How to fix e5 Subscription

Chris Ian 0 Reputation points
2026-09-08T01:39:44.71+00:00

I have already my Visual Studio Subscription and wanted to use the Microsoft 365 E5 Sandbox.

But it is still asking me for card details. Isn't this already part of my subscription?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Development | Microsoft 365 Developer Program

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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-08T01:39:59+00:00

    If the Microsoft 365 E5 sandbox is being requested through the Microsoft 365 Developer Program, the Visual Studio benefit does include the developer subscription, but setup can still prompt for additional verification during sandbox creation.

    What is supported:

    1. Only Visual Studio Professional standard or Visual Studio Enterprise standard subscriptions are eligible for the automatically renewable Microsoft 365 E5 developer subscription. Monthly Visual Studio subscriptions are not eligible.
    2. The supported activation path is:
    3. If the subscription was already created, it can be linked from the Developer Program dashboard using Link with your Visual Studio subscription so it renews automatically while the Visual Studio subscription remains active.
    4. A new tenant is required for activation; an existing tenant cannot be used.

    For the card-details prompt specifically, the documented workaround in a matching case is to choose Configurable Sandbox instead of Instant Sandbox during setup. In that case, setup continued without requesting payment information.

    If the goal is to avoid a paid Microsoft 365 flow, start again from the Visual Studio | My Benefits tile or from the Developer Program dashboard Set up E5 subscription button, and select Configurable Sandbox when prompted.

    References:

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  2. Jade Ng 15,310 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-08T04:22:58.1366667+00:00

    Dear Chris Ian,

    Although your Visual Studio subscription includes eligibility for the Microsoft 365 E5 Developer Sandbox, Microsoft currently requires a valid billing account during the sandbox provisioning process. The billing information is used for account verification and to support future add-on purchases within the sandbox environment. You will not be charged for the Microsoft 365 E5 Developer Sandbox itself.

    User's image

    For reference:

    Regarding the "Billing not found" message, the instant sandbox typically provisions within minutes. If it takes longer, refresh the Developer Program dashboard page. If the issue persists, contact Microsoft 365 Developer Program support.

    The support team over there has higher permission than us to investigate the issue from background, they have more resource and correct escalation channel in handling this kind of issues. This would be a more efficient way in handling the case for you. 

    Thank you for your understanding. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or if there is anything else I can assist you with.

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