Azure Subscription Automatically Upgraded to Paid Developer Plan — Unexpected Charges and Refund Request After Immediate Cancellation

Hi Azure community

I'm seeking assistance with an unexpected billing issue involving my Azure subscription. I would appreciate guidance on how to contact Azure Billing Support to resolve this matter.

I exhausted the free credits provided with my Azure account last year. Since then, I have continued using only Azure services available under the free usage tier and have not intentionally upgraded my existing subscription to a paid Developer Plan.

However, on October 11, 2026, I received an email indicating that my existing Basic subscription had been upgraded or renewed to a paid Developer Plan, with charges of approximately $29 for the period from October 11 to October 31, 2026. These charges are also reflected in the Billing section of my Azure account.

I had not knowingly requested an upgrade to the paid Developer Plan or intended to subscribe to a paid service. To prevent any further recurring charges, I immediately cancelled my subscription after noticing the billing notification.

I would appreciate clarification on the following:

1. Reason for the upgrade: Why was my existing subscription moved to a paid Developer Plan without my knowledge or an upgrade that I recall requesting?
2. Cancellation of charges: Since I cancelled the subscription immediately after receiving the notification, is it possible to cancel the $29 charge for the current billing period?
3. Refund eligibility: If the amount has already been charged or is pending payment, am I eligible for a refund or reversal?
4. Contacting Azure Support: How can I reach the Azure Billing Support team directly to have these charges reviewed and resolved?

I am a beginner learning cloud technologies and have been using Azure primarily to explore its free services and practise data engineering projects. I am not intentionally using paid services and would like to ensure that no further charges are incurred.

I would be grateful for any guidance from community members who have experienced a similar issue or know the appropriate process for raising a billing dispute with Microsoft Azure.

Thank you for your time and assistance!