Threshold billing
Threshold billing is an automatic payment collection mechanism for Cloudflare's usage-based products. When your combined usage charges across all usage-based products reach a certain level during a billing cycle, Cloudflare generates a mid-cycle invoice and charges your payment method on file.
- Usage accumulates - As you use Cloudflare's usage-based products (R2, Stream, Images, Workers), charges accrue throughout your billing cycle across all these products combined.
- Threshold reached - When your total accumulated usage charges reach the threshold, Cloudflare automatically generates a mid-cycle invoice.
- Payment collected - Your payment method on file is charged for the threshold invoice amount.
- One-time trigger - The threshold fires once per account. After a threshold invoice is generated, your account returns to standard end-of-cycle billing.
- End-of-cycle invoice - At the end of your billing cycle, you receive your regular invoice which includes only the remaining usage charges not already covered by the threshold invoice.
| Event | Charge |
|---|---|
| Combined usage reaches threshold mid-cycle | Threshold invoice charged (for example, $127.50) |
| End of billing cycle (total usage was $180) | End-of-cycle invoice charged (for example, $52.50) |
| Total charged | $180 |
Threshold billing applies to combined usage across the following products:
- R2
- Stream
- Cloudflare Images
- Workers (usage-based pricing)
The threshold is based on your total combined usage across all of these products, not each product individually.
Threshold billing applies to self-serve accounts using the products listed above.
If the payment for a threshold invoice fails:
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Automatic retries - Cloudflare will automatically retry the payment over a 5-day period.
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Email notification - You will receive an email notifying you of the failed payment with a link to pay the invoice or update your payment method.
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Manual payment - You can pay the invoice directly at any time during the retry period through your Cloudflare dashboard.
Go to Billing -
After retries exhausted - If all payment retries fail, the invoice is marked as uncollectable and your account may be restricted.
To avoid service interruption, ensure your payment method on file is current and has sufficient funds.
All threshold invoices appear in your billing history alongside your regular invoices.
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Log in to the Cloudflare dashboard ↗.
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Go to Manage Account > Billing.
Go to Billing -
Select Invoices to view your invoice history.
Threshold invoices are labeled to distinguish them from regular end-of-cycle invoices.
Your combined usage-based charges across R2, Stream, Images, and Workers reached the billing threshold before the end of your billing cycle. This is expected behavior for accounts with high usage.
No. The threshold invoice covers usage up to the point when the threshold was reached. Your end-of-cycle invoice includes only the remaining usage after that point. The two invoices together equal your total usage for the billing period.
The threshold is automatically set by Cloudflare and cannot be modified.
The threshold can fire once per account. After the first threshold invoice, your account returns to standard end-of-cycle billing for future cycles.
Threshold invoices are triggered by usage. If you prefer not to receive mid-cycle invoices, you can monitor your usage and adjust your product consumption accordingly. However, threshold billing is designed to help you pay as you go rather than receiving a large bill at the end of the month.
If you believe there is an error with your threshold invoice, contact Cloudflare support with your invoice details.