What can keep a member account from showing up in the cost explorer linked account list?

Question

I inherited this AWS account which was initially setup by an MSP. It was just a single account. As things grew I setup the Organization and eventually added a second account in anticipation of needing it. Now we are starting to add resources to it and I need the accounting people to be able to allocate costs, but the new account does not show in cost explorer. Only the "management account" shows in the Linked account pull down menu.

I've searched and even opened a ticket, and they can only point me to irrelevant information. Any suggestions?

I've searched and even opened a ticket, and they can only point me to irrelevant information.
Any suggestions?

re:Post Agent · Answer

There are a few potential reasons why a member account might not show up in the Cost Explorer linked account list:

1. Access restrictions: The management account may have disabled linked account access in the Cost Explorer preferences. This setting can be found in the Cost Management Preferences under "Member account permissions." If "Linked account access" is unchecked, it will prevent member accounts from appearing in Cost Explorer, regardless of their IAM permissions.

2. Recent addition: If the account was recently added to the organization, it may take some time for the data to propagate and appear in Cost Explorer. AWS systems may need time to process and display the new account's data.

3. Lack of activity: If the new account has not incurred any costs or usage yet, it might not appear in Cost Explorer until it starts generating billable activity.

4. IAM permissions: Ensure that the IAM users or roles you're using have the necessary permissions to view Cost Explorer data for linked accounts.

To resolve this issue, you can try the following:

1. Check the Cost Management Preferences in the Billing and Cost Management console. Ensure that "Linked account access" is enabled under the "Member account permissions" section.

2. Verify that the new account is properly set up within the AWS Organization and that consolidated billing is enabled.

3. If the account is new and hasn't generated any costs yet, try creating a small billable resource in the account to trigger cost data generation.

4. Review the IAM permissions for the users accessing Cost Explorer to ensure they have the necessary access to view linked account data.

5. If the issue persists, it may be worth contacting AWS Support again with these specific details and asking them to investigate why the account is not appearing in Cost Explorer despite being part of the organization.

Remember that changes to these settings or account structures may take some time to reflect in the Cost Explorer interface.  
**Sources**  
[AWS Cost Management policy examples - AWS Cost Management](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cost-management/latest/userguide/billing-example-policies.html)  
[Controlling access to Cost Explorer - AWS Cost Management](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cost-management/latest/userguide/ce-access.html)

What can keep a member account from showing up in the cost explorer linked account list?

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