If you've never logged into the Google Cloud Platform console to set up billing, you are eligible for $300 in free GCP credits you can use for working in Terra. Read on for step-by-step instructions for how to access the credits in Terra and FAQs about using the credits on Terra. 

For more information about Google's free credits and Free Tier, see their documentation here.

Contents

Three steps to get $300 GCP credits to use in Terra
   1. Set up a GCP Billing account and accept $300 free trial credits
   2. Link Terra to your GCP Billing account 
   3. Create a Terra Billing project
Next - Try a template analysis
GCP free credits FAQs

Three steps to get $300 GCP credits to use in Terra

The first step is to set up a GCP Billing account using your Terra user ID in the GCP console. Note that you will need to give some additional information to Google, as well as verify your Billing account with a credit card or bank account. Google will notify you before your credits expire and will not charge your credit card without your direct permission. 

This lets you have full control over your Billing and is a good option if you are comfortable working in the GCP console. You can use a personal credit card or bank account (and get reimbursed, if your work on Terra is grant-funded) or institutional credit card or other account. If you have been using a third-party reseller, but want to set up your own GCP Billing account, follow the directions below. 

1. Set up a GCP Billing account and accept $300 free trial credits

1.1.  Go to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) console at https://console.cloud.google.com/ (make sure to sign in with your Terra user ID!). If you haven't already set up a GCP Billing account , you'll be greeted with an invitation to activate your free trial in the banner at the top of the page: 

1.2. Click the activate button and follow the instructions to sign up for a Billing Account and get your credits. You'll need to verify you're a person with a one-time verification sent to a cell phone and give a credit card, PayPal account or bank account to verify your identity and reduce fraud.

Note about supplying payment information
Don't worry! You won't be billed until you explicitly turn on automatic billing:

1.3. Verify GCP Billing account in the Billing page (https://console.cloud.google.com/billing). You should see "My Billing Account" in the top left. That's your new GCP Billing account! 

Your free credits are in a free-credits Billing project, which you can see in the "My Projects" tab: 

2. Link Terra to your Billing Account on GCP console

2.1. Go to the "Billing Accounts" tab at https://console.cloud.google.com/billing and check the box next to "My Billing Account"

2.2. Select "Add member" in the right column

2.3. Add `terra-billing@terra.bio` under New member in the form 

2.4. In the dropdown, select role "Billing" -> "Billing Account User"

2.5. Don't forget the "Save" button!

3. Create a billing project in Terra

Once you've accepted your Google credits and linked your GCP Billing account to Terra, you'll be able to create a Terra billing project in the UI. You need a Billing project when creating a workspace. It acts as a passthrough for GCP costs incurred in the workspace. 

3.1. To create a Billing project, go to your Billing page from the main navigation (three horizontal lines at the top left of any page) and click on the blue "+" icon at the top left. 

3.2. Name your Billing project

3.3. Select "My Billing Account" from the dropdown (It should be the only option) and click the "Create Billing project" button.

Next - Try a template analysis 

Once you have a linked GCP Billing project, you're ready to try your own analysis on the Terra platform. As a first step,see if one of these curated template showcase workspaces is close to your use-case. Each one includes extensive documentation as well as sample data that can be run as-is. To try a template analysis, make your own copy under your billing project.

To learn how to make your own copy of a workspace, see this video

GCP free credits FAQs

What can I do with my $300 GCP credits in  Terra? Your GCP credits will cover anything that has a cost in Terra - such as moving and storing data and running interactive or workflow analyses. Use of the credits is not restricted to specific analyses or workspaces. Read this article for further detail around what costs money. GCP limitations when using a free credits account Your Free Trial credits apply to all Google Cloud resources, including Google Maps Platform usage, with the following exceptions:    - You can't add GPUs to your VM instances.    - You can't request a quota increase. For an overview of Compute Engine quotas, see Resource quotas.    - You can't create VM instances that are based on Windows Server images. To perform any of the actions in the list above, you must upgrade to a paid Cloud Billing account. How long will my $300 credits be available? Your credits will be available once you accept them in the GCP console. Credits will be available for three months, or until you have used up all $300, whichever comes first. You will get a notice from GCP before your credits run out.  How do I track how much I’ve spent? 1. Log into GCP console at https://console.cloud.google.com/ 2. Go to "Billing" from the dropdown menu in the main menu navigation (three horizontal bars at the top left)  3. You should see a banner with funds and time remaining on your free credits: You can also get a number of different detailed GCP billing reports by choosing "Reports" and selecting your free credits.  What happens once the credits expire? Once your credits run out or expire, you will be notified by GCP that you have no available credits. You can Upgrade to a paid account, and any additional costs will be charged to the credit card or bank account you gave when signing up.  To learn about upgrading to a paid account, see this GCP documentation.