New Azure accounts get $200 in general-purpose credit for the first 30 days plus a year of limited free services. A phone number and a non-prepaid card are required.
$200 of Azure credit to spend in your first 30 days on services that aren't in the free list, or above the free amounts, plus free monthly amounts of 20+ popular services for 12 months (new Azure customers only). Microsoft describes the credit as usable on most Azure services and excludes Marketplace and third-party products; its pages don't enumerate AI-specific coverage, so confirm Azure OpenAI / Azure AI availability on your subscription. When 30 days pass or the credit runs out, Microsoft says your account and services are disabled unless you move to pay-as-you-go — moving is also what keeps the 12 months of free services.
How to claim it
Go to the Azure free account page and sign up
Verify your identity with a phone number and a non-prepaid card
Spend the $200 credit within 30 days (general-purpose; confirm Azure AI / Azure OpenAI availability on your subscription)
Verification history and earlier terms
This dated editorial record includes superseded conditions. Use the current facts
above for eligibility and access.
The 30-day credit window is per account and starts at signup. Re-verified 2026-07-03: the $200/30-day credit, 12 months of free services, and the phone + non-prepaid card requirement are all confirmed verbatim on azure.microsoft.com (only credit cards accepted in Hong Kong and Brazil). Whether the credit covers Azure OpenAI specifically is not spelled out on the primary pages — the credit is described only as applying to services outside the free list; softened our copy accordingly and tracking as V27. Re-verified 2026-08-15 on learn.microsoft.com (page dated 2026-03-03): 'Eligible new users get $200 Azure credit in your billing currency for the first 30 days and a limited quantity of free services for 12 months' — unchanged verbatim. Note that Microsoft for Startups now also grants $200 in starter credits by a different route (see the Microsoft for Startups offer); the two are separate programs. Re-verified 2026-09-13: unchanged — "Eligible new users get $200 Azure credit in your billing currency for the first 30 days and a limited quantity of free services for 12 months"; the subscription is disabled when the credit runs out or expires at 30 days unless you upgrade. Re-verified 2026-10-10: unchanged on the offer terms (azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/offers/ms-azr-0044p/): 'We offer eligible customers $200 in Azure credits (“Credits”) to be used within the first 30 days of sign-up and 12 months of select free services (services subject to change).' Payment: 'All you need is a phone number, a credit card or a debit card (non-prepaid), and a Microsoft account or a GitHub account. Only credit cards are accepted in Hong Kong and Brazil.' Learn (avoid-charges-free-account, updated 2026-03-25) is unchanged verbatim. Corrected our whatYouGet: Microsoft's purchase-options FAQ says that if you don't move to pay-as-you-go, 'your account and services will be disabled'. The terms say 'Within 30 days of sign-up or upon exhaustion of the credits (whichever occurs first), you must upgrade to a pay-as-you-go subscription by removing the spending limit. This allows continued use of the Azure free account and select free services for the term.' So the account does not stay free on its own. Azure OpenAI coverage is still not enumerated: the credit is usable 'on most Azure services', excluding Marketplace, third-party branded products and the listed services. V27 copy stays general-purpose. Note: a Microsoft account used for this free account is ineligible for Microsoft for Startups (Learn startups FAQ). ADVERSARIALLY RE-VERIFIED 2026-10-10: UPHELD on three Microsoft sources — 'If you don’t, your account and services will be disabled' (azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account) and 'Within 30 days of sign-up or upon exhaustion of the credits (whichever occurs first), you must upgrade to a pay-as-you-go subscription' (ms-azr-0044p offer terms). CORRECTION: our copy had said 'After the credit period you stay on a free account unless you upgrade', which contradicted Microsoft — fixed. 'startups' tag dropped: this is not a startup offer. Re-verified 2026-10-21 in the audit-remediation source sweep: current primary offer page and the material eligibility, validity, unit and payment evidence recorded in SOURCE-VERIFICATION.csv. Historical notes above are retained as history, not current terms. No account was created and no claim was submitted.
Verified students get $100 in Azure credits for 12 months with no credit card, usable on Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models — and renewable each year you are still a student.
Free value
$100
Card required
No card
Application deadline
No deadline stated
Credit validity
12 months after signup
Who
You must affirm you are age 18 or older and attend an accredited, degree-granting two-year or four-year institution as a full-time student, and verify academic status through your institution's email address. One subscription per eligible customer, non-transferable, and not combinable with other offers. Microsoft states activations are in limited supply and the offer runs only while supplies last.
Available subject to the provider eligibility and usage conditions.
Microsoft for Startups offers $1,000 in starter Azure credits after account setup and approval-dependent expansion up to $150,000. It is for eligible early-stage B2B startups; a personal Microsoft account with no prior Azure use and card details are required.
Free value
Up to $150,000
Card required
Card required
Application deadline
No deadline stated
Credit validity
Credit stages have different validity periods. Azure for Startups advertises 90 days initially and 180 days after verification; these are not the validity of every $150,000 award.
Who
B2B startups building software, AI or technology solutions — privately held and independent (not a subsidiary), pre-seed through Series B (Microsoft says you must "Not have raised Series C funding or later"), working toward or already at an MVP, and headquartered in a supported region. Open to founders with or without an investor referral code. A Microsoft account already used for the Azure free account, Azure for Students or another Azure offer is ineligible.
Available subject to the provider eligibility and usage conditions.