Azure Free Credits: How to Use Them and What to Expect

Azure free credits are a fantastic way to get started with Microsoft's cloud platform without spending a dime. You can get up to $200 in free credits per month, which is a great opportunity to try out Azure services.

To be eligible for these credits, you need to sign up for an Azure account and agree to the free account terms. This will give you access to a variety of services, including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Storage, and Azure Databricks.

With free credits, you can create and deploy up to 5 virtual machines, each with a 4-core processor and 14 GB of RAM. This is a great way to test out Azure's virtualization capabilities.

You can also use the free credits to store up to 5 GB of data in Azure Storage, which is a great way to try out Azure's cloud storage options.

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To get started with Azure free credits, first visit the Azure Free Account page and click on the "Start free" button. This will prompt you to sign in with your Microsoft account, which you can create if you don't already have one.

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You'll then be asked to verify your identity by providing your phone number and adding your credit card information. Don't worry, no charges will be applied to your card unless you choose to upgrade your account to a pay-as-you-go model.

Carefully review and accept the terms and conditions, privacy policy, and service agreements provided by Microsoft. This ensures you understand the scope of the free trial and its limitations.

After completing these steps, you'll be directed to the Azure portal, your central hub for managing all Azure services. You'll also see your $200 credits and free services listed here.

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If you're a Visual Studio subscriber, you get Azure credits every month that you can use to explore and try Azure services.

Your Azure credits will stop when you reach the monthly cap, unless you choose to remove the spending cap by upgrading to pay-as-you-go pricing.

The amount of Azure credits you receive depends on the type of Visual Studio subscription you have.

On a similar theme: Is Azure Data Studio Free

To get started with Azure, you'll need a few basic things. You'll need a credit card, an email address, and a phone number. If you're a student, you can register for an Azure for Students account using a valid student college email id.

If you're already a Visual Studio subscriber, you're in luck - you get Azure credits every month. The amount of credits you receive depends on your Visual Studio subscription type.

Here are the details on what you need to get started:

Your Visual Studio subscription type determines the monthly Azure credits you receive.

Azure free services are available to any Azure account holder. You can find them by logging into the Azure portal and heading over to the Free services page.

You'll need a pay-as-you-go account if your usage exceeds the limits for free services or if you need additional services. This way, Azure can bill the overages.

Azure offers a range of free services, and you can do a lot with them. Just check out the summary of every free service in Azure as of this writing.

I've helped several users get started with Azure free credits, and I've noticed a few common questions and issues. One user, Ehab khedr fathy, asked if they can get an account as a student and then switch to a non-student account later, and my response would be that it's possible to create a student account, but it's not clear if you can switch to a non-student account.

Some users have had trouble with the payment details section, like Manas Pal, who got stuck at the "Enter Payment details" section with a debit card. To resolve this, you can try enabling international payments for your card, but it didn't work for Manas. Another user, Taha Diwan, asked if they can create a free trial Azure account with a debit card, and the answer is yes, you can do that.

If you're trying to create an Azure free account, you might encounter the message "You're not eligible for an Azure free account", like Kevin did. He already checked all the info and contacted Azure support, but the issue wasn't resolved. It's unclear what causes this issue, but it might be worth trying again or checking the Azure website for any updates.

Intriguing read: Azure for Student

To login to Microsoft Azure for the first time, you'll need to register and create an account, which can be done using a hotmail ID, as Georges did. However, it's not clear if you'll be able to login using the same hotmail ID every time.

Here are some common questions and answers about Azure free credits:

One user, Mohamed, had a country problem that caused them to get confused about creating a student account for free. To resolve this, you can try contacting Azure support or checking the Azure website for any updates.

Finally, Deniss asked about creating a 4v core and 16gb ram account, and whether the 200$ credit is for the free tier or not. The answer is unclear, but it's worth trying to contact Azure support for more information.

You can get Azure free credits if you're a new customer, meaning you haven't paid for or used Azure before.

An Azure Free Account is only available to new customers, so if you've already used Azure, you won't be eligible.

You can create services in any region that supports the service, and you can create multiple instances as long as the total is within the permitted limits.

If you're a Visual Studio subscriber, you get Azure credits every month that you can use to explore and try Azure services, without needing a credit card.

The amount of Azure credits you receive depends on the type of Visual Studio subscription you have, and you'll stop using Azure services when you reach the monthly cap unless you upgrade to pay-as-you-go pricing.

Inactive accounts for greater than 90 days may have resources removed, so make sure to use your free credits within the allowed time frame.

Related reading: How to Use Windows Azure

If you're a Visual Studio subscriber, you get Azure credits every month that you can use to explore and try Azure services. These credits can be used right away without needing a credit card.

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The amount of Azure credits you receive depends on the type of Visual Studio subscription you have.

You can use the credits to apply for any overages if you go over the spending limits within the first 30 days. This means you can use up to $200 to cover overages incurred within that time frame.

Unused credits cannot be rolled over at the end of the 30 days or transferred to another subscription. This means you need to use them or lose them within the given timeframe.

Several products are not eligible for the credits, including Azure support plans, Azure DevOps, and separately licensed products from Azure like Microsoft Azure Active Directory Premium.

Azure is free for students, but they need to provide a valid student ID from their university or college. If the email ID is accepted by Microsoft, a free account can be obtained without a credit or debit card.

Azure is not completely free for a lifetime, but it does offer a free trial that allows users to access a limited amount of resources for up to 12 months. This trial includes $200 worth of credits to test out various Azure services and features.

The free trial period is 12 months, during which you can use the $200 worth of credits without incurring additional charges. After the trial period ends, you'll need to upgrade to a paid subscription to continue using Azure.