We can't upgrade your subscription right now. Please try again later.

Question

When upgrading Account I am getting error message "We can't upgrade your subscription right now. Please try again later."

Answer 1

Hey Rajesh G, sorry you’re running into that “We can’t upgrade your subscription right now” message. That usually means there’s something blocking the billing or subscription state from moving forward. Here are the most common things to check and try:

1. Verify your subscription type & upgrade path
   • Make sure you’re upgrading from a supported SKU (e.g., Free Trial → Pay-As-You-Go). Some SKUs (like certain CSP or EA subscriptions) have different upgrade processes or restrictions.
   • In the Azure portal, go to Cost Management + Billing > Subscriptions and select the subscription you want to upgrade. Check the “Subscription offer” field to confirm it’s eligible for the target offer.
2. Confirm you have the right permissions
   • You need to be an Owner or Billing Administrator on both the subscription and the billing account.
   • If you’re on multiple Azure AD directories, verify you’re in the correct directory where the subscription lives.
3. Check payment method and account status
   • Go to Cost Management + Billing > Payment methods and ensure the card on file is valid, not expired, and has sufficient funds.
   • If your trial has recently expired or you have unpaid invoices, the subscription might be disabled; you’ll need to settle those before upgrading.
4. Try a different browser or the CLI
   • Clear your browser cache or try an InPrivate/Incognito window in case of a portal glitch.
   • Alternatively, you can attempt the upgrade via Azure CLI:

     
          az account subscription update \
     
            --subscription <YourSubscriptionID> \
     
            --sku <TargetSkuName>
     
     

     Replace <YourSubscriptionID> and <TargetSkuName> (e.g., “PayAsYouGo”) as needed.
5. Wait a bit and retry
   • If you just made recent changes to your billing or payment method, it can take 30–60 minutes for the system to reconcile.

If you’re still stuck after trying these, please reply with a bit more detail so we can dig deeper:

Follow-Up Questions

1. What type of subscription are you upgrading from (Free Trial, MSDN, CSP, EA, etc.) and what target SKU are you moving to?
2. Are you seeing any additional error codes or messages besides the “try again later” text?
3. Do you have any unpaid invoices or a recently expired trial on this account?
4. Have you confirmed you’re an Owner or Billing Admin on both the subscription and billing account?
5. Did you try via another browser or the Azure CLI, and if so, what result did you get?
   References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/upgrade-azure-subscription

Answer 2

The error "We can't upgrade your subscription right now. Please try again later" typically indicates a temporary restriction or prerequisite issue on the subscription or billing account.

From the available information, similar subscription/upgrade blocks in Microsoft services are usually caused by one of the following:

1. A limit or temporary block on creating or changing subscriptions
   • When multiple subscriptions are created or changed in a short period, Azure can temporarily block further subscription operations and show a message like "Subscription not created. Please try again later." The documented guidance is to wait and try again later, because the ability to create or modify subscriptions is determined individually based on account history.
   • Ensure existing subscriptions have generated some consumption history before attempting another change.
2. Subscription or billing account not yet fully set up or flagged
   • In some cases, a subscription appears in email or confirmation messages but is not fully created because of an internal account flag or pending review. This can prevent upgrades or changes until Microsoft completes the review.
   • In a documented case, the issue was resolved only after Azure Support and the Azure Review team intervened. The user had to go back to the original support ticket, add more details, and work with support until the flag was cleared.
3. Plan-change eligibility or health issues
   • For Microsoft 365 plans, automatic plan changes can be blocked if:
     • There are more users than licenses.
     • The current subscription is not fully provisioned or a service is unhealthy.
     • Another plan change or credit check is in progress.
   • While this documentation is for Microsoft 365, similar conditions (pending checks, incomplete provisioning, or service incidents) can also block subscription upgrades in other Microsoft services.

Recommended actions:

1. Wait and retry after some time
   • If the upgrade was attempted multiple times in a short period, wait several hours (or up to 24 hours) and try the upgrade again.
2. Verify subscription status and health
   • Confirm that the current subscription is fully active and not in a suspended or pending state.
   • If applicable, check service health or provisioning status in the relevant admin portal. If there are any incidents or incomplete provisioning, wait until all services are healthy and then retry.
3. Ensure no other subscription change or credit check is pending
   • If a previous plan change or credit check was started, wait until it completes before trying to upgrade again.
4. If the issue persists, open or continue a support request
   • If a support ticket has already been opened and shows a message that more information is needed, use the option to return to that ticket and add the requested details instead of creating a new ticket.
   • If no ticket exists, create a support request through the appropriate Microsoft support channel or admin portal so the support or review team can check for account flags or blocked status and clear them.

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References:

• Message appears when you try to create multiple subscriptions
• Upgrade or change to a different Microsoft 365 for business plan
• Can't find the subscription - Microsoft Q&A