Azure Free Account Credit Management

Welcome to the comprehensive guide on managing your Azure Free Account credits. Understanding and effectively managing your credits is crucial to maximize your experience with Azure services.

Total Credit

$200

USD

Remaining Credit

$185.50

USD

Expires

Oct 26, 2024

Understanding Your Credits

Your Azure Free Account comes with a significant credit amount to explore and use Azure services. This credit is typically valid for the first 30 days after signing up.

  • Initial Credit: A fixed amount provided upon account activation.
  • Validity Period: The period during which the credit can be used.
  • Usage: The credit is consumed as you use Azure services.
Tip: Monitor your credit balance regularly through the Azure portal to avoid unexpected service interruptions.

How Credits are Applied

Azure credits are automatically applied to your eligible usage. When you use a service that qualifies for the free account, the cost is deducted from your credit balance.

Commonly included services that consume credits:

  • Virtual Machines (select sizes)
  • Storage Accounts
  • Azure SQL Database
  • App Services
  • Azure Functions
Important: Not all Azure services are covered by the free account. Check the Azure Free Account Benefits page for a detailed list of included services and limits.

Monitoring Your Credit Usage

The Azure portal provides robust tools to track your credit and resource usage.

Credit Usage Breakdown (Last 7 Days)

[Placeholder for an interactive usage chart. Imagine a donut chart showing credit consumption by service category.]

Compute
Storage
Networking
Other

Viewing Detailed Usage

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
  2. Navigate to your **Subscription**.
  3. Under **Billing**, select **Cost analysis**.
  4. Filter by the "Azure Free Credit" for a specific view of credit consumption.

What Happens When Credits Run Out?

If your free account credits are exhausted before the 30-day period ends, your services might be paused or disabled to prevent further charges. You will typically receive notifications from Azure before this happens.

Note: To continue using Azure services after your free credits are depleted, you'll need to upgrade to a Pay-As-You-Go subscription.

Best Practices for Credit Management

  • Set Budget Alerts: Configure alerts in the Azure portal to notify you when your spending reaches a certain threshold.
  • Understand Service Costs: Familiarize yourself with the pricing of services you intend to use.
  • Right-size Resources: Choose the most appropriate VM sizes and service tiers to avoid over-provisioning.
  • Shut Down Unused Resources: Turn off or deallocate virtual machines and other resources when not in use.
  • Leverage Free Tiers: Many services have a "free tier" that offers limited usage without consuming your credit.
Explore Azure Services Track Your Usage