Microsoft startup credits are the gift that keeps on billing

"Accessing Anthropic's Claude via Azure AI Foundry incurs charges that startup credits don't cover, something a Microsoft support forum moderator initially insisted wasn't the case. To make matters worse, the system provides few to no notifications warning users when startup credits are converted into real credit card charges."

"A technical lead for Microsoft Azure Subscription and Billing Management acknowledged that 'while deploying the services, the system did not notify you that these credits could not be consumed with your available benefits.' He received no warning when the charges began to rack up."

"AWS is very different. It communicates reliably, and resolves overspending tickets in a client-oriented manner. By the way, they offer Claude models - and, yes, they are covered by startup credits."

Microsoft users are experiencing significant billing issues with Azure AI Foundry when accessing third-party AI models, particularly Anthropic's Claude. Startup credits, which can be worth up to $150,000, do not cover these third-party services, yet the platform fails to notify users before charges convert to real credit card payments. Multiple users report surprise invoices ranging from thousands to nearly a thousand euros. When seeking refunds, customers face responsibility disputes between Microsoft and Anthropic, with neither company taking ownership. Microsoft support initially denied this limitation, and technical leads acknowledged the system provided no warnings about credit incompatibility. AWS offers a contrasting experience, covering Claude models under startup credits and providing better communication about spending.

Read at Theregister