FREE TIER ACCOUNT CREATION ISSUE

For a first-time Azure signup, two separate things are happening in this scenario:

1. Free-tier / free-account eligibility
   • An Azure free account gives a $200 credit for 30 days plus a limited amount of certain services free for 12 months, and some services that are always free. Only specific tiers and quantities are free.
   • If a service or tier that isn’t in the free list is selected, or its free limits are exceeded, normal pay-as-you-go rates are charged even if the subscription started as “free”.
   • To avoid charges, services must be created from the Free services page in the Azure portal and the free tier option must be explicitly selected when creating each resource.
2. Money deducted from the (virtual) card
   • During sign-up, Azure performs identity verification by card. This can place a small, temporary verification hold on the card.
   • That verification hold is not a permanent charge and is typically removed by the bank within 3–5 days.
   • If actual usage charges appear, they come from using services or tiers that are not free, or from exceeding free limits.

Concrete steps to take now:

1. Confirm what was charged
   • Check the card/bank statement:
     • If the amount is small and appears right after signup, it is likely the temporary verification hold and should disappear in a few days.
     • If the amount is larger or persists, it is likely usage.
2. Check subscription and usage in the Azure portal
   • Sign in to the Azure portal.
   • Go to Subscriptions and select the subscription created with the free account.
   • Review the free services grid and the expiration date of free benefits.
   • Use the cost management views under the subscription to see which services are incurring cost.
3. Ensure only free services are used going forward
   • In the Azure portal, search for Free services and create resources only from that page.
   • When creating each resource, verify that the free tier or free configuration is selected (for example, free VM sizes, free Cosmos DB tier, etc.).
4. If the charge looks wrong or you need help
   • If the card shows a charge that is not just a temporary hold, or if there is confusion about the bill, a support request can be opened from the Azure portal under Help + support so billing can be reviewed.
   • If Azure services are not going to be used, the subscription can be canceled from the portal to prevent further charges.

References:

• Avoid charges with your Azure free account
• Create services included with Azure free account
• Create an Azure account
• Troubleshoot issues when you sign up for a new account in the Azure portal

Hi @Damilola Akinrefon , it sounds like you’re hitting eligibility checks when trying to sign up for an Azure free-tier account—and you’re seeing a temporary hold on your card. Here are a few things to try and check:

1. Make sure you haven’t already activated a free offer or free-tier subscription with that Microsoft account
   • Azure only allows one free-trial or free-tier subscription per account. If you’ve ever done a free trial, Pay-As-You-Go, Visual Studio credit, or similar, you won’t be able to get another free trial.
2. Verify your account and payment info is correct
   • Sign in to your Microsoft account profile (account.microsoft.com) and confirm your name, address, phone, and credit-card details exactly match your bank’s records.
   • Virtual/prepaid cards aren’t supported. Make sure your card is enabled for international transactions.
3. Understand the temporary charge
   • Azure does an authorization hold (often $1 or local-currency equivalent) to verify your card. It isn’t an actual charge and typically drops off in 3–5 business days.
4. Try a different browser or an InPrivate/Incognito window
   • Browser cookies or cached data can sometimes hang the identity-verification steps.
5. If you see “You are not eligible” or the Free-tier switch is disabled in the portal
   • It usually means you already have a free-tier/subscription in that directory or subscription.
   • You can use Azure CLI to list your existing subscriptions: az account list --output table

If you’ve checked all of the above and it still fails, please share:

• The exact error message you see in the portal (or a screenshot)
• Whether this is your very first Azure signup ever, or if you’ve had any previous subscriptions or trials
• Which country/region you’re signing up from

With that info we can dig deeper. Good luck, and let us know what you find!

Reference links:

• Troubleshoot sign-up issues: https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/troubleshoot-azure-sign-up
• Azure free account FAQ: https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account
• Understand verification holds: https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/create-free-services