Azure Free Account: “You're not eligible for an Azure free account”

youcef talamali 0 Reputation points
2026-10-03T06:02:19.3566667+00:00

Hello,

I am trying to create an Azure Free Account from Algeria.

During the signup process, after entering my profile and address information, Azure displays this message:

“You're not eligible for an Azure free account.”

I can sign in to the Azure portal successfully, but I do not currently have an Azure subscription.

I would like to use Azure Speech for a software project. I would like to understand why my account is considered ineligible for the Azure Free Account offer.

Could you please advise whether this may be related to a previous Azure trial, account eligibility, phone or payment verification, or another restriction?

Thank you.

Cost Management
Cost Management

A Microsoft offering that enables tracking of cloud usage and expenditures for Azure and other cloud providers.

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  1. Andreas Baumgarten 132.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-03T06:30:52.1266667+00:00

    Hi @youcef talamali ,

    one reason for the error message "You're not eligible for an Azure free account" could be the email address was used in the past for an Azure free account.

    Same if the credit card was used for an Azure free account before.

    Third reason could be invalid address information, phone number or email address.

    More details you will find here: You see the message 'You are not eligible for an Azure subscription'


    (If the reply was helpful please don't forget to upvote and/or accept as answer, thank you)

    Regards

    Andreas Baumgarten

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-03T06:02:38.39+00:00

    The Azure Free Account offer is limited to new Azure customers. The most common supported reasons for the message "You're not eligible for an Azure free account" are:

    1. The account or identifying information was used before Azure checks whether the Microsoft account or the same identifying details were previously associated with Azure sign-up. This can include the same contact information, address, phone number, or payment details.
    2. Profile information does not fully match Verify that the Azure profile information is correct, including contact email address, street address, and telephone number.
    3. Payment verification issue Credit card information must be correct. Virtual or prepaid credit cards aren't accepted. The billing address must match bank records and must be in the same country/region selected during sign-up.
    4. Phone verification issue Phone verification can fail if the number is entered incorrectly, if the country code is wrong, if the phone cannot receive SMS or calls from a United States-based number, or if a VoIP number is used.
    5. Free trial already unavailable for the account If there was any previous Azure subscription tied to the user, the free trial can't be activated again. In that case, the documented alternative is a pay-as-you-go subscription.

    For the sign-up flow, check these items in order:

    1. In the sign-up form, confirm the country/region, name, email, phone number, and credit card information are all accurate.
    2. Make sure the billing address on the card matches bank records exactly.
    3. Make sure the selected country/region matches the billing address country/region.
    4. If phone verification is involved, use a non-VoIP number and verify it can receive SMS or calls.
    5. If card verification hangs, allow third-party cookies in the browser, refresh the page, and if needed restart the browser.
    6. If the sign-up error says "We cannot proceed with sign-up due to an issue with your account. Please contact billing support", verify billing and shipping details in the Microsoft account center, then try a different browser.

    Since sign-in to the Azure portal works but there is no subscription, that indicates the Microsoft account itself is valid, but the subscription creation or free-offer eligibility check is failing.

    A Microsoft Q&A answer aligned with the documented guidance notes that this message can imply the credit card was previously used as payment for an Azure subscription, even if the current Microsoft account has not used Azure before.

    If all profile, phone, and card details are correct and the same error continues, the documented next step is to contact Azure support / create a support request for account creation help.


    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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