Create a shared mailbox for unlicensed global admin user

[PurFi-Val]

Hi,

I have created an unlicensed user to be a global admin because paying for a license would be a waste of money since it is meant to manage only. However, I noticed that Microsoft frequently sends communications to this user (e.g., billing emails, or if I submit a tech support ticket, etc.). Therefore, I decided that this user needs a corresponding mailbox to receive all these emails, and then delegate access to this inbox to appropriate users.

Unfortunately, this process has turned out to be quite challenging. I can create a new shared mailbox, which creates an unlicensed user, but it is not allowing me to change or reassign the names and put the two together. The new Exchange admin center is not letting me create a mailbox there, and when I try modifying the SMTP address, it gives an error related to Azure Directory and does not change anything.

I hope someone can help me accomplish adding a shared mailbox to an existing unlicensed user.

Thank you.

[#2]

@PurFi-Val 

What is your purpose on Email usage by Global Admin? onmicrosoft.com suppose to work

[#3]

There is no such process, at least not a supported one. In any case, you don't need to have an Exchange Online mailbox to receive such notifications, simply populate the "otherEmails" (alternate mail) attribute for the user to have them delivered to the desired address.

[#4]

Hi Vasil,

Thanks for your input. That is a shortcoming, but I give up on this and will let the emails bounce and fill MS support tickets with junk. After all, even when I tell them not to send to that address, they can't do anything, because there is no such process either (being sarcastic here).

You can easily create an Exchange mailbox and then create and attach the user to it, but not the other way around. I know I can assign a license to the unlicensed user, which will most likely create a mailbox for them. At that point, I could convert it to a shared mailbox, but that would imply using a license that I have to purchase. So, I'll let the joke be on them.

Best regards,
Val