To keep using Azure services after free credits expire or to avoid disruptions on credit-based plans, you’ll need to enable billing by upgrading your subscription or removing any spending limits.
🔄 Upgrade a Free Trial to Pay-As-You-Go
- Go to the Azure Portal.
- Click Subscriptions in the left menu.
- Select your Free Trial subscription.
- Click Upgrade Subscription or use the upgrade banner.
- Follow the prompts to add a payment method.
- Confirm the upgrade to Pay-As-You-Go.
✅ Result: Your $0 spending limit is removed, and you’re billed for usage going forward.
💳 Remove the Spending Limit on a Credit-Based Subscription
- In the Azure Portal, go to Cost Management + Billing > Subscriptions.
- Select your subscription (e.g., Visual Studio Enterprise).
- On the overview page, click Remove Spending Limit.
- Choose to remove it indefinitely or for the current billing period.
- Add or confirm your payment method.
✅ Result: Your services continue even after you use up monthly credits.
♻️ Reactivate a Disabled Subscription
- In the Azure Portal, go to Subscriptions.
- Find the subscription with a Disabled status.
- Click Reactivate.
- Pay any outstanding balance or upgrade the offer if prompted.
✅ Result: Your subscription becomes active and billing is enabled.
🧯 Troubleshooting
- Make sure you have the right billing permissions.
- Try a different card if your payment method fails.
- Contact Azure Support if reactivation options are missing.