Enable Billing

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Overview

While Firebase offers a generous free tier, some advanced features and increased usage require a connected billing account. This guide will help you set up billing for your Firebase project to access paid features like:

• Vertex AI for machine learning capabilities
• Expanded Google Cloud Storage
• Higher database throughput
• Enhanced authentication methods
• And more

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Step 1: Access Firebase Billing Settings

First, navigate to the billing settings in your Firebase project:

1. Go to the Firebase Console
2. Select your project
3. Click on the Settings icon (gear) in the left sidebar
4. Select Usage and Billing
5. Click on the Details & Settings tab

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Step 2: Upgrade to a Paid Plan

To access all Firebase features, you’ll need to upgrade from the free Spark plan:

1. In the Usage and Billing page, locate the Your current plan section
2. Click the Upgrade button to start the process
3. You’ll be redirected to select a billing plan (typically Blaze - pay as you go)
4. Review the pricing information and click Continue

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Step 3: Create a New Billing Account (If Needed)

If you don’t already have a Google Cloud billing account:

1. On the payment method page, click Create a new billing account
2. Enter your billing information:
   • Account name (for your reference)
   • Your address
   • Payment method details (credit card or other supported payment method)
3. Click Submit and enable billing

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Step 4: Link an Existing Billing Account (If Available)

If you already have a Google Cloud billing account:

1. On the payment method page, select your existing billing account from the dropdown
2. Verify that you want to link this account to your Firebase project
3. Click Confirm to proceed

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Step 5: Set Up Budget Alerts (Recommended)

To avoid unexpected charges, set up budget alerts:

1. In the Firebase Console, navigate to Settings > Usage and Billing
2. Click on the Budgets & alerts tab
3. Click Create budget
4. Configure your budget:
   • Enter a name for your budget
   • Set the time period (monthly is recommended)
   • Define your budget amount
   • Configure alert thresholds (e.g., 50%, 90%, 100% of budget)
5. Click Save to activate your budget alerts

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Step 6: Verify Billing Status

Once you’ve completed the setup, verify that billing is properly connected:

1. Go back to the Details & Settings tab under Usage and Billing
2. Confirm that your plan shows as “Blaze” (or your selected plan)
3. Verify that the correct billing account is displayed

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Additional Resources

For detailed pricing information and to explore all available pricing tiers: