Close or reopen your Cloud Billing account

To use Google Cloud or Google Maps Platform services, you must have an active Cloud Billing account linked to your projects to pay for your usage costs. However, you might want to cancel your Google Cloud account or stop accruing any charges for your Google Cloud or Google Maps Platform usage. This document describes how to close a Cloud Billing account, or how to reopen a Cloud Billing account that was previously closed.

Close a Cloud Billing account

When you close a Cloud Billing account, all services are stopped in all projects that are paid for by that billing account.

Permissions required for this task

To close a Cloud Billing account, you need a role that includes the following permission on your Cloud Billing account:

To gain this permission using a predefined role, ask your administrator to grant you the following role on the Cloud Billing account:

Before you close a billing account

Before closing a Cloud Billing account, we recommend you do the following:

  • Identify the projects that are linked to the Cloud Billing account that you intend to close.
  • If you want to keep services and resources running in any associated projects, link those projects to a different active Cloud Billing account before you close the current one.

  • Alternatively, you can disable billing on each project before closing the Cloud Billing account.

    • For Google Cloud and Google Maps Platform services, when you disable billing on the project, your services are stopped and billing on that project stops.
    • For Gemini API in AI Studio usage, when you disable billing on a project, the project's billing tier is downgraded to the Free tier, which allows limited free usage.
    • For Firebase services, when you disable billing on a project, the project is downgraded to the no-cost Spark plan, which provides full usage of free services, plus limited usage and quota for paid Firebase services.

  • For Gemini API in AI Studio users with projects on a paid tier:

    • If your projects are linked to a Cloud Billing account with a Prepay charging cycle and you have a positive credit balance in your Prepay Google payments account, any remaining Prepay credits are forfeited when you close the Cloud Billing account.
    • If you meet the criteria to upgrade your Prepay account to a Postpay billing tier, consider upgrading to Postpay before you close the Cloud Billing account. When you upgrade to a Postpay payments account, you'll receive a refund for the balance of any unused Prepay credits.

How to close an account

To close a Cloud Billing account, follow the steps for the type of account (self-serve or invoiced) you want to close.

Self-serve account

You can manage many settings for your self-serve (online) Cloud Billing account in the Google Cloud console, including closing an account. Complete the following steps to close a self-serve billing account:

  1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the Account management page.

    Go to Account management in the Cloud Billing console

  2. At the prompt, choose the Cloud Billing account that you want to close.

    The Account management page opens for the selected Cloud Billing account.

  3. At the top of the page, click Close billing account.

    After you close your Cloud Billing account, we'll bill you for the usage costs you accrued prior to canceling your account. This bill is the last bill you receive, unless you reopen the account and reactivate your services.

Why can't I see or access the Close billing account button?

If you're on the Account management page of the Cloud Billing account that you want to close and you don't see or can't access the Close billing account button, the reasons could include the following:

Tip: To stop new charges from accruing in a Cloud Billing account, disable billing on each project linked to the Cloud Billing account or link those projects to a different, active Cloud Billing account.

Invoiced account

If your Cloud Billing account is configured as an invoiced account, you can't close the billing account online, in the Google Cloud console. Rather, we must perform this action for you.

To close an invoiced Cloud Billing account, contact your Google Cloud sales specialist or contact Cloud Billing Support.

Tip: To stop new charges from accruing in a Cloud Billing account, disable billing on each project linked to the Cloud Billing account or link those projects to a different, active Cloud Billing account.

Reopen a closed Cloud Billing account

When you reopen a closed a Cloud Billing account, all projects that are linked to and paid by that billing account will start incurring charges for the usage of any billable services in the projects.

Permissions required for this task

To reopen a Cloud Billing account, you need a role that includes the following permission on your Cloud Billing account:

To gain this permission using a predefined role, ask your administrator to grant you the following role on the Cloud Billing account:

Before you reopen an account

  1. Before a Cloud Billing account can be reactivated, you must resolve any Google payments-related issues or suspensions. Follow the steps in the resolving declined payments troubleshooter for assistance.
  2. To reopen a Cloud Billing account, make sure you have the permissions required to reopen the account; typically, you must be a Billing Account Administrator on the Cloud Billing account.

How to reopen a closed account:

To reopen a closed Cloud Billing account, follow the steps for the type of account (self-serve or invoiced) you want to reopen.

Self-serve account

You can manage many settings for your self-serve (online) Cloud Billing account in the Google Cloud console, including reopening a closed account. Complete the following steps to reopen a self-serve billing account:

  1. Sign in to the Manage billing accounts page in the Google Cloud console.

    Sign in to Manage billing accounts

    By default, when you first access the list of Cloud Billing accounts, the account list is filtered to display Active accounts.

  2. In the Filter row, clear the Status: Active filter.

    All Cloud Billing accounts are displayed. Look for Cloud Billing accounts with a Closed status.

  3. Click the name of the Cloud Billing account you want to reopen.

    The Overview page opens for the billing account.

  4. In the Billing management section of the Billing navigation menu, click Account Management.

  5. At the top of the page, click Reopen billing account.

Why can't I see or access the Reopen billing account button?

If you're on the Account Management page of the closed Cloud Billing account and you don't see or can't access the Reopen billing account button, the reasons could include the following:

Invoiced account

If your Cloud Billing account is configured as an invoiced account, you can't reopen the closed billing account online, in the Google Cloud console. Rather, we must perform this action for you.

To reopen an invoiced Cloud Billing account, contact your Google Cloud sales specialist or contact Cloud Billing Support.

Cancel or delete a Cloud Billing account

After creation, Cloud Billing accounts can't be canceled or deleted. Even if you close your Cloud Billing account, the Cloud Billing account information is retained for reporting and auditing purposes.

Close a Google payments profile

In the Google payments center, you can permanently close your Google payments profile. Closing your Google payments profile stops payment for all Google services associated with the profile, and removes your transaction and payment information permanently. After 30 days have passed, you can't reopen a closed payments profile.

Before you can close a payments profile, you must cancel any of the following paid Google services or subscriptions that are associated with that profile:

  • Google Workspace, including Google Workspace add-ons
  • Google Ads
  • Android Developer

In addition, you must close the active Cloud Billing account associated with the payments profile. Otherwise, attempting to delete your payments profile will fail with the message, You have active subscriptions or services.

If you or another administrator closes your payments profile, you can reopen it within 30 days. To reopen a profile, contact Google payments center support. After 30 days, you can't reopen a payments profile or find past transaction or payment method information. For steps on closing your payments profile, go to Permanently end your Google payments service.

Consider alternatives to canceling your account

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