> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.automq.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Usage-Based Billing

> AutoMQ BYOC supports usage-based billing in AWS environments, where you pay only for what you consume with automatic tiered pricing discounts.

This document describes the usage-based billing model for AutoMQ BYOC environments. With usage-based billing, you pay only for the resources you actually consume, with no upfront commitment or capacity reservation required.

<Info>
  Usage-based billing is currently available only for AWS environments. For other cloud environments, refer to [Prepaid Billing](/automq-cloud/subscriptions-and-billings/byoc-env-billings/billing-instructions-for-byoc).
</Info>

## Overview

AutoMQ BYOC supports a usage-based billing model that charges based on your actual resource consumption. This model is designed for customers who prefer pay-as-you-go flexibility without the need to estimate capacity in advance.

Key characteristics of usage-based billing:

* **Pay for what you use.** Charges are calculated based on actual consumption metrics, including data ingress, data egress, data retention, and cluster uptime.
* **Tiered pricing.** Unit prices decrease automatically as your monthly usage increases. The more you use, the lower the per-unit cost.
* **No partition fees.** AutoMQ does not charge for the number of partitions in your cluster.

## Billing Items

The following table summarizes the billing items under the usage-based billing model.

| **Billing Item** | **Unit** | **Description**                                                                        |
| ---------------- | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Data Ingress     | Per GiB  | The volume of data written to the cluster, measured after compression.                 |
| Data Egress      | Per GiB  | The volume of data read from the cluster, measured after compression.                  |
| Data Retention   | Per GiB  | The volume of data retained in the cluster.                                            |
| Cluster Uptime   | Per hour | The running duration of the cluster, billed by cluster tier (Dev, Pro, or Enterprise). |

<Tip>
  All data volume metrics (ingress, egress, and retention) are measured based on compressed data size. For detailed pricing, visit the [AutoMQ Pricing](https://www.automq.com/pricing) page.
</Tip>

## Billing Rules

### Tiered Pricing

Usage-based billing applies a tiered pricing structure. As your monthly usage increases, the applicable unit price for each billing item decreases automatically. You do not need to select a pricing tier manually — the system applies the appropriate tier based on your cumulative monthly usage.

### Billing Cycle

* **Metering period:** Usage is metered continuously and aggregated on a monthly basis.
* **Invoice cycle:** Invoices are generated monthly through AWS Marketplace.
* **Settlement:** Payments are processed through your AWS Marketplace account according to your AWS billing schedule.

### Cluster Tier

Cluster uptime charges vary depending on the cluster tier you select when creating a cluster:

| **Cluster Tier** | **Description**                                                             |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Dev              | Suitable for development and testing workloads.                             |
| Pro              | Suitable for production workloads with higher availability requirements.    |
| Enterprise       | Suitable for mission-critical workloads. Contact AutoMQ for custom pricing. |

## Configure Usage-Based Billing

### Prerequisites

Before configuring usage-based billing, ensure the following:

* You have registered an [AutoMQ Cloud](https://www.automq.com) account.
* You have an AWS account with permissions to subscribe to products on AWS Marketplace.

### Configure Payment Method

Usage-based billing is settled through an AWS Marketplace subscription. The AWS Marketplace subscription corresponds to a payment method in AutoMQ Cloud. You can complete the configuration through either of the following approaches:

* **Option 1: Subscribe directly from AWS Marketplace.** Visit the [AutoMQ BYOC - Usage-Based Billing](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-mtkwt73meb222) product page on AWS Marketplace, complete the subscription, and bind it to your AutoMQ Cloud account.
* **Option 2: Add a payment method from the AutoMQ Cloud Console.** Sign in to the AutoMQ Console, navigate to the **Billing** page, choose **Add Payment Method**, and follow the prompts to subscribe and bind through AWS Marketplace.

#### Steps

1. Visit the [AutoMQ BYOC - Usage-Based Billing](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-mtkwt73meb222) product page and review the product information and pricing terms.
2. Choose **Subscribe** to complete the subscription.
3. After the subscription is created, choose **Set up your account** and follow the on-screen instructions to bind the subscription to your AutoMQ Cloud account.

<Info>
  Ensure that your AWS account has a valid payment method configured so that AWS Marketplace can process charges.
</Info>

### Start Using AutoMQ

After the payment method is configured, you can create clusters in your BYOC environment. Usage metering begins automatically when a cluster is running. No additional configuration is required.

### View Invoices and Usage

You can review your usage and billing details through the following channels:

* **AutoMQ Console:** Navigate to the **Billing** page to view usage summaries and billing breakdowns by cluster.
* **AWS Marketplace:** Sign in to the [AWS Marketplace Console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/marketplace) and navigate to **Manage subscriptions** to view invoices and payment history.