Public bandwidth billing for ECS instances is categorized into two methods: IPv4 and IPv6. This topic focuses on the billing rules, prices, and examples for public bandwidth when ECS instances access the Internet via a static public IP (IPv4).
Billing description
This topic covers billing rules for IPv4 public bandwidth. For IPv6 public bandwidth billing details, see IPv6 Billing Description.
ECS instances can access the Internet through static public IP, Elastic IP Address (EIP), or NAT Gateway. Each access method has distinct billable items and billing rules.
Access through Static Public IP
Obtaining a static public IP is straightforward and incurs only bandwidth costs without cloud resource retention fees. When you purchase an ECS instance and select Assign public IPv4 address, the system automatically assigns a static public IP for Internet communication. Billing is managed by Elastic Compute Service. For detailed billing information, see Static Public Bandwidth Billing.
Access through Elastic IP Address (EIP)
Elastic IP Address offers greater flexibility and can be linked to various cloud resources for Internet access. You must purchase an EIP separately and attach it to an ECS instance. Billing is managed by Elastic IP Address. For detailed billing information, see EIP Billing Overview.
Access through NAT Gateway
NAT Gateway provides unified Internet egress for multiple ECS instances within a VPC. You must purchase a NAT Gateway separately and set up SNAT rules. Billing is managed by NAT Gateway. For detailed billing information, see NAT Gateway Billing Description.
Static public bandwidth billing
Static public bandwidth, associated with a static public IP, offers pay-by-bandwidth and pay-by-traffic billing options.
With pay-by-bandwidth, you set a bandwidth value and are charged a fixed rate based on that value. This option suits scenarios with stable network bandwidth needs. If your instance consistently communicates with external networks and requires sustained bandwidth use, or if public bandwidth utilization exceeds 10%, pay-by-bandwidth is recommended.
The pay-by-traffic option charges you based on actual traffic usage. You set a bandwidth peak to prevent excessive traffic costs. This option is ideal for variable network bandwidth needs. If public bandwidth utilization is below 10% with occasional spikes, pay-by-traffic is recommended.
The Pay-by-traffic option's inbound and outbound bandwidth peaks are limits, not guarantees of service. Bandwidth may be restricted when demand exceeds supply. For guaranteed bandwidth, opt for Pay-by-bandwidth.
BGP Premium (multi-line) in the Hong Kong (China) region does not support pay-by-traffic billing.
Select the billing mode that aligns with your business requirements. The following sections detail these billing modes.
Pay-by-bandwidth billing
Billing Rules: Tiered pricing based on the fixed bandwidth value (unit: Mbps). This fee is included in the ECS instance configuration cost. Billing formula: Unit price of fixed bandwidth × Bandwidth size × Subscription duration. For regional public bandwidth prices, refer to the Bandwidth Price tab on the ECS Pricing page.
Billing method: The bandwidth billing method for pay-by-bandwidth offers two options: subscription and pay-as-you-go.
Subscription is prepaid, requiring full payment upon instance purchase. (Used for subscription-based instances)
Pay-as-you-go is postpaid, with fees automatically deducted from your Alibaba Cloud account, billed by the second, and settled hourly. (Used for pay-as-you-go or preemptible instances)
Billing Example:
The following table describes network usage billing with examples from ECS instances in the China (Hangzhou) region.
Unit prices are for reference only; actual prices are on the Elastic Compute Service product page Pricing tab.
Billing Method | Bandwidth Billing Mode | Purchase Configuration Example | Fee (USD) |
Subscription (instance is subscription-based) | Pay-by-bandwidth |
| Fee = Unit price of public bandwidth × Subscription duration = 6.8 × 1 = 6.8 |
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| ||
Pay-as-you-go (instance is pay-as-you-go or preemptible) | Pay-by-bandwidth |
| Fee = Unit price of public bandwidth × Usage duration = 0.012 × (24 × 30) = 8.64 |
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|
Pay-by-traffic billing
Billing Rules: Linear billing based on traffic usage (unit: GB). If traffic is under 1 GB, charges are based on actual volume. This fee is categorized as a data transfer cost and is not included in the ECS instance configuration fee. Billing formula: Unit price of public bandwidth × Traffic. For regional public bandwidth prices, refer to the Bandwidth Price tab on the ECS Pricing page.
Billing method: Only pay-as-you-go is available. Pay-as-you-go is postpaid, automatically deducting fees from your Alibaba Cloud account, billed by the second, and settled on the hour. (This method is used regardless of whether the instance is subscription-based or pay-as-you-go)
Billing Example:
The following table describes network usage billing for ECS instances in the China (Hangzhou) region.
