Modernized Azure Credits Redemption Unavailable Despite Official Launch
Hello Microsoft Partner Community, I would like to raise a concern regarding the transparency and regional availability of Microsoft's modernized Azure Credits redemption experience. I am a Microsoft partner registered in China and purchased Solutions Partner designation (SPD) benefits for the first time. My order was placed on September 29, 2026, and payment was completed on October 8, 2026. However, after payment, I discovered that my Partner Center account still only supports the legacy "Assign user" Azure Credits redemption method. IMPORTANT: NO BENEFITS HAVE BEEN REDEEMED OR USED. I want to emphasize the following facts: I have NOT redeemed a single benefit. I have NOT activated or used any benefit. I have NOT opened, revealed, or viewed ANY license key or product key. I have NOT assigned any Azure Credits to a user. I have NOT activated any Azure sponsorship subscription. ALL purchased benefits remain completely untouched. I intentionally stopped all redemption activities after discovering that the modernized experience was unavailable. WHY IS THIS CONCERNING? On August 3, 2026, Microsoft officially announced that the updated benefits redemption process was live, identifying "All partners" as the affected audience. Furthermore, on September 21, 2026, Microsoft Community Manager JillArmourMicrosoft stated in the Partner Benefits Forum: "Microsoft recently modernized the Azure benefits redemption experience." Both announcements were published BEFORE I purchased my SPD benefits. However, Microsoft's documentation also states that modernized Azure Credits redemption is only available in countries and regions where the rollout has been completed. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not published a clear list of supported countries or regions. As a result, partners cannot reliably determine whether the modernized experience will actually be available before making a purchase. WHY DOES THE REDEMPTION METHOD MATTER? I already operate production workloads on existing Azure subscriptions that have approved service quotas. These quotas are essential to my production environment and cannot currently be requested or obtained on newly created standard Azure subscriptions. The modernized redemption experience would allow eligible Azure Credits to be applied to an existing MCA billing profile, enabling me to use the credits with my established subscriptions. However, the legacy redemption method requires creating a separate Azure subscription that does not have access to these approved quotas. Therefore, the legacy redemption method is not a practical alternative for my existing production environment. MY QUESTIONS FOR MICROSOFT Regional availability: Which countries and regions currently support modernized Azure Credits redemption? Has the modernized redemption experience launched for partners registered in China? If not, when is it expected to become available? Official announcements: Why did Microsoft announce that the updated redemption experience was live while regional restrictions remained in place? Why is there no clear regional availability warning before purchasing SPD benefits? Existing purchase: Since I purchased my benefits after Microsoft's official announcements, can my existing purchase be converted to the modernized redemption experience? Refund and repurchase: If migration is not possible, can Microsoft approve a full refund? Again, I have NOT redeemed any benefits, activated anything, or viewed a single product key. If a refund is approved, will I be able to purchase the same SPD benefits again after modernized redemption becomes available in China, provided I still meet the qualification requirements? Will the refunded order affect any purchase frequency restrictions or future eligibility? Refund deadline: Given the limited refund request window, can Microsoft confirm how my eligibility will be handled while this issue is being investigated? MY REQUEST I understand that global feature rollouts may take place in phases. However, the availability of a paid benefit's redemption method should be clearly disclosed before purchase. I am not requesting additional benefits. I am requesting accurate information and a fair resolution. I have already contacted Microsoft Support, but I believe this issue deserves public clarification because other partners may face the same situation. Most importantly, 100% of my purchased benefits remain unused and unredeemed, and NO product or license keys have ever been viewed. I would greatly appreciate a response from a Microsoft Community Manager or Partner Center product team representative. Thank you.