Pay As You Go licensing

Read on here.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/sql-server-enterprise/#pricing

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I'll follow up with the question, why is the Pay As You Go license automatically applied when Install a new SQL VM?

Best option is to start a billing support ticket for resolution.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-portal/supportability/how-to-create-azure-support-request

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Hi @Miles Schor ,

the PAYG license is automatically applied by default (Microsoft standard). But you can change this right after deployment to Azure Hybrid Benefit.
This is the default for all Azure services I am aware of. But if available for the Azure service you can switch to Azure Hybrid Benefit.

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Regards
Andreas Baumgarten

Hi @Miles Schor ,
There are three license models for an Azure VM that's hosting SQL Server: pay-as-you-go, Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB), and High Availability/Disaster Recovery(HA/DR). You can modify the license model of your SQL Server VM by using the Azure portal, the Azure CLI, or PowerShell. While you create a SQL Server VM, you have this option to select the licensing model. For more details, please visit - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/licensing-model-azure-hybrid-benefit-ahb-change?tabs=azure-portal

Note: SQL Server Developer edition is free for development and testing, not production. Also, SQL Express is free for lightweight workloads

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