Need help to get Free Subscription

Question

Need help to get Free Subscription

Tejash 0

Hi Team, I have not utilized my Azure free subscription yet. could you please help me how to re-enable or restore the free subscription. so that I can start using the available credits for learning and practice

Siva shunmugam Nadessin 10,905 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-16T03:43:00.9366667+00:00
Hello Tejash,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

It sounds like you’ve got an Azure Free subscription that’s currently disabled (or hasn’t been activated yet) and you want to get it back so you can use your $200 credit and 12 months of free services. Here’s how you can do that:

Sign in to the Azure portal • Go to https://portal.azure.com and log in with the account that holds your free subscription.

Open the Subscriptions blade • In the top search bar type “Subscriptions” and select it from the results.

Find your Free Subscription • Look for the subscription named “Free Trial” (or “Azure for Students Starter” if you signed up with your student credentials).

Re-enable (upgrade) your subscription • If you see a button labeled Upgrade subscription or an Upgrade banner at the top, click it. • You’ll be prompted to add a payment method (credit/debit card) and verify your phone number, if you haven’t already. • Give your subscription a display name and choose a support plan (you can stick with the free/developer plan if you don’t need paid support). • Click Upgrade.

That upgrade action will:

Preserve whatever unused credit you still have for the remainder of your initial 30-day period.

Unlock 12 months of free-tier services even after your credit runs out.

Immediately re-enable any disabled resources (just keep an eye on your usage so you don’t accidentally incur charges).

If you signed up as a student, the steps are the same—just pick your “Students Starter” subscription in step 3.

Hope that gets you back up and running!

Reference docs:

• Upgrade your Azure free account:

https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/upgrade-azure-subscription

• How to upgrade an Azure for Students Starter account:

https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/upgrade-azure-subscription#upgrade-your-azure-for-students-starter-account

• Azure support plans (choose “Developer” if you want no-cost support):

https://azure.microsoft.com/support/plans/

1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Azure free and student-type subscriptions cannot be “reset” back to a fresh free trial, but in many cases the existing subscription can be reactivated or upgraded so remaining benefits can be used, depending on why it was disabled.

Use these steps based on the likely situation:

Check why the subscription is disabled
- Free/Trial and student offers are disabled when:
  - The initial credit expires (for example, $200 for Free Trial, $100 for Azure for Students).
  - The spending limit/credit is fully used.
  - The 12‑month free-services period ends.
  - The subscription is canceled or blocked.
- For Azure for Students, credit and status can be checked in the Microsoft Azure Sponsorships portal as described in the documentation.
If this is an Azure for Students subscription and credit/12 months are not over
- Azure for Students gives $100 credit for 12 months plus free services.
- If the subscription was disabled because the credit was used up but the 12 months are not over, it can be continued by upgrading to a pay‑as‑you‑go subscription:
  - Contact Azure support from the portal to upgrade the Azure for Students subscription to pay‑as‑you‑go. After upgrade, free services for the remainder of the 12 months remain, and only usage beyond free limits is billed.
- If it was accidentally canceled, contact Azure support to reactivate it; remaining credit and free services for the 12‑month period remain available.
If this is an Azure free account (Free Trial) and the 30‑day credit period has ended
- When the $200 credit period ends, the Free Trial subscription is disabled to prevent charges.
- To continue using any remaining free services (within the 12‑month free-services period), upgrade the subscription in the Azure portal to pay‑as‑you‑go. After upgrade, free services remain available for 12 months; only usage beyond free quantities is charged.
If the subscription was disabled because the credit/spending limit was fully used
- For Free Trial or other credit-based offers with a spending limit, once the limit is reached the subscription is disabled for the rest of the billing period.
- To keep using services, remove the spending limit (for eligible offers) or upgrade to pay‑as‑you‑go as documented. Once upgraded, services are re-enabled and normal pay‑as‑you‑go rates apply.
If the subscription or tenant is blocked or deleted due to inactivity
- If the subscription was blocked due to inactivity, follow the guidance in the subscription-disabled article (including contacting Azure Billing Support if needed).
- If the subscription was deleted due to inactivity, it cannot be reactivated; a new subscription must be created.
If none of the above paths work
- Create a billing/support request from the Azure portal (Help + support) so the support team can review the specific subscription state and advise whether it can be reactivated or must be upgraded/renewed.

In summary, an existing free subscription itself cannot be restored as a new free trial, but if it is only disabled (not deleted) and still within its benefit period, it can typically be reactivated or upgraded so remaining free services/credits can be used. If the free period and credit are fully expired, upgrading to pay‑as‑you‑go or creating a new eligible offer (for example, Azure for Students if still a student) is required.

References: