What is the term for the fundamental AWS pricing model in which a customer pays only for the resources actually consumed, without any upfront payment or long-term contract?
Choosing the name of the fundamental AWS pricing model.
Flat-rate pricing (a fixed amount regardless of usage)
Flat-rate pricing is a model in which a fixed amount is paid regardless of usage.
AWS's fundamental model is pay-as-you-go, which charges only for what is used, so flat-rate pricing is incorrect.
Pay-as-you-go pricing
Correct. Pay-as-you-go is the fundamental AWS pricing model in which customers pay only for the resources they actually use, with no upfront payment or long-term contract. Resources can be scaled up or down based on demand, and no charges are incurred for unused resources, which helps avoid unnecessary costs.
Perpetual license (purchase once, no additional fees)
A perpetual license is a model in which ownership is acquired through a single purchase.
AWS does not involve ownership; customers pay only for what they use on a pay-as-you-go basis, so a perpetual license is incorrect.
Auction-based pricing (price determined by bidding)
Bidding-based price fluctuation is a specialized mechanism close to Spot Instances, and is not the fundamental pricing model for AWS as a whole.
The fundamental model is pay-as-you-go, so this option is incorrect.
AWS pricing fundamentals: Pay-as-you-go (pay only for what you use) / Further discounts with reservations (Savings Plans, RI) / Lower unit price as scale increases (economies of scale). The fundamental model is pay-as-you-go.