Query related to Azure free credit

Question

I created a new account in Azure cloud and I was givent 200$ free credit.

After that I created a VM which was created with other bunch of resources, and I deleted it within few minutes and cleared all Resource groups as well. Now my free credit remaining is 157, I have no idea how 43$ was used within few minutes of VM

Answer 1

Hello @Monish lalchandani Thank you for your interest in Microsoft Azure. Happy to answer any questions you may have!

Based on the information you provided, I understand that you are seeing influx in the pricing for one of the VM that you spined up.

The price of an Azure virtual machine (VM) depends on several factors, including the size of the VM, the region where it is deployed, and the pricing model you choose.

For example, a basic A-series VM with one virtual CPU (vCPU), 1.75 GB of RAM, and a 32 GB OS disk in the US East region using the pay-as-you-go pricing model would cost approximately $13.52 per month.

On the other hand, a larger D-series VM with 4 vCPUs, 16 GB of RAM, and a 128 GB OS disk in the same region using the same pricing model would cost approximately $174.08 per month.

It's important to note that these prices are subject to change and may vary based on the specific configuration and usage of the VM. Additionally, there may be additional charges for data transfer, storage, and other services used in conjunction with the VM.

To get an accurate estimate of the cost of an Azure VM, you can use the Azure pricing calculator - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/pricing/calculator/?cdn=disableor consult the Azure pricing documentation - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/

In your case, I strongly recommend you contact Azure billing support team by raising a support request. The ticket enables you to work closely with the support engineers and get a quick resolution to your issue.

Here is the link - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-portal/supportability/how-to-create-azure-support-request to create support case.

FYI: Azure Billing and Subscription Management support is included in the Basic Support Plan without any charge.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/support/plans/

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Answer 2

Before you can control and optimize your costs, you first need to understand where they originated – from the underlying resources used to support your cloud projects to the environments they're deployed in and the owners who manage them. The first step is to learn and be familiar with a free service in Azure called Cost Management and Billing.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/costs/quick-acm-cost-analysis

Full visibility backed by a thorough tagging strategy is critical to accurately understand your spending patterns and enforce cost control mechanisms.

Go to that Cost Analysis service and find your billing account where subscription (and any credits) exists. From there, search and open the "cost analysis" to understand the current charges.

As far as deploying resources, there are three cost pillars to consider in the context of your deployment - Let’s delve into the difference between fixed/monthly cost and consumption cost in the context of Microsoft Azure.

1. Monthly Cost:
   • The monthly cost refers to the amount you pay on a regular monthly basis for your Azure services. It encompasses the following aspects:
   • Fixed Price: If you provision specific resources (such as virtual machines, databases, or storage), you are charged for those instances whether or not they are actively used. This model is akin to a subscription where you pay a predetermined amount each month.
   • Negotiated or Discounted Prices: When you log in to the Azure pricing calculator, it provides a cost estimate for your Azure consumption based on your negotiated or discounted prices. These negotiated rates might be specific to your organization or subscription.
   • Upfront Costs: Some services may incur upfront costs before actual usage. These costs are incurred regardless of whether the product is actively consumed.
   • Monthly Recurring Charges: These are predictable charges that recur every month for the services you’ve provisioned.
2. Consumption Cost:
   • The consumption cost is directly tied to the actual usage of Azure services. It reflects what you pay for the resources you actively consume. Key points include:
   • Pay-As-You-Go Rate: This model is also known as consumption-based pricing. You are billed only for the resources you use during the billing period.
   • Execution Cost: For services like Azure Functions, the consumption cost includes the execution cost of your functions. Essentially, you pay for the compute resources consumed during function execution.
   • Additional Services: If your functions integrate with other Azure services (such as triggers and bindings), you’ll need to create and pay for those additional services. Bandwidth costs are also part of the consumption cost.
3. Estimating Costs:
   • To estimate your costs accurately, consider using the Azure pricing calculator. It helps you turn anticipated usage into an estimated cost, making it easier to plan and budget for your Azure usage. Whether you’re a small business owner or part of an enterprise-level organization, this web-based tool assists you in making informed decisions about your cloud spending.