# Cloud Billing documentation

[Read product documentation](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/concepts)
Cloud Billing is a
[collection of tools](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/concepts)
that help you track and understand your
Google Cloud spending, pay your bill, and optimize your costs.


A [Cloud Billing account](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/manage-billing-account)
defines who pays for a given set of Google Cloud resources. To use Google Cloud
services, you must have a valid Cloud Billing account, and must link it to your
Google Cloud projects. Your project's Google Cloud usage is charged to the linked
Cloud Billing account.


You must have a valid
Cloud Billing account even if you are in your [free trial period](https://docs.cloud.google.com/free/docs/gcp-free-tier#free-trial)
or if you only use Google Cloud resources that are covered by the
[Google Cloud Free Tier](https://docs.cloud.google.com/free/docs/gcp-free-tier#free-tier).


You also need a Cloud Billing account to pay for your use of the
[Google Maps Platform APIs](https://developers.google.com/maps/billing/gmp-billing).

## Documentation resources

Find quickstarts and guides, review key references, and get help with common issues.

### Getting started

-

  [Understanding the Google Cloud Free Program](https://docs.cloud.google.com/free/docs/gcp-free-tier)

-

  [Beyond your free trial: Cloud Billing onboarding checklist](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/onboarding-checklist)

-

  [Overview of Cloud Billing concepts](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/concepts)

-

  [Access control for Cloud Billing](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/billing-access)

-

  [Get and redeem education grants](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/edu-grants)

-

  [Understand your committed use discounts](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/cuds)

-

  [Get started with Cloud Billing APIs](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/apis)

### Manage your billing account

-

  [Create a Cloud Billing account](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/create-billing-account)

-

  [Modify your Cloud Billing account](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/modify-billing-account)

-

  [Close or reopen your Cloud Billing account](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/close-or-reopen-billing-account)

-

  [View projects linked to your Cloud Billing account](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/view-linked)

-

  [Manage your payment methods](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/payment-methods)

-

  [Get an invoice, statement, or receipt](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/get-invoice)

-

  [Understand your monthly invoice](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/read-invoice)

-

  [Pay your invoice](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/pay-invoice)

-

  [Resolve Cloud Billing issues](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/resolve-issues)

-

  [Resolve an invalid Cloud Billing account](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/resolve-invalid-billing-account)

### Cost management tools

-

  [AI-powered cost monitoring and cost optimization features](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/ai-powered-features)

-

  [Create, edit, or delete a budget](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/budgets)

-

  [Manage programmatic budget alert notifications](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/budgets-programmatic-notifications)

-

  [View your billing reports and cost trends](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/reports)

-

  [Understand your invoice: Cost Table reports](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/cost-table)

-

  [Understand your savings: Cost Breakdown reports](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/cost-breakdown)

-

  [View and download your price lists](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/pricing-table)

-

  [Optimize costs with FinOps hub](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/finops-hub)

-

  [View your committed use discount (CUD) reports](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/cud-analysis)

-

  [Export Cloud Billing data to BigQuery](https://docs.cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/export-data-bigquery)

## Related resources

Explore self-paced training, use cases, reference architectures, and code samples with examples of how to use and connect Google Cloud services. Training Training and tutorials

### [Understanding your Google Cloud costs](https://www.cloudskillsboost.google/course_templates/775)


Learn how to view your invoice, track your Google Cloud costs with Billing reports, analyze your billing data with BigQuery or Google Sheets, and create custom billing dashboards with Data Studio.


Training Training and tutorials

### [Optimizing your Google Cloud costs](https://www.cloudskillsboost.google/course_templates/767)


Learn about ways to control and optimize your costs, such as setting up budgets and alerts, managing quota limits, and taking advantage of committed use discounts.


Video series Training and tutorials

### [Beyond your bill: video series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIivdWyY5sqKJx6FwJMRcsnFIkkNFtsX9)


Beyond your bill goes over topics that help you understand, control, and optimize your Google Cloud costs.


Video series Training and tutorials

### [Cost management: video series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIivdWyY5sqKeXavu1XuBNBDLBO31kzM0)


Get best practices for monitoring, controlling, and optimizing your costs with Google Cloud's cost management tools.


Pdf guide Training and tutorials

### [Financial governance in the cloud](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/files/guide-to-financial-governance.pdf)


Best practices for understanding, controlling, optimizing, and managing your IT costs to create a path to predictable cloud costs.


Video series Training and tutorials

### [Billing for Google Maps Platform: video series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2rFahu9sLJ0yio9sC7BclL4a9r76ygHi)


Using Google Maps Platform APIs requires a Cloud Billing account. Learn how to get started with Google Maps Platform, including setting up your Cloud Billing account, enabling APIs, generating API keys, and optimizing your costs with quotas and budgets.


## Related videos