign up for the service.

Due to bank gateway issues, the sign-up for new auto-debit agreements was closed on January 3, 2017. However, this does not affect existing users who have already signed up. Users can still cancel the auto-debit service. Once canceled, the service cannot be re-enabled.

Supported services and limitations

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

• Process: After signing up for the auto-debit service, overdue bills can be paid directly from your linked Alipay account without needing a cash balance in your Alibaba Cloud account.

• Auto-debit service: The Alipay account used for the auto-debit service must be the same account that is linked to your Alibaba Cloud account and must have completed real-name verification. Otherwise, you cannot link the account and sign up for the service.

Canceling the Alipay auto-debit service

Log on to the Alipay app, go to Me > Settings > Payment Settings > Password-free Payment/Auto Debit, find the corresponding auto-debit agreement, and disable it.

After you disable the service, your pay-as-you-go products can no longer be paid for through Alipay auto-debit. Make sure your Alibaba Cloud account balance is sufficient to avoid service interruptions due to overdue payments.

Setting up Yu'e Bao auto-debit

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

However, if you have disabled the Yu'e Bao consumption auto-debit service in the Alipay system, deductions from your Yu'e Bao balance will fail.

To enable or disable auto-debit from your Yu'e Bao balance, log on to your Alipay account, go to My Alipay > Account Assets > Yu'e Bao, and choose to Enable or Disable the Consumption Auto-Debit Service.

Deduction logic for insufficient balance

No. The system does not currently support coordinated deductions from both your account balance and Alipay.

SMS confirmation and notifications

• For deductions within the standard limit (single transaction: CNY 0–2,000; daily total: CNY 0–2,000; monthly total: CNY 0–10,000), no SMS confirmation is required. The amount is deducted directly.

• For deductions that exceed the standard limit but are within the higher limit (single transaction: CNY 2,000–5,000; daily total: CNY 2,000–5,000; monthly total: CNY 10,000–50,000), you must confirm the payment by replying to an SMS before the deduction can be processed.

• Alipay does not send SMS notifications after a successful auto-debit payment. SMS notifications from your bank for card deductions will follow your bank's current notification rules and are independent of the auto-debit service.

• The auto-debit service has a daily limit of CNY 5,000 and a monthly limit of CNY 50,000. If a bill exceeds these limits, the auto-debit will fail, and you must pay by using another payment method. Please consider the amount of your typical bills when deciding whether to use the Alipay auto-debit service.

Using Yu'e Bao for auto-debit

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

• If you disable the Yu'e Bao consumption auto-debit service in the Alipay system, deductions from your Yu'e Bao balance will fail, and your overdue bills cannot be settled, even if you have signed up for the auto-debit service.

• Log on to Alipay and check if the Yu'e Bao auto-debit feature is enabled. You can find this setting by navigating to My Alipay > Account Assets > Yu'e Bao.

On the Yu'e Bao page, in the Function Settings area, find the Consumption Auto-Debit Service and click the Disable button on the right to disable the service.

Changing the linked Alipay account

To change the linked Alipay account, you must first cancel the auto-debit agreement, unlink the current Alipay account, link the new account, then sign up for the auto-debit service again.

Changing or unlinking the account is not directly supported. For special cases, such as employee departure or business changes, you can submit a ticket for manual review and processing by customer service.

Shebei service

Shebei is a guarantee service provided by Shangcheng Financing Guarantee Co., Ltd., an Ant Group company, for credit-based transactions between buyers and sellers. When you purchase cloud products from Alibaba Cloud, you can use your Shebei credit to pay first, allowing you to enjoy a "buy now, pay later" experience for your cloud services.

Eligibility

Alibaba Cloud users who have completed individual real-name verification and are approved for Shebei can activate the service through their Alipay account to pay for prepaid, first-party cloud products on the Alibaba Cloud website.

Shebei credit limit advantages

Your Shebei credit limit is determined by a comprehensive assessment of your personal Alipay account activity. The limit varies among users. Your Shebei credit limit currently shares the same credit line as MYbank Loan. You can maintain a stable credit limit by using your personal Alipay account regularly and maintaining a good credit history.

Verifying Shebei payments

In the Billing Management console, go to the transaction details list and filter by Transaction Channel.

Shebei repayment cycle

On the 1st of each month, a Shebei bill is generated for all transactions from the previous month. The fixed repayment date is the 8th of each month.

Canceling the Shebei service

You can find the Shebei service mini program in the Alipay app and follow this path to close the service: Shebei homepage > Settings > Close Shebei > Confirm.

You must settle all outstanding Shebei bills before you can close the service.

Refunds for Shebei payments

If a refund is issued for a cloud product paid for with Shebei, the amount is returned to the original payment account.

Overdue payments

If you do not complete the repayment by the due date, the system charges a penalty fee based on the outstanding principal amount. Multiple or serious overdue payments can also affect your personal credit score. The system may adjust your future Shebei credit limit and other credit lines, such as MYbank Loan, based on your repayment history.

Supported order types

Shebei supports prepaid orders.

Viewing Shebei bills

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

Paying with Shebei

If you have activated the Shebei service, you can select "Shebei" on the checkout page after you confirm your order to use your credit limit for free:

On the checkout page, in the Other Payment Methods section, select the Alipay tab, then select the Shebei option. Select the checkbox for the Service Agreement below, and click Enable and Pay to complete the payment.

Supported products

Shebei supports first-party cloud products from Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. For a list of supported products, see Products supported by the Shebei service.

Repaying Shebei bills

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

On the repayment date, which is the 8th of each month, the system automatically deducts the payment from your Alipay balance, Yu'e Bao, MYbank account, or a debit card linked to your Alipay account. Manual repayment on the due date is not currently supported.