Unit prices are for reference only; actual prices are on the Elastic Compute Service product page Pricing tab.
Billing method | Bandwidth billing mode | Purchase configuration example | Fee (USD) |
Pay-as-you-go (regardless of the instance's billing type) | Pay-by-traffic |
| Fee = Unit price of public bandwidth × Traffic = 0.123 × 1 = 0.123 |
Cost Optimization:
To save on public bandwidth costs under the Pay-by-traffic billing, you can purchase a General Data Transfer Plan or enable Cloud Data Transfer (CDT).
General Data Transfer Plan is a traffic package product that is convenient to use and cost-effective. The General Data Transfer Plan takes effect immediately after purchase and automatically offsets the traffic costs incurred by multiple pay-by-traffic cloud products until the General Data Transfer Plan is used up or expires.
CDT offers a cost-effective and flexible approach to managing public bandwidth expenses, featuring partial complimentary traffic, tiered pricing for discounts, and consolidated billing across multiple products. CDT provides specific savings over the pay-by-traffic billing method. For more information, see What is Cloud Data Transfer (CDT).
Following an upgrade to CDT, billing will be handled by Cloud Data Transfer rather than Elastic Compute Service.
How to enable CDT
You can switch from fixed public bandwidth with pay-by-traffic billing to CDT billing using the methods below.
Starting at 00:00 on December 12, 2024, Cloud Data Transfer (CDT) will be automatically available, requiring no additional steps for efficient service access.
Activating CDT grants a complimentary monthly allowance of 200 GB for public traffic, with 20 GB available globally (including the Chinese mainland) and 180 GB exclusively for regions outside the Chinese mainland.
To enable CDT, visit the Cloud Data Transfer CDT console. For detailed instructions, see Enable CDT.
When the Elastic Compute Service status changes to Upgraded, this indicates the transition from fixed public bandwidth with pay-by-traffic to CDT billing is complete.
The costs incurred from a pay-as-you-go static public IP, billed on a pay-by-bandwidth basis, are not covered by the General Data Transfer Plan.
When using the General Data Transfer Plan and concurrently upgrading to CDT, only the traffic within the first tier (0-10 TB) can be offset by the General Data Transfer Plan. This does not affect the complimentary traffic provided by CDT.
Query fixed public bandwidth fee bill
To understand your fixed public bandwidth expenses, you can view the related fee statements and consumption details in the User Center.
To query, follow these steps:
Access the or the Billing and Cost Console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose or .
Select the relevant tab and apply a filter for the product name Elastic Compute Service to view your public traffic billing information.
NoteIf you have switched to CDT, filter the product name as Cloud Data Transfer.
Convert fixed public bandwidth billing mode
If the current billing method for public bandwidth does not suit your requirements, you can switch between pay-by-bandwidth and pay-by-traffic options.
To change the billing method for public bandwidth from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-traffic on a subscription or pay-as-you-go instance, see Converting pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-traffic.
To change the billing method for public bandwidth from pay-by-traffic to pay-by-bandwidth on a subscription or pay-as-you-go instance, see Converting pay-by-traffic to pay-by-bandwidth.
Unsubscribe from fixed public bandwidth
If you no longer require fixed public bandwidth, you can release the static public IP by setting the fixed public bandwidth value to 0 Mbit/s, which will cancel your subscription to the bandwidth. This approach is valid for both billing modes. For instructions, see Modify fixed public bandwidth.
When canceling bandwidth billed by pay-by-bandwidth for a subscription instance, the refund will be calculated. The refund pertains only to the cash portion of the payment made by the user and excludes any amount covered by coupons or vouchers. For details on the refund calculation, see and Resource downgrade refund.
Explanation of overdue payments for fixed public bandwidth
Payments become overdue if you do not have sufficient funds in your account when a bill is due. The total usable funds include your cash balance, applicable vouchers, and credit balance in your account.
Once your account is overdue, you can continue using your existing subscription ECS resources, but you will be unable to carry out any fee-based operations, such as purchasing new instances, upgrading, or renewing instances. For pay-as-you-go instances, the static public IP address will be retained for 15 days following the overdue payment. If the instance was set to shut down by default before being stopped, the public IP address may be revoked after the instance is stopped due to overdue payment, and the public IP address may change upon restart. The static public IP address is released 15 days after the overdue payment.
Overdue payments can lead to the stopping of pay-as-you-go ECS instances. To prevent service disruptions, please settle any overdue payments promptly. You can access the Billing and Cost console, and in the top notification bar of the Account Overview page, click the Pay Now button to settle overdue payments following the interface prompts.