Online top-up

Manual top-up

1. Before you begin, make sure your Alibaba Cloud account has completed real-name registration. For instructions, see Real-name registration overview.

   Note

   Use a payment method where the holder's name matches the name on your Alibaba Cloud account's real-name registration. A mismatch can trigger risk controls and cause the payment to fail.

2. Log on to the Billing Management console. On the Home page, click Top-up & Remittance.

3. On the Top-up & Remittance page, select the Account you want to top up:

   1. For a standard account, you typically have only one account, so no selection is required.

   2. If you use the Enterprise Account Center and are a management account administrator or have been granted permissions for fund management and top-ups, you can select a target member account that you manage from the drop-down list to top up.

4. Select a Top-up Type, enter the Top-up Amount, read and agree to the top-up agreement, and then click Confirm Top-up.

   Alipay top-up

   The page redirects to Alipay. You can complete the payment by scanning the QR code with the Alipay mobile app or by logging on to the Alipay website.

   The QR code expires. Complete the payment before it does. If it expires, return to the top-up page and start over.

   After a successful payment, you are automatically redirected to the Funding Account page.

   UnionPay online payment

   The page redirects to the UnionPay payment platform. You can enter your bank card number to pay directly, or log on to your UnionPay Cloud QuickPass account to pay. When you pay, make sure you select a debit card (savings card) to pay for the top-up order. Credit cards are not supported.

   Note

   If you encounter issues with UnionPay payments, refer to the FAQ section at the bottom of the UnionPay payment page or contact UnionPay online customer service.

   Personal online banking

   Select Personal Online Banking and use one of the supported banks to top up. The page redirects to the corresponding online banking payment page.

   The payment process varies by bank. For specific instructions, see Bank Payment Transaction Instructions.

   Supported banks for personal online banking top-up include Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Postal Savings Bank of China, Bank of Communications, Bank of China, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China Minsheng Bank, China Everbright Bank, and Ping An Bank.

   Corporate online banking

   Select Enterprise Online Banking and use one of the supported banks to top up. After clicking Confirm Top-up, you are redirected to the bank's online payment page to complete the transaction.

   If the recipient account name you see at your bank is not "Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd.", do not worry. Corporate online banking uses UnionPay as the acquiring institution, which will settle the funds with Alibaba Cloud.

   Note

   • If the system prompts you for a customer ID during the top-up process, you can find it in your account opening documents or contact your bank for assistance.

   • The recipient account number displayed on the bank's payment page is for this one-time online payment only. Do not reuse it for offline transfers or corporate bank transfers, as the funds will not be credited to your account.

   • Corporate online banking payments use Alibaba Cloud's online banking settlement account, which differs from the corporate bank transfer account specified in your contract. If you need the payment account to match your contract, make an offline remittance through the dedicated account instead.

   The payment process varies by bank. For specific instructions, see Bank Payment Transaction Instructions.

   Supported banks for corporate online banking top-up include Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Postal Savings Bank of China, Bank of Communications, Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, China Minsheng Bank, China Everbright Bank, and Ping An Bank.

Auto top-up

The Auto Top-up feature is disabled by default. You can enable it to have the system automatically deduct funds from your linked payment method (currently supports Alipay) and add them to your Alibaba Cloud account when your available credit falls below a specified threshold. This ensures business continuity.

1. Enable auto top-up

   1. Before you enable this feature, ensure your account has completed real-name registration and is linked to an Alipay account with matching real-name information. Also, make sure the user performing this action has the fund management (chargefund) permission.

   2. Log on to the Billing Management console. On the Home page, in the Available Credit section, or on the Billing Account page, click Auto-recharge Settings to the right of Cash Balance.

   3. In the panel that appears on the right, select Enable Auto-Recharge and configure the Top-up Rules:

      Auto Top-up rules: The system sends a notification after each top-up. The system automatically disables the feature after five consecutive failed attempts. Auto Top-up can be triggered up to 10 times per day, with a maximum of CNY 50,000 per transaction. The top-up amount is also subject to the limits of your payment channel.

      1. Set the available credit threshold that triggers an automatic top-up. The default minimum is CNY 10. A deduction is triggered when your available credit falls below this value.

      2. Set the target balance for your account after the top-up. This must be at least the trigger threshold plus CNY 10. The system automatically calculates the difference and tops up that amount.

      3. To enable this feature, you must sign the Alipay auto-debit agreement and complete verification using an SMS message sent to your security phone.

2. Manage auto top-up

   • Modify or disable: You can click Auto-recharge Settings to modify the threshold and amount, or to disable the Auto Top-up feature. For security, both modifying and disabling the feature require verification by using your security phone.

   • Payment channel management: To change the linked Alipay account, go to the Billing Account page and update it in the Bind Third-party Payment Method section. Please disable the Auto Top-up feature before you unlink the account.

3. Limitations and notes

   • Frequency and amount limits: For fund security, a maximum of 10 automatic top-ups are allowed per account per day, with a single transaction limit of CNY 50,000. Please set a reasonable top-up amount based on your spending patterns and top-up frequency. If the daily limit is reached, you must top up your account manually.

   • Error handling: If an automatic top-up fails five consecutive times due to issues like an insufficient balance in your payment channel, the system automatically disables the feature and sends a notification. After resolving the issue with your payment channel, you must manually re-enable the Auto Top-up feature.

   • Eligibility: This feature is currently not available for customers who use ecosystem partner payment services, such as order payment delegation or fund transfer delegation.

After the funds are credited to your account, you can use them for the following purposes:

• Automatically settle outstanding bills: If your account has an overdue balance (available credit is less than 0) or an unsettled bill, the system first uses your top-up balance to pay the outstanding amount.

• Pay for new purchases: On the checkout page, select Use balance to pay.

• Pay for existing orders or renewals: On the My orders page, switch between the Orders for Services, Orders for Data Plans, and Enterprise Service Order tabs to find the order that you want to pay for, and then click Pay.

A top-up amount is considered a prepayment and cannot be directly invoiced. You can request an invoice only for actual consumption. For detailed instructions, see Request an invoice.

You cannot apply for a contract based on a top-up amount. If you need a contract for internal reimbursement purposes, we recommend that you first place an order for the desired cloud products to generate a pending payment. You can then apply for a formal contract for that order. For details, see How to apply for a contract.

Supported top-up methods

Alipay, UnionPay Online Payment, Personal Online Banking, Corporate Online Banking, and corporate bank transfer.

Invoicing for top-ups

You cannot request an invoice for a top-up order. After purchasing resources and incurring costs, you can request an invoice based on the consumption amount.

Contracts for top-ups

You cannot apply for a contract for a top-up. If your company requires a contract to approve a payment, you can first place an order for the products you need to purchase. Then, you can apply for a contract for that order to request funds from your company. For instructions on how to apply for a contract, see How to apply for a contract.

Reasons for top-up failure

A top-up might fail for the following reasons:

• Your account has not completed real-name registration. You must complete this registration to top up. For instructions, see Real-name registration overview.

• The payer's information does not match the information used for the Alibaba Cloud account's real-name registration.

• The payment was flagged as a risk by Alibaba Cloud or the payment channel, for example, if the account has been restricted due to security risks or blocked by Alipay's risk control system.

• The payment method you used is not on the list of supported methods.

• If you are using a corporate account, your top-up permission may have been disabled by the management account administrator. You will see a corresponding prompt during the top-up process. Please contact your administrator for assistance.

• Your account has been prohibited from topping up by a distribution partner. In this case, your partner typically allocates funds for you. Please contact your distribution partner for assistance.

Using another person's Alipay

We recommend using a payment account where the holder's identity matches that of your Alibaba Cloud account's real-name registration. Using a different account for payment may trigger risk control mechanisms and cause the top-up to fail.

"Buyer status abnormal" error

This is usually caused by an issue with the Alipay account used for the top-up. We recommend you contact Alipay customer service (95188) for assistance.

Payment without a UnionPay account

Yes, you can. On the UnionPay page, enter your card number on the left and click "Next" to proceed with the payment. The card information you enter must be verified by the issuing bank to complete the transaction.

"Payment failed" error

First, confirm that you are topping up the correct Alibaba Cloud account. If the account is correct but your online banking shows that the payment failed, you need to contact the respective payment channel for assistance.

Delayed fund arrival

First, confirm that you topped up the correct Alibaba Cloud account. If the account is correct but the funds have not been credited, you can submit a ticket. Please provide your online banking transfer receipt and the corresponding order number (usually in the Purpose field on the remittance receipt and starts with the date in YYYYMMDD format).

Recipient for online banking payments

Our online banking payments are processed through Alipay. According to regulatory requirements from the People's Bank of China, all fund settlement services provided through Alipay must first pass through a third-party payment provider's reserve account at the central bank. Alipay automatically settles the funds with Alibaba Cloud.

Overseas bank accounts

Currently, online payments do not support overseas Alipay or UnionPay payments. We recommend that you pay by using an onshore entity whose verified identity matches your account.