Why won't my free introductory credits load?

Check the subscription’s billing scope and offer type first; the introductory credit appears only on an eligible Azure free account and remains available for 30 days after signup.

1. Check the correct directory and subscription

1. In the Azure portal, select your profile in the upper-right corner.
2. Select Switch directory and inspect any other directories associated with your account.
3. Open Subscriptions and identify the subscription created during signup.
4. Go to Cost Management + Billing.
5. Select the billing scope associated with that subscription, then open Credits or My credits.

That page should show the remaining credit and its expiration date. If the subscription or credit is absent, being signed into the wrong directory is a common explanation.^1^

2. Interpret what you find

• Free Trial with active credit: Eligible new users receive USD 200 in their billing currency for the first 30 days. If the credit page itself says it cannot load, proceed to the portal troubleshooting below.^2^
• Free Trial older than 30 days: Unused introductory credit expires after 30 days; it does not reload or roll over. The limited free-service quantities are separate from the introductory credit.^3^
• Pay-As-You-Go: A directly created Pay-As-You-Go subscription normally does not include the introductory credit. However, if an Azure free account was upgraded during its first 30 days, its unused credit remains usable for the rest of the original 30-day period.^3^
• No Free Trial subscription: The offer is limited to users new to Azure. A previous Azure subscription can make the account ineligible for another free trial.^4^

Also check whether signup was fully completed. Azure requires account, phone, agreement, and card verification. Virtual or prepaid cards are not accepted, the card’s billing address must match the selected country or region, and blocked third-party cookies can prevent card verification from completing.^4^

3. If the credit page will not load

Open the portal in an InPrivate or Incognito window, sign in with the account used during signup, and return to Cost Management + Billing. A different browser or cleared browser cache can resolve portal display failures affecting Cost Analysis or credit information.^5^

If it still fails, this requires an account-specific billing review:

1. In the Azure portal, open Help + support.
2. Select New support request.
3. Enter Billing and select the affected subscription.
4. Review the suggested solutions, then select Contact Support or Create a support request.
5. Ask support to verify:
   • whether free-account activation completed;
   • the subscription’s offer type;
   • whether the $200 credit was allocated or expired;
   • whether the Pay-As-You-Go subscription was created directly or resulted from upgrading the free account.

Azure provides billing and subscription support without requiring a paid technical support plan.^6^ Creating the request normally requires Owner, Contributor, Support Request Contributor, or equivalent subscription-level permission.^7^

References

1. Setting up Azure Free Account - Microsoft Q&A
2. Avoid charges with your Azure free account
3. Create services included with Azure free account
4. Troubleshoot issues when you sign up for a new account in the Azure portal
5. How to contact MS support about an Azure billing and issue with subscription deployment - Microsoft Q&A
6. Manage costs and billing for your Azure resources
7. Create an Azure support request