I'm a student from India and just getting started with AWS. I accidentally left an EC2 instance running while working on some hands-on labs and didn't realize I'd be billed for it after finishing my tasks. Once I got the billing alerts, I took immediate action by terminating all my EC2 instances, releasing all Elastic IPs, and ensuring that no active resources were left. I even set up a budget alert for just 10 cents to avoid future issues. However, I still received charges for November 2025, December 2025, and even January 2026, totaling ₹1,454.97 and still increasing! Since the card linked to my account belongs to a friend, I'm really worried about the impact of this mistake on them. I've opened a billing support case asking for a one-time courtesy credit due to this honest learning error. Anyone know how likely it is for AWS to grant such credits?
4 Answers
I feel for you, that sounds frustrating! You've done all the right things by reaching out to support and creating a case. Just hang tight and wait for a response from them. They'll guide you from there!
- Ben G.
I noticed you’ve been charged for a few months. It's worth double-checking the billing dashboard; you might have some resources that are still active, like an EBS volume or snapshots. That could explain the ongoing charges. I'll bet that since the total is relatively low, they might just credit you.
Just curious, why did you use your friend's card for this? That could complicate things a bit.
You might have a good chance! AWS often waives charges, even larger ones, for cases like yours. Just explain it as a mistake when you communicate with them, and they might handle it without any issues.
Thanks for the reassurance!