Preferential Package

Preferential packages are prepaid. They are recommended if you want to use resources for a long time and save money. You can purchase preferential packages to get more discounts. This section describes the preferential packages of APM Agents.

Scenario

If you need resource stability over a certain period, purchase preferential packages.

Billing Cycle

The billing cycle of APM preferential packages is determined by the purchased duration (UTC+08:00). The billing starts when you activated or renewed the subscription, and ends at 23:59:59 of the expiry date.

For example, if you purchased an APM enterprise-edition basic package on Mar 08, 2023, 15:50:04 GMT+08:00, the billing cycle is Mar 08, 2023, 15:50:04 GMT+08:00 to Mar 08, 2024, 23:59:59 GMT+08:00.

Arrears Impact

Preferential packages need to be prepaid. When your package expires or is about to expire, renew it in time. If you do not renew it in time, APM functions may be affected.

**Table 1** Arrears impact in different phases
-	Sufficient Balance	Insufficient Balance or Account in Arrears
APM status	You can use APM normally.	Your account is frozen. APM does not collect or display new application data, but still displays the data collected before your account is frozen.
Renewal details	If you renew your preferential package in time, you can use APM normally.	If you top up your account but do not buy any packages, you account will be automatically unfrozen and you will be billed on a pay-per-use basis. If you need a preferential package, renew your existing package or purchase a new one. Otherwise, you will be billed on a pay-per-use basis. For details, see Manually Renewing a Resource.
Renewal details	If you do not renew your preferential package, APM automatically switches to the pay-per-use billing mode.	If you do not top up your account and the retention period expires, APM releases all your resources and you will not be billed in this period.