Get Started with Confluent Cloud on the Google Cloud Marketplace with Commitments

With a Confluent Cloud usage-based billing (UBB) commitment, you commit to a minimum spend through the Google Cloud Marketplace and get a discount on your committed usage of Confluent Cloud. This topic shows you how to purchase a commitment and link or create a Confluent Cloud organization.

Tip

You can pay for Confluent Cloud through your cloud provider’s Marketplace using Confluent Consumption Units (CCUs). Pricing in the Marketplace is the same as direct purchase pricing. For more information, see Manage Billing in Confluent Cloud.

Prerequisites

  • A Google Cloud Marketplace account. You can use Confluent Cloud and get billed directly through Google Cloud.

  • A new email address, if you have previously registered for Confluent Cloud. The Google Cloud Marketplace flow requires an email address that is not yet associated with a Confluent Cloud organization.

  • Permission to buy in the Google Cloud Marketplace. You must be signed in with the Billing Account Administrator role.

Subscribe to a Confluent Cloud commitment on Google Cloud

  1. Contact the Confluent sales team and request a private offer for a Google Cloud Confluent Cloud commitment. You receive a Google Cloud Marketplace private offer from the Confluent sales team.

  2. View the offer on the Google Cloud Marketplace using the private offer link from the Confluent sales team.

  3. Review the policy and required terms, and click ACCEPT.

    Google Cloud Marketplace private offer page for a Confluent Cloud commitment with the ACCEPT button.

  4. After you subscribe, Confluent Cloud prompts you to go to the product page. Click GO TO PRODUCT PAGE to get started.

    Important

    The dialog indicates a Pay as you Go subscription, but the subscription applies to a Commitments account.

    Google Cloud Marketplace dialog with the GO TO PRODUCT PAGE button.

  5. Under Confluent Organization details, choose Create a new Confluent organization or Link to an existing organization. If you link to your existing Google Cloud Marketplace subscription, Confluent Cloud prompts you for your account credentials.

    Provide the necessary information and click Sign up.

    Confluent Cloud sign-up form on the Google Cloud Marketplace.

    Confluent sends you a verification email. After you verify your email address, Confluent Cloud logs you in automatically as the administrator of the new account.

    1. Click Link to an existing organization. The Confluent Cloud login page opens.

      Confluent Cloud sign-up form on the Google Cloud Marketplace.

    2. Sign in with your existing Confluent Cloud credentials.

      Confluent Cloud sign-in page.

    3. Verify the organization shown on Confirm billing updates is correct before continuing. Your Confluent account might have access to multiple organizations, so compare your current billing information with the new payment method.

      Confirm billing updates page comparing current and new billing payment methods.

      Note

      What to do if your organization is incorrect:

      1. Click Cancel. The Cloud Console opens. Switch to the account and organization you intend to link. For more information, see Sign in to an organization.

      2. Return to the Google Cloud Marketplace listing for Confluent Cloud and click the link to register.

    4. In Updated billing with Google Cloud Platform, select both confirmation boxes:

      • The first box confirms you have read and understood the terms of service.

      • The second box confirms that existing charges go to your current billing account.

    5. Click Confirm updates.

    6. In the success message, click Continue to Confluent Cloud to access your account.

      Confluent Cloud confirmation message with the Continue to Confluent Cloud button.

      Tip

      To confirm your changes, click Billing & Usage.

    Watch the following video for a walkthrough of linking an existing Confluent Cloud organization from the Google Cloud Marketplace.

  6. To create a new Confluent Cloud cluster, click Create cluster in the Cloud Console. For more information, see Manage Kafka Clusters on Confluent Cloud.

    Create cluster page in the Confluent Cloud Console.

Next steps

To create topics and produce or consume messages on your new Apache Kafka® cluster, see the Quick Start for Confluent Cloud.

Learn more about the advantages of using Apache Kafka as a service with Confluent Cloud on Google Cloud.

Troubleshoot

If you encounter issues while subscribing to Confluent Cloud through the Google Cloud Marketplace, refer to the following common scenarios.

Email already exists

Symptoms

  • You try to sign up on Confluent Cloud and receive a message that your email is already in use.

  • You log in and see old clusters.

  • You continue to receive charges from your previous payment method.

Solution

To register through the cloud provider marketplace, use an email address that is not already registered with Confluent Cloud.

No active entitlement

Symptoms

The Confluent Cloud Console displays a message that says you do not have an active entitlement.

Solution

To activate the organization, re-enable the project on Google Cloud.

Pending Confluent Cloud setup

Symptoms

The Confluent Cloud Console displays the message “Your organization is being provisioned on Confluent Cloud.”

Solution

Confluent Cloud is still completing some tasks to create your organization. Confluent notifies you after the setup is complete.

Account cannot be linked

Symptoms

Your attempt to link a Pay as you Go account fails with the following error message:

Account cannot be linked, code 9201
Solution

You cannot link a Confluent Cloud Pay as you Go account to a Google Cloud Marketplace Pay as you Go account. To resolve code 9201, link your Confluent Cloud Pay as you Go account to a Google Cloud Marketplace usage-based commitment instead. To set up a commitment, complete the steps to subscribe to a commitment.