> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/observability/tracing-service/billing.md).

# Billing

Billing reference for the IONOS CLOUD Tracing Service. Learn what is billed, how trace ingestion usage is counted, and how to estimate and monitor usage.

The <code class="expression">space.vars.ionos\_cloud</code> Tracing Service bills on two usage-based dimensions: the volume of trace data ingested and the volume of trace data stored during the retention period. There is no base fee and no minimum commitment. Usage is recorded as billing events per contract and region.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Billing logic only.** This page explains the billing model and counting rules. For current prices by region, see [<mark style="color:blue;">IONOS CLOUD Prices</mark>](https://cloud.ionos.com/prices).
{% endhint %}

## What is billed?

Tracing Service billing is based on two dimensions:

| **Dimension**          | **Billing unit**                            | **Notes**                                                                                               |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Trace ingestion volume | GB per billing period                       | Counts trace payload bytes received by the Tracing Service. Priced in tiers by monthly ingested volume. |
| Trace storage          | GB retained for the 30-day retention period | Counts trace data stored during retention                                                               |

The platform measures ingestion volume from the bytes received by the customers. Storage is measured from the volume of trace data retained over the 30-day retention period.

Ingestion is priced in tiers based on the total volume ingested per month, so higher monthly volumes are charged at lower per-GB rates. There is no base fee and no minimum commitment. For current tier boundaries and prices by region, see [<mark style="color:blue;">IONOS CLOUD Prices</mark>](https://cloud.ionos.com/prices).

## How is usage counted?

Ingestion usage is counted from the ingested bytes of your spans. Every span carries a payload made up of its name, timing, attributes, events, links, and resource metadata, and the platform measures the total size of these spans as they are received at the ingestion endpoints. Usage is converted to gigabytes using decimal units (`1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes`).

## What does this mean in practice?

Tracing Service does not bill per displayed trace or per Grafana query. It bills for the volume of trace data written into the platform and for the volume retained during the retention period.

Higher usage is typically caused by:

* More traces per second
* More spans per trace
* More attributes, events, and links per span
* Larger resource metadata attached to spans

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** You must configure sampling on your applications to reduce the volume of trace data sent to the platform. For more information, see [<mark style="color:blue;">Sampling</mark>](https://grafana.com/docs/tempo/latest/set-up-for-tracing/instrument-send/set-up-collector/tail-sampling/).
{% endhint %}

## Retention

Trace data is retained for 30 days. Retention is fixed and cannot be customized.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Retention and billing:** Trace data is billed both when it is ingested and for the volume retained during the 30-day retention period. Retention is fixed at 30 days and cannot be customized.
{% endhint %}

## How to estimate usage

Your usage has two parts: the trace data you ingest and the trace data stored during the 30-day retention period. You can estimate ingestion by approximating the average payload size of each exported trace batch and multiplying it by the number of batches sent over time. Because retention is fixed at 30 days, the stored volume at steady state is approximately equal to the trace data ingested over a 30-day period.

### Estimation formula

```
monthly ingestion GB = total bytes sent per month / 1,000,000,000
stored GB           ≈ trace data retained during the 30-day retention period
```

### Example

Assume your applications send a total of `250,000,000,000` bytes of trace payloads during one month:

```
monthly ingestion GB = 250,000,000,000 / 1,000,000,000 = 250 GB
```

Your billed usage for that month is based on approximately `250 GB` of trace ingestion, plus the volume of trace data retained during the 30-day retention period. With a steady ingestion rate, the stored volume is also approximately `250 GB`. Ingestion is charged in tiers by monthly volume, and storage is charged per GB retained. For current tier boundaries and prices by region, see [<mark style="color:blue;">IONOS CLOUD Prices</mark>](https://cloud.ionos.com/prices).

## What counts and what doesn't?

### Counts toward billing

* Trace payload bytes received by Tracing Service ingestion endpoints.
* Trace data sent through `OTLP/HTTP`.
* Trace data sent through `OTLP/gRPC`.
* Trace traffic from applications, SDKs, agents, collectors, and gateways that export to your tracing pipeline.

### Does not count toward billing

* Opening Grafana dashboards.
* Searching or reading existing traces in Grafana.
* Retrieving tracing pipeline metadata through the API.
* Rotating a pipeline key.
* Creating, modifying, or deleting tracing pipelines.

## Billing event model

Tracing Service billing events are generated per contract and region for each billing dimension.

Ingestion billing event attributes include:

* **Product code:** `paas:observability:tracing:ingestion:v1`
* **Resource type:** `tracing`
* **Unit:** `GB`

Storage billing events are generated for the volume of trace data retained over the 30-day retention period, measured in `GB`.

## Common billing scenarios

| **Scenario**                                     | **Billable?**      | **Reason**                                            |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Application exports traces continuously          | Yes                | New trace payload bytes are written to the platform.  |
| User opens trace in Grafana                      | No                 | Reading existing trace data does not ingest new data. |
| User searches by trace ID in Grafana             | No                 | Querying existing data does not create ingestion.     |
| Application adds more span attributes and events | Yes, likely higher | Larger payloads increase ingested byte volume.        |
| Application sends more traces per request path   | Yes                | More trace traffic increases ingested bytes.          |
| Pipeline exists but receives no traces           | No                 | No ingestion means no usage to bill.                  |

## Pricing

Tracing Service billing combines tiered trace ingestion and trace storage, with no base fee or minimum commitment. Ingestion is charged per GB in tiers by monthly volume, and storage is charged per GB retained during the 30-day retention period.

For current tier boundaries and prices by region, see [<mark style="color:blue;">IONOS CLOUD Prices</mark>](https://cloud.ionos.com/prices).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Price mapping:** Implemented billing events use product code `paas:observability:tracing:ingestion:v1`. Contract-specific discounts or pricing agreements may differ from the public list price.
{% endhint %}

## Next steps

We recommend reviewing the following resources for product setup and operational guidance:

* [<mark style="color:blue;">Overview</mark>](/cloud/observability/tracing-service/overview.md)
* [<mark style="color:blue;">Use Cases</mark>](/cloud/observability/tracing-service/use-cases.md)
* [<mark style="color:blue;">Quick Start</mark>](/cloud/observability/tracing-service/quick-start.md)
* [<mark style="color:blue;">Frequently Asked Questions</mark>](/cloud/observability/tracing-service/tracing-service-faqs.md)


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