A synchronization issue between Microsoft systems left at least one customer facing a bill after two portals showed different credit balances.
A Register reader found themself on the hook for $16,000 in September after a balance that looked healthy had hit and a subscription switched to pay-as-you-go.
Our reader was one of many who signed up for Microsoft for Startups, a program that offers eligible businesses credits and other resources to build on Microsoft’s platforms.
In reality, those credits had been exhausted in August, and the subscription switched to a pay-as-you-go plan, causing charges to mount quickly. Worse, the notification went to a former administrator who was no longer with the company, even though the account ownership had been transferred.
Since August 17, the company has run up $16,000 in charges, mostly from AI workloads routed to Azure because the portal showed that credits were still available.
Our reader shared an email from a Microsoft for Startups representative explaining, "The discrepancy you are seeing in the Microsoft for Startups portal is due to an ongoing synchronization issue between backend systems."
The Azure Sponsorships portal was accurate.
Our reader said they were told only the Startups team could grant an exception.