AWS Cloud Credit for Research

AWS Promotional Credit and billing

• Is the AWS Cloud Credit for Research Program a pricing discount on AWS service costs?

  No. All AWS pricing is public and applies to all customer segments. For more details on our services pricing and our pricing philosophy, please refer to the AWS Pricing page.
  

• Why was I awarded fewer AWS Promotional Credit than I requested?

  We may choose to award fewer AWS Promotional Credit for a number of reasons, including encouraging a different cost model leveraging spot instances or providing funding for a smaller, initial proof of concept portion of a new project.
  

• How long is the AWS Promotional Credit valid?

  AWS Promotional Credit provided to researchers expire one year from the time AWS Promotional Credit is applied to the AWS account. Any unused promotional credit after expiration are forfeited.
  

• What happens to my data and processes when my AWS Promotional Credit expires?

  Any subsequent AWS services usage on the account after AWS Promotional Credit expires or is fully utilized will be charged to the credit card on the AWS account.

   

  Please set billing alerts and monitor your service usage. Refunds will not be issues for services billed after credit expires or is exhausted.
  

• I have some unused AWS Promotional Credit that is about to expire or has expired already. May I get an extension? Or, my AWS Promotional Credit was consumed earlier than expected. May I request additional AWS Promotional Credit for the same project/proposal?

  No. AWS Promotional Credit is awarded from that year’s budget, so we do not automatically give extensions for unused AWS Promotional Credit .

   

  You can apply for a new competitive award by filling out a new application and explaining the circumstances. Please share any outcomes and milestones you have reached when applying for additional credit.
  

• Is it possible to cover previous charges?

  AWS Promotional Credit is forward facing. AWS Promotional Credit cannot be applied to previous charges. AWS Promotional Credit is valid from the month it is applied to the account until the expiration date.
  

• Do AWS Promotional Credit recipients have to use an AWS account and credit card?

  Yes. You will be required to provide a valid credit card to activate an AWS account and redeem any AWS Promotional Credit.

  Subject to the AWS Promotional Credit Terms and Conditions, your credit card will not be charged fees for eligible services until your AWS Promotional Credit is fully consumed or expires.

  Please be aware that some services are not eligible for AWS Promotional Credit, and you will be billed for any use of these services.
  

• My AWS account is part of consolidated billing or a reseller account. Can I still receive AWS Promotional Credit?

  We recommend that your AWS account should not be part of consolidated billing or a reseller account. Once applied, AWS Promotional Credit is used on the payer level, which means that the AWS Promotional Credit will be dispersed throughout all linked accounts or reseller accounts and cannot be retrieved. Once the AWS Promotional Credit is used, your credit card on file will be charged automatically.
  

• How can I avoid unexpected charges?

  We strongly recommend setting up billing alerts. You can use Amazon CloudWatch to monitor your AWS service charges and receive billing alerts, making it easier to manage costs and avoid exceeding budget limits.

   

  To set up a billing alert:

  1. Open the billing console: https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/home
  2. Click Preferences in the left navigation pane.
  3. Click on the checkbox beside Receive Billing Alerts.

   

  Please note that in consolidated billing families, only the Payer account can activate this option. After that's done, linked accounts will be able to set their own alerts.
  

• My AWS Promotional Credit expired and I did not realize it. My services were left running and I now have a bill for usage.

  That is correct. You are responsible for managing your usage of AWS services including AWS Promotional Credit usage and expiration. Once AWS Promotional Credit is consumed, your account will be billed for all service usage. Please set up Billing Alerts. Refunds will not be issued.