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 costs of usage. 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 article 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

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:

To close an account:

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 will bill you for the usage you accrued prior to canceling your service. This bill will be the last bill you receive, unless you reactivate service.

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

If you are 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:

  • You do not have the permissions needed to close this Cloud Billing account. Contact your Cloud Billing account admin.
  • Your Cloud Billing account has outstanding charges or outdated payment information. You cannot close a billing account until you pay off any previous balance or fix payment information.
  • Your Cloud Billing account is configured as an invoiced account. To close an invoiced Cloud Billing account, contact your Account Representative 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.

Invoiced account

If your Cloud Billing account is configured as an invoiced account, you cannot 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 Account Representative or contact Cloud Billing Support.

Tip: If your Cloud Billing account is configured as a self-serve (online) Cloud Billing account, you can close the billing account online. Follow the instructions in the Self-serve account tab.

Reopen a closed Cloud Billing account

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 begin:

  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; you must be a Billing Account Administrator on the Cloud Billing account.

To reopen a closed account:

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 are 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:

  • This account has unresolved Google payments-related issues or suspensions. You must resolve these issues before you can reopen the account. You might need to update the payment method linked to this Cloud Billing account, or resolve declined payments.
  • You do not have the permissions needed to reopen this Cloud Billing account. Contact your Cloud Billing account admin.
  • Your Cloud Billing account is configured as an invoiced account. To reopen an invoiced Cloud Billing account, contact your Account Representative or contact Cloud Billing Support.

Invoiced account

If your Cloud Billing account is configured as an invoiced account, you cannot 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 Account Representative or contact Cloud Billing Support.

Tip: If your Cloud Billing account is configured as a self-serve (online) Cloud Billing account, you can reopen the billing account online. Follow the instructions in the Self-serve account tab.

Cancel or delete a Cloud Billing account

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

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. You cannot reopen a closed payments profile.

Consider alternatives to canceling your account

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