# Amazon Direct Connect pricing
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**Important**  
Amazon pricing is subject to change. For current pricing, see the [Amazon Direct Connect pay-as-you-go pricing page](https://aws.amazon.com/directconnect/pricing/pay-as-you-go/). Pricing examples in this guide are illustrative only and might not reflect current pricing.

## How Amazon Direct Connect pricing works
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With Amazon Direct Connect, you pay only for what you use. There is no minimum fee and no up-front commitment. You pay as you go for the resources that you provision and the data that you transfer.

Your Amazon Direct Connect charges fall into the following categories, which are described in this chapter:
+ [Capacity (port-hour) charges](#pricing-capacity)
+ [Data transfer out (DTO)](#pricing-data-transfer)
+ [Cross-connect and colocation fees](#pricing-cross-connect)

For current rates in each Amazon Region and Amazon Direct Connect location, see the [Amazon Direct Connect pay-as-you-go pricing page](https://aws.amazon.com/directconnect/pricing/pay-as-you-go/).

## Capacity (port-hour) charges
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Capacity charges, also called port-hour charges, are billed for each hour that a connection is provisioned, from the time you create the connection until you delete it. Port-hour charges apply whether or not you send traffic over the connection.

The port-hour rate varies by the port speed of the connection and by the type of connection, such as a dedicated connection or a hosted connection. For more information about the difference between dedicated and hosted connections, see [Dedicated and hosted connection billing](#pricing-dedicated-vs-hosted).

For current port-hour rates, see the [Amazon Direct Connect pay-as-you-go pricing page](https://aws.amazon.com/directconnect/pricing/pay-as-you-go/).

## Data transfer out (DTO)
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Data transfer out (DTO) refers to data that is sent from Amazon to your network over an Amazon Direct Connect connection. DTO over Amazon Direct Connect is priced based on the Amazon Direct Connect location where the data is sent and the source or destination Amazon Region.

Data transfer *into* Amazon over Amazon Direct Connect is not charged.

**Example Illustrative data transfer out charge**  
Suppose you transfer data out from Amazon to your network through an Amazon Direct Connect location in the Contiguous United States. In this example, data transfer out is billed at an illustrative rate of $0.02 per GB. This rate is provided only as an example, is subject to change, and might not reflect current pricing. For the full per-Region and per-location data transfer out rates, see the [Amazon Direct Connect pay-as-you-go pricing page](https://aws.amazon.com/directconnect/pricing/pay-as-you-go/).

## Cross-connect and colocation fees
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To use Amazon Direct Connect, you establish a cross-connect at an Amazon Direct Connect location. The cross-connect and any associated colocation fees are billed by the colocation provider or Amazon Direct Connect Partner that operates the facility, not by Amazon. Contact the facility operator for information about these charges.

## Dedicated and hosted connection billing
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Amazon Direct Connect offers dedicated connections and hosted connections, and the way each is billed differs at a high level:
+ A *dedicated connection* is a physical connection that you request through Amazon. Amazon bills the port-hour charge for a dedicated connection directly to your Amazon account.
+ A *hosted connection* is provisioned by an Amazon Direct Connect Partner on your behalf. Port-hour billing arrangements for hosted connections can involve the Partner. Contact your Amazon Direct Connect Partner for details about how your hosted connection is billed.

For current port-hour rates for dedicated and hosted connections, see the [Amazon Direct Connect pay-as-you-go pricing page](https://aws.amazon.com/directconnect/pricing/pay-as-you-go/).