Cannot send email, despite having more storage space

Question

I paid for more storage, and I still cannot send emails. Once I go into my storage it says I have only used 5.69/100 GB. I am already paying for it. Why is this happening. NOBODY TO CONTACT OR ANSWER!!!! HELP!!!!

Answer 1

Hi @jimeco s a JIMECO, 

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you very much for reaching out regarding the email sending issue and the extra storage purchase you made. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know what happened, and I’m sorry to hear that you’re still unable to send emails even after making a payment. 

In many cases like this, the issue comes from how Microsoft storage works behind the scenes: Outlook mailbox storage (email) is separate from OneDrive storage (files). The amount you see for example, 5.69 / 100 GB used usually reflects OneDrive storage, not the email mailbox. 

Because these two systems are independent, it’s possible that the purchase increased OneDrive, but did not increase the Outlook mailbox, or the purchase may have been applied to a different account. 

Since I don’t yet have details about your account type, I’ll share guidance for both personal and work/school accounts. Please follow the steps that match your situation. 

Option 1 - Personal Outlook.com account (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, etc.) 

1/ Confirm what you purchased and which account it applied to 

Please sign in at: account.microsoft.com > Services & subscriptions and Order history 

Check the product name and status: 

• Microsoft 365 Basic / Microsoft 365 Personal > these increase Outlook.com mailbox storage (typically up to ~100 GB). 
• OneDrive additional storage / OneDrive 100 GB > this increases OneDrive only and does not increase email mailbox storage. 

Make sure you are signed in with the same email address that is showing the “storage full” warnings. 

2/ Check your actual Outlook.com mailbox usage 

You can view your mailbox storage this way: 
Outlook.live.com > Settings > View all Outlook settings > General > Storage 

This will show which folders are taking up space (including Sent Items, Deleted Items, Junk Email, etc.). 

Microsoft’s official limits for Outlook.com are summarized here: Storage limits in Outlook.com - Microsoft Support 

3/ If you purchased OneDrive storage but actually need more email space 

If the purchase was only for OneDrive 100 GB, this will not affect your mailbox size. 

You may want to: 

• Request a refund from your Order history (eligibility and time limits apply). 
• Then purchase Microsoft 365 Basic or Microsoft 365 Personal, which increases the Outlook.com mailbox capacity. 

After upgrading, please allow a few hours for the new mailbox quota to apply, then sign out and sign back in before checking Settings > Storage again. 

4/ Free up mailbox space immediately (recommended) 

To restore sending/receiving quickly: 

• Empty Deleted Items and Junk Email folders 
• Permanently delete items in Recoverable Items (“restore deleted items” area) 
• Download large attachments or save them to OneDrive, then delete the emails containing them 
• Use Sweep to quickly remove bulk or older emails from the same sender 

5/ Contact support 

• In account.microsoft.com > Support/Get help, type “talk to an agent” to be routed to a person.  
• Or in Outlook.com (web), click Help (?) > Contact support.  

Option 2 - Work or School Account (Microsoft 365 Business/Education) 

Mailbox size and storage policies are controlled by your organization’s admin. Purchases made under a personal Microsoft account typically do not increase a work/school mailbox. 

Please follow the steps below: 

1/ Immediate cleanup steps (your side) 

• Empty Deleted Items and Junk Email 
• Permanently clear Recoverable Items 
• Move older/larger mail to the Online Archive (if enabled) 
• Save large attachments externally and remove emails to free space 
• Mailbox storage limits in Outlook - Microsoft Support 

2/ About OneDrive for work/school 

If your issue also involves OneDrive capacity, your admin can change per-user OneDrive storage in the SharePoint admin center as documented here: Change a specific user's OneDrive storage space - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn 

3/ Contact your IT administrator 

Ask them to review: 

• Your Exchange Online mailbox quota 
• Whether Archive mailbox (or auto-expanding archive) can be enabled 
• Whether a license with a larger mailbox should be assigned (e.g., Exchange Online Plan 2, Microsoft 365 E3/E5) 

4/ Contact support  

• Your Microsoft 365 admin can open a support ticket with Microsoft from the Microsoft Admin center to speak to a live agent.  

We kindly ask for your understanding that, as moderators, we do not have access to the administrative tools or permissions required to investigate or modify these configurations. We also do not have the capability to initiate remote sessions for direct assistance. Our role is to guide users to the appropriate resources and support channels.     

I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out.   

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. 

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