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As an admin, you can buy or remove licenses for your business subscriptions in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Note
If you're the person who signed up for the subscription, you're automatically a Billing account owner.
Find out what type of billing account you have.
If you have an MCA billing account type, you can buy more licenses for your subscription at any time. However, you can only remove licenses from your subscription if it’s within seven days of buying or renewing your subscription. For more information, see Remove licenses from your subscription.
Check out this video and others on our YouTube channel.
If you found this video helpful, check out the complete training series for small businesses and those new to Microsoft 365 on YouTube.
If you buy licenses in the middle of your billing period, you have seven days from when you buy them to reduce the number of licenses you bought.
Check out this video and others on our YouTube channel.
If you found this video helpful, check out the complete training series for small businesses and those new to Microsoft 365 on YouTube.
You can only remove licenses from your subscription during a limited time window after you buy or renew your subscription, or if you recently bought more licenses. If the window is closed, the subscription details page lists the date when your plan changes take effect.
Note
You can only remove licenses when recurring billing is turned on.
Prepaid product licenses are issued to you as a 25-character alphanumeric code, called a product key. After you buy the licenses you need, you can add them to your subscription by using the following steps. You can also use a product key to extend the expiration date of your subscription.
Note
If you don't want to buy a new product key, you can always choose to add a credit card or debit card to your subscription to pay for more licenses. For more information, see What if I have a prepaid subscription?.
Note
If you have more than one product key, you can select Add another product key to enter them.
If you used a product key to add licenses and you want to reduce the number of licenses in your subscription, you must renew your subscription with a product key that has fewer licenses.
This table describes the reasons why the Buy licenses or Remove licenses buttons aren't available, and possible solutions.
Reason | Description | Solution |
---|---|---|
A credit check is pending. | If a credit check is pending, you can't buy or remove licenses until the credit check is complete. | Check back later to see if the credit check is complete. Credit checks typically take up to two working days to complete. After the credit check is complete, you can select the Buy licenses and Remove licenses buttons. |
You activated the subscription by using a product key. | If the subscription was bought and activated by using a 25-character product key, you see the word "Prepaid" in the Purchase channel column of the Your products page. | See Add licenses to a prepaid subscription by using a product key. |
You bought your subscription through a reseller. | You see the word "Reseller" in the Purchase information section under Purchase channel on the subscription details page, and in the Purchase channel column of the Your products page. | If you bought the subscription through a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partner, contact your CSP partner to buy more licenses. |
You have a trial subscription. | To view your trial subscriptions, select the filter button, then choose Trial. | First buy your trial subscription, then you can buy more licenses. |
The product has reached end of sale | On the subscription details page, you see the following message: "This product is no longer available to buy, so some actions below are turned off." | You can buy a different subscription. In some cases, you might be able to convert your subscription. For more information, see Understand end-of-sale products in the Microsoft 365 admin center |
The payment method associated with your subscription or billing profile is charged as soon as you buy more licenses for a subscription. The licenses are immediately available for you to assign to users.
If you prepaid for your subscription with a product key, you can add more licenses by using another product key, or by adding a credit card or debit card to cover the extra cost of the new licenses. If your subscription is prepaid, you can't remove licenses.
Licenses added in the middle of your billing period appear on your next invoice. If you pay annually, you're invoiced within a month for these changes.
If you have an MCA billing account type, you have seven days to reduce the number of licenses. If you reduce the number of licenses after that seven day period, the change appears on the first invoice you receive after the subscription renewal date.
If you have an MOSA billing account type, the previous charge for the original number of licenses is deducted on your next invoice. We add a prorated charge for the time period with the original number of licenses and add a charge for the new license count. There's also a charge for the current license count for the remainder of your billing period.
If you bought more licenses for your subscription, the next thing you should do is assign those licenses to users in your organization.
If you reduced the number of licenses for your subscription because someone left your organization, you might want to remove that user's account. To learn more, see Remove a former employee.
Assign Microsoft 365 licenses to users (article)
Understand subscriptions and licenses in Microsoft 365 for business (article)
Try or buy a Microsoft 365 subscription (article)
Events
Microsoft 365 Community Conference
May 6, 2 PM - May 9, 12 AM
Skill up for the era of AI at the ultimate community-led Microsoft 365 event, May 6-8 in Las Vegas.
Learn moreTraining
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