[Yandex Cloud documentation](../../../index.md) > [Yandex DataSphere](../../index.md) > [Step-by-step guides](../index.md) > Community management > Linking a billing account

# Linking a billing account

A [billing account](../../../billing/concepts/billing-account.md) is used to identify the user who pays for computing resources, [nodes](../../concepts/deploy/index.md#node), and resource storage for all community projects.

You can [create](../../../billing/operations/create-new-account.md) a Yandex Cloud billing account in advance and link it when [creating a community](create.md). You can also create a new billing account in the DataSphere interface when selecting a billing account for the community.

{% note warning %}

If the selected billing account has an outstanding balance or suspended status, you will not be able to link it to a DataSphere community. If this is the case, go to [Yandex Cloud Billing](https://center.yandex.cloud/billing/accounts), select your account, and follow the prompts in the interface. Once the billing account is active, try to link it to DataSphere again. Learn more about billing account statuses [here](../../../billing/concepts/billing-account-statuses.md).

{% endnote %}

Only a community user with the `datasphere.communities.editor` role or higher can link a billing account to a community. To manage billing accounts, you also [need the `billing.accounts.editor` role](../../../billing/security/index.md) or higher. If you are a community admin but have no access to billing accounts in your organization, contact your organization's admin in Yandex Cloud.

You cannot unlink a community from a billing account, but you can replace one account with another if you need to.

## Changing a community billing account {#change-ba}

Users with the `Editor` or `Admin` role in the community can change the billing account used to pay for community projects and resources.

1. Open the DataSphere [home page](https://datasphere.yandex.cloud). In the left-hand panel, select ![community-panel](../../../_assets/console-icons/circles-concentric.svg) **Communities**.
1. Select the community and open the **Settings** tab.
1. Under **Billing**, click **![pencil](../../../_assets/console-icons/pencil.svg) Edit**.
1. Select an existing billing account or create a new one by following the prompts in the interface.
1. Click **Link**.

### Who pays for shared resources {#who-pays}

How you pay for shared DataSphere resources depends on the resource type:

* Storing a [dataset](../../concepts/dataset.md) is paid from the billing account of the <q>parent</q> community whose project the dataset belongs to.

* Using secrets, Docker images, and aliases is free of charge.
* Using S3 connectors is free of charge; however, storing objects in a Yandex Object Storage [bucket](../../../storage/concepts/bucket.md) is paid from the billing account linked to the cloud hosting that bucket.
* Using [Yandex Data Processing](../../concepts/data-processing.md) templates is free of charge; however, running a cluster automatically created from a template is paid from the billing account of the cloud hosting that cluster.

#### See also {#see-also}

* [DataSphere pricing policy](../../pricing.md)
* [Communities in DataSphere](../../concepts/community.md)
* [Billing accounts](../../../billing/concepts/billing-account.md)
* [Billing account statuses](../../../billing/concepts/billing-account-statuses.md)