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

To pay for Confluent Cloud, Confluent Consumption Units (CCUs) are enabled in the cloud Marketplace. Pricing in 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. For the Confluent Organization details, choose to either Create a new Confluent organization or Link to an existing organization. If you link to an existing organization, you will be prompted for your Confluent Cloud account credentials.

    • Provide the necessary information and click Sign up.

    Confluent Cloud sign up page

    You will receive an email from Confluent requesting that you verify your email address. Confirm the address. After verification, you are automatically logged in as the administrator of the new Confluent Cloud account.

    1. Click Link to an existing organization to navigate to the Confluent Cloud log in page.

      Confluent Cloud sign up page

    2. Sign in with your existing Confluent Cloud credentials.

      Confluent Cloud sign up page

    3. On Confirm billing updates, compare your current billing information with the new payment method. Your Confluent account might have access to multiple organizations. Make sure the organization is correct.

      ../_images/gcp-cc-confirm-billing.png

      What to do if your organization is incorrect:

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

      2. Go back to Google Cloud Marketplace and click the link to register with Confluent.

    4. In Updated billing with Google Cloud Platform, select both boxes to confirm that you have read and understand the terms of service and that existing charges go to the current billing account.

    5. Click Confirm updates.

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

      ../_images/gcp-cc-success.png

      Tip

      To confirm your changes, click Billing & Usage.

  6. Once you have signed up for Confluent Cloud, click Create cluster to get started with a new Confluent Cloud cluster.

    Create clusters

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

  • When you try to sign up on Confluent Cloud it says your email is already in use.

  • You log in and see old clusters.

  • You are still seeing charges from your previous payment method.

Solution

Re-register using a new email address. If you have ever registered for Confluent Cloud, you must use a new email address for the Marketplace.

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.