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Billing and credits

How do I get Microsoft Advertising's new-advertiser promo credit, and why wasn't my coupon applied?

By The Tofu team ·

You can't ask Microsoft Advertising for promo credit: it comes from sign-up links, offer emails and partners, and you redeem codes under Billing, then Coupon. Most offers pay out only after a minimum spend that each offer sets. Common reasons a coupon isn't applied: the account isn't new, there's no primary payment method, the code was used or expired, another offer is active, it went into a manager account, or the spend isn't met yet.

As of November 2026.

How do I get a Microsoft Advertising promo code?

You find one rather than ask for one. Microsoft's help says you "can't request a promotional offer," but you can find them "through Microsoft Advertising promotional events, online marketing drives, or other special offers." They are "typically geared for new customers."

Who counts as new depends on the offer, and Microsoft also runs offers for existing customers (see below). A live Microsoft offer page defines a new customer as "one that has not had an active Microsoft Advertising account before." For a B2B company, that matters: if anyone at your company ran Microsoft or Bing ads before, a new account may not qualify.

Partners also hand out codes, with their own terms:

  • Optmyzr (September 2026) offers a US$500 coupon. The account must be linked to Optmyzr's manager account and spend at least US$2,500 in its first 30 days. The coupon must be applied within 30 days of account creation, and your domain must never have advertised on Microsoft Advertising before.
  • Adcore, which calls itself an Elite Microsoft Advertising Partner, hands out codes through its free Couponer app. It says (May 2026) the standard new-advertiser offer gives up to $1,000 in credit, that minimum spends usually run $25 to $250, and that each code works once per domain. These are Adcore's claims, and we couldn't confirm them on a Microsoft page.

Where do I enter a Microsoft Ads promo code?

In the ad account itself, under Billing, then Coupon. Microsoft's steps:

  1. From the navigation menu on the left, hover over Billing and select Coupon. (You can also go to Payment methