don't use credit card for simple verification
I only use the free translation service, but if you want my credit card details to sign up for that, then I can live without it. If at any time I should want to use a paid service, then you can have my credit card details.

We currently have to use credit or debit card to verify a new sign up. That said, we’re looking at other ways to verify identity, as well as ways to help with testing Azure without verification.
If you’re a student, you can enroll in Microsoft Imagine (https://azure.microsoft.com/offers/ms-azr-0144p/) which doesn’t require a credit card to sign up.
48 comments
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Rik commented
+3. I started the procedure to sign up for the translator API and at the request for a credit card I said goodbye. Gone to IBM Watson, no credit card required.
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Sam commented
+3. Not only is this unnecessary, credit card fraud detection will flag your $0 dollar transaction and then people can't get verified because it's suspicious. Literally, credit card companies find this process suspect - just happened to me a few minutes ago. Also, tons of other ways to do MFA so let's not pretend this is a security necessity.
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Anonymous commented
I have the exact same concern.
I would like to use Azure, but I'm not giving my credit card details for a free trial. Honestly, this is the silliest thing I've ever heard of and makes Azure sounds like a big SCAM.
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Anonymous commented
+3. It's been 2 years and still no progress. Why can't you just authenticate users that have a Office subscription which they pay for each month?
This is so awkward, feels like 1990's again.
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Supriya Baidya commented
please give me your credit card details, I want to sign up for free,
Thanks
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Katrin commented
Well, not even me.
I just didn't see how my credit card data would help you to "verify my identity and protect me from spam". I 'd wish at least a better explanation.
What a waste. -
Anonymous commented
just why?
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Anonymous commented
In Europe:
1. Credit Cards are not as popular as in US (e.g. 32% grownup holders Germany, l.t.25% Poland etc. ) and the number of users is falling (sources below)
2. Main Account Debit Cards and Credit Cards are even less likely to be used in online transactions (e.g. only 12% in Germany and far less in EU developing countries) because it's not considered safe enough (almost 0.04% of the value of Credit Card transactions in EU belongs to fraud)
3. For some time now, every phone number (incl. prepaid and voip) must be registered and assigned to a confirmed person.
4. You have a competition. All serious Data Centers and Cloud Solution Suppliers that I tried so far (I assume I'm not allowed to list them here) support at least one safe way of verification (Prepaid Cards, refundable direct bank transfer, Blik, PeoPay, PayPall etc., or even by phone)I really wanted to test all cloud solutions before I choose, but even Microsoft can't expect enough of my trust to give them uncontrolled, constant access to my funds.
I'm sure that Analysts/Profilers in Microsoft have all the statistics and data in detail so I really can't understand this diminishing of the importance of the matter, the approach that potentially discourages so many future customers. It's like loosing by forfeit.
sources:
https://www.bundesbank.de/Redaktion/EN/Downloads/Publications/Studies/payment_behaviour_in_germany_in_2014.pdf?__blob=publicationFile
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scplps/ecb.lwp16.en.pdf?344b9327fec917bd7a8fd70864a94f6e
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/conferences/shared/pdf/20171130_ECB_BdI_conference/payments_conference_2017_academic_paper_korella.pdf -
Mike commented
This is funny! Requiring a card verification (after phone verification) for a free service is not how you do it. I really wanted to tryout azure but oh well there's amazon.
What a way to lose potential customers... -
Dude commented
I reluctantly gave out my phone number, but only to be asked for... credit card data for so called FREE service! This is outrageous! What's wrong with you? Oh, I can live without this whole Azure thing, just wanted to try out something new, but apparently it wasn't worth it. It's totally disappointing.
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basoglu commented
öğrenci versiyonunu ücretsiz kullanmak istiyoruM. Ancak sürekli olara kredi kartı bilgilerimi sistem talep ediyor . sisteme gezinmek icin dahi giremiyorum . düzeltin .
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Cindy Rodrigues commented
I am a student, and I need access to Azure for assignment...but I have no credit card. Please help!
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Engineer Khan Mohammod Kamruzzaman commented
Hi there!
I have no any cradit & debit card.
Choos paypal .
Or payza.com -
Anonymous commented
My computer was hacked a couple yr ago and they put a program on my computer at the time giving them self access to every thing and stopping me from doing anything. So now any internet access I have they have also plus syncing everything I have automatically whenever it's turned on or off so I never have a Secure port I can use. Verification needs to be made some other way without a credit card
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Anonymous commented
Its not understandable why a registration via phone/SMS and Email is not acceptable for a free service - thanks for blocking this
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Anonymous commented
This is so stupid of you @Azure Billing Team (Admin, Microsoft Azure) to saying below in so cool tone as if you are so innocent.
"Thanks for reaching out. We require a credit card as a form of identity verification. No money will be charged during the free trial period unless explicitly authorized.
-Nick, Azure Billing Team"We are asking why do u need CC for verification? Isn't there any other way?
You don't know anything except repeatedly telling the same useless thing.
Why don't you verify with other means? If you can't think then why r u running the company? If you won't charge then why do you need it at the first place in FREE TRIAL? When user will switch to paid service you will collect this information. If u were not MS, I would have definitely thought of u as a fraud. How other applications are verifying the identity? Do u want everyone to have a CC? Why the **** we all will have it?FIND A WAY OF VERIFYING PEOPLE WITH SOME OTHER REALISTIC MEANS AT THE EARLIEST.
How the **** on this earth you are asking these bank details? You can also use payment gateways.
This is so frustrating and third class system.. horrible.
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Anonymous commented
Why do you need a credit card at all for verification? Why not any other means like phone no. etc.? And about free trial, you can just do with phone no. to have real users. If you are not taking money for free trials, then don't ask any debit/credit card details for it. When user will switch to paid service, then ask to supply those details. This is so useless of asking so sensitive information for nothing. I don't have a CC and I don't want to make one also. Then what is my option for a free trial? How come you have not implemented any alternate yet? Is this really MS?
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Peter commented
I don't have a credit card, and to expect people to have one is quite frankly laughable, at best!
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Anonymous commented
I'm student and microsoft translator api stopped working in my web app at university copa-trad.ufsc.br now I'm fiding ways to have access to api without credit card. I gonna try this Microsoft Imagine.
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Paul-André Dupuis commented
This credit card declaration on an open interface has me shun the registration