Consultation service
For purchasing questions, contact the Alibaba Cloud Vision AI Open Platform team. You can also join our DingTalk consultation group (ID: 23109592).
How are APIs billed?
Alibaba Cloud Vision AI Open Platform offers three billing models: pay-as-you-go, prepaid resource packages (including category-specific and general-purpose prepaid resource packages), and prepaid QPS. For specific billable items and pricing details, see billable items.
How long is the public preview period and is it free?
All features listed in the billable items section are billable. Other features are still in the public preview period and can be used for free. We will announce any changes to a feature's public preview status or billing in advance on the platform console and in our user group. To stay updated with the latest product news, join our DingTalk group (ID: 23109592). For more information, see Contact Us.
What is QPS?
QPS (queries per second) is the number of requests or tasks processed per second, calculated using the formula: QPS = concurrency / average response time. Concurrency is the number of requests or tasks that the system can process simultaneously. For example, if the 1:1 face comparison feature has an average response time of 500 ms and you have a concurrency of 4, the required QPS is 4 / 0.5 s = 8. If you do not plan to use the full concurrency, you can apply this formula based on your actual business needs.
What is the default QPS? Is QPS shared?
During the public preview period, the default QPS for each text recognition API is 1. For all other algorithm APIs, the default QPS is 2. The QPS for each API is independent and not shared with other APIs.
Can I request a QPS increase?
For features that support prepaid QPS, you can directly purchase up to 30 QPS for segmentation and background removal and up to 50 QPS for face and body detection. If you need more QPS for your business or if the default QPS does not meet your needs, contact a group administrator in our DingTalk group (ID: 23109592).
Does purchasing a resource package affect my QPS?
Yes. After you purchase a prepaid resource package, the default QPS for the corresponding feature automatically increases to 5 QPS after 08:00 (UTC+8) the next day. If you need a higher QPS, contact a group administrator in our DingTalk group (ID: 23109592).
Can QPS be stacked?
No, QPS cannot be stacked. The system prioritizes your QPS plans. In your example, the system first uses your 10 prepaid QPS. When the prepaid QPS expires, it switches to the 5 QPS from your resource package. After the resource package is used up or expires, it reverts to the 2 QPS from the pay-as-you-go plan.
To check the effective QPS for a specific feature, view the QPS threshold for that feature on the console.
Can QPS auto-scale?
Alibaba Cloud Vision AI Open Platform does not support QPS auto-scaling. For most features, you need to purchase the required QPS in advance. The platform cannot automatically purchase QPS for you. Please evaluate your peak QPS requirements and plan accordingly.
How can I control my request rate?
You need to implement rate limiting in your own application logic. A common approach is to wait for one second and then retry the request when you receive a throttling error.
QPS vs. concurrency
QPS and concurrency are different concepts. Concurrency is the number of simultaneous requests. For example, if you have two threads making requests at the same time, your concurrency is 2. However, if the API response time is fast, such as 500 ms, those two threads can actually make four requests in one second. If your QPS limit is 2, the last two requests are throttled.
Is QPS shared across a main account?
Yes. Calls made by multiple sub-accounts under a main account are aggregated and billed to the main account. QPS limits are also applied at the main account level.
How to purchase more QPS?
First, estimate your peak QPS needs. Most features have a default limit of 2 QPS after you enable pay-as-you-go. If you purchase a resource package, the limit automatically increases to 5 QPS at 08:00 (UTC+8) the next day. If you need even higher QPS, some features allow you to purchase prepaid QPS, up to 100 QPS. For specific QPS limits for each feature, see the relevant product documentation.
For features that do not support purchasing prepaid QPS, or if you need more than 100 QPS, contact us by joining our DingTalk consultation group (ID: 23109592).
How do I view my bills?
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Log in to the Alibaba Cloud Vision AI Open Platform console with your Alibaba Cloud account.
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Hover over Expenses in the top menu bar and select Bills from the drop-down list.
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In the left navigation pane, select bill management > bill details.
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On the Bill Summary by Product/Service tab, click the
icon next to Product/Service, filter for Alibaba Cloud Vision AI Open Platform services, and view the corresponding bill details in the list below.In the View by section, select By Product/Service. An orange banner indicates that the data in the bill summary updates with a one-day delay. Your official billing statement reflects the final charges.
How do I disable a service?
On a pay-as-you-go plan, you are not charged for a service if you do not make any API calls, so there is no need to disable it. This allows you to use the service again later without reactivation. To restrict a RAM account from using the service, simply revoke its permissions. For any other requests, contact a group administrator in our DingTalk group (ID: 23109592).