How do I extend our credits

Question

Hi there, our credits will expire at the end of July. How do we extend the expiry date, as we still have half remaining?

Answer 1

Hello @Jack

Thank you for reaching out on Microsoft Q&A.

Unfortunately, Azure credits cannot be extended beyond their defined validity period, regardless of how much balance remains. Unused credits do not roll over, and there is no self-service option or support process to push out the expiration date. This applies across Azure credit types like startup credits, sponsorship credits, and nonprofit grants.

Here's what you can do based on the type of credits you have:

If you're on Microsoft for Startups (Startup Credit Offer):

• The $1,000 credit is valid for 90 days from redemption, and the $5,000 credit (after business verification) is valid for 180 days. These timelines are fixed and cannot be extended.
• Once credits expire or are fully consumed, your subscription automatically converts to Pay-As-You-Go — you'll only be charged for what you use going forward.

Reference: Get up to $5,000 in Azure Credits for Startups

If you're on Microsoft for Startups Investor Offer (Sponsorship Credits):

• "Extensions are not available" for Azure credits provided through the Investor Offer. You have 2 years from activation to use them, and that window cannot be pushed out.
• However, you may be able to unlock additional credits by demonstrating active usage of key Azure services (such as Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, etc.) spending $100 or more in a single month on qualifying services can increase your credit allocation.
• For any specific account-level concerns, submit a support request through the Microsoft for Startups Portal.

References:

Azure Credits & Billing FAQs

Unlock More Azure Credits

If you're on a Nonprofit Azure Sponsorship ($2,000/year):

• Nonprofit Azure grants can be renewed each year (but not extended mid-term). Renewal becomes available up to 30 days before the grant's annual expiration date.
• To renew: Sign in to the https://nonprofit.microsoft.com/ → Select Nonprofit Grants → Click Renew Now next to your Azure grant and follow the guided steps.
• Note that unused credits from the current year do not carry over to the renewed period.

Reference: Renew Your Azure Grant.

What Happens When Credits Expire?

Regardless of credit type, when your credits expire or are exhausted, your Azure subscription automatically converts to Pay-As-You-Go. A valid payment method on file ensures your services continue running without interruption, and you'll only pay for what you use.

Reference: Track Your Azure Startup Credit Usage.

Please have a look into below Recommended Next Steps:

1. Identify your credit type — Check in the Azure portal under Cost Management + Billing to confirm which offer you're on.
2. Plan your usage — If you have half your credits remaining, consider deploying or testing workloads before the July expiry to maximize value.
3. Ensure a payment method is on file — This prevents service disruption when the subscription converts to Pay-As-You-Go.

I hope this helps clarify things. Please feel free to follow up if you have additional questions.

If you found the comment helpful, please consider clicking "Upvote it".

Thanks,

Suchitra.

Answer 2

Azure credits from grants, sponsorships, or subscriptions generally cannot have their expiry date extended, and unused balances do not roll over.

From the provided information:

• Nonprofit Azure grants: Unused credits expire at the end of the grant year and do not roll over or get extended. The annual amount also cannot be increased. After expiration, the Azure Sponsorship can be renewed, but new credits are not applied retroactively and any usage between expiration and renewal is billed at standard pay-as-you-go rates.
• Partner/benefit Azure credits: Monthly credits lapse at the end of each month if not used and do not carry forward. Yearly (bulk) credits are valid only between their start and end dates.
• Visual Studio subscription credits: When the subscription ends, the associated monthly Azure dev/test credit ends as well. To keep using Azure, it is necessary to either maintain/renew the subscription that provides the credit, move resources to another subscription with credits, or convert to pay-as-you-go.
• Startup/sponsorship credits: When credits are exhausted or expire, the subscription automatically converts to pay-as-you-go; charges then apply per usage.

To avoid losing access to resources when credits or the associated subscription end:

1. Review the type of credit (nonprofit grant, Visual Studio, partner benefit, startup/sponsorship) and its end date in the Azure portal or Partner Center, as applicable.
2. If the subscription that carries the credits is expiring, either:
   • Renew/maintain the underlying benefit or grant (for example, renew the nonprofit Azure grant or Visual Studio subscription), understanding that unused credits will not be carried over; or
   • Allow the subscription to convert to pay-as-you-go so services continue running and are billed normally.
3. If changing to another subscription (for example, another grant, benefit, or pay-as-you-go), move Azure resources to the new subscription before the current one is disabled to avoid loss of access.

There is no supported mechanism in the provided material to extend the expiry date of existing unused Azure credits or to roll them over beyond their defined validity period.

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References:

• Renew your Azure grant
• Track your Azure startup credit usage
• Use your Azure credits
• Maintain a Visual Studio subscription for Azure credit access
• Renew an expired subscription, purchase a new one, or transfer your Azure resources