--- title: "Azure startup credits don't apply to Claude via Azure AI Foundry, reader finds – after $1,600 charge" type: "News" locale: "zh-CN" url: "https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279051466.md" description: "Companies using Microsoft for Startups credits faced unexpected charges after deploying Anthropic's Claude via Azure AI Foundry. Takuya Tominaga, CEO of a Tokyo-based startup, received a $1,600 bill despite using Startup Credits. Confusion arose from conflicting information between Microsoft's documentation and a forum moderator's claims about credit applicability. Microsoft later clarified that Startup Credits do not apply to certain products, leading to frustration among startups. Tominaga struggled to resolve the issue, being directed between Microsoft and Anthropic for refunds, highlighting the importance of understanding terms and conditions." datetime: "2026-03-13T13:16:09.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279051466.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279051466.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279051466.md) --- > 支持的语言: [English](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279051466.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279051466.md) # Azure startup credits don't apply to Claude via Azure AI Foundry, reader finds – after $1,600 charge Companies using credits bundled with Microsoft for Startups have found some unwelcome surprises on their credit card statements after deploying Anthropic's Claude via Azure AI Foundry. A _Register_ reader told us he tested the LLM via Microsoft's platform using Startup Credits, however, this ended with credit card charges. Microsoft and Anthropic then each directed our reader to contact the other company in order to get a resolution. Takuya Tominaga, founder and CEO of Leach, a generative AI startup based in Tokyo, discovered the unexpected bill following some experimentation with Claude. The problem is that Microsoft's documentation conflicts with what a moderator on one of the company's forums wrote about how credits are used. Referring to the deployment of Claude Opus 4.5 on Azure AI Foundry, the moderator wrote: "Startup credits (Azure Sponsorship) apply to these charges until the credit balance is exhausted. After that, standard pay‑as‑you‑go rates kick in." The post was later amended to say: "Startup credits don't apply. It is only available for enterprise and MCA-E subscriptions." The edit is in line with Microsoft's documentation, which contains the clause: "Startup credits cannot be used for Microsoft Azure support plans, third-party branded products, products sold through Microsoft Azure Marketplace, or products otherwise sold separately from Microsoft Azure." Microsoft grants fledgling businesses up to $150,000 of Azure credits as part of Azure Credits for Start-ups. However, according to Tominaga, "the UI makes no distinction between credit-covered and Marketplace-billed models," meaning that the first time he was aware of the situation was when he saw an entry on his credit card statement totaling approximately $1,600. Tominaga is not alone. _The Register_ has seen evidence of other charges made to startups by Microsoft, including one to the tune of approximately $3,000, while their Startup Credits remained unused. Still, while this may have been an honest mistake by the start-ups, a moderator on a Microsoft forum making inaccurate claims (before the post was edited) about the applicability of Startup Credits is unhelpful. - Microsoft Azure CTO set Claude on his 1986 Apple II code, says it found vulns - Doomscrollers despair after Oracle hiccup knocks TikTok offline in US - Cloud inquiry chair quits UK competition watchdog over glacial pace of reform - Amazon and Nvidia open their wallets to lock in OpenAI's business while SoftBank keeps the lights on To date, Tominaga has struggled to get the charge refunded. He told us: "Microsoft says 'contact Anthropic for a refund.' Anthropic says 'We have no visibility into Azure billing – contact Microsoft.' Both confirmed in writing. Nobody is accountable." _The Register_ asked Microsoft to comment. A spokesperson sent us a statement: "We listen closely to customer feedback and are continuously working to provide clear guidance in our product documentation, including pricing details and credit eligibility. We encourage customers to rely on official documentation and to submit a support ticket for additional assistance specific to their environment." Anthropic did not respond to our request for comment. Tominaga's experience is a cautionary tale about reading the fine print in Microsoft for Startups' terms and conditions, and treating advice from Microsoft support forum posters, including those badged as "Microsoft External Staff • Moderator" (typically a contractor, not employees) with some skepticism. It is also a warning for Microsoft that faith in its products and pronouncements can all too easily – and expensively – be undermined by an error in a post and some unexpected credit card charges resulting in a surprise bill. ® ## 相关资讯与研究 - [Claude Subscriptions Will No Longer Cover Usage On 'Third-Party Tools'—Anthropic Cuts OpenClaw Access Amid Surging AI Demand](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281705754.md) - [Inside the race to recreate Claude Code and mine its guts for revelations](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281428183.md) - [Anthropic’s Catastrophic Leak May Have Just Handed China the Blueprints to Claude Al](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281658927.md) - [How devastating Anthropic’s leak exposed 512,000 lines of Claude Code](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281215116.md) - [Anthropic admits Claude Code users hitting usage limits 'way faster than expected'](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281546718.md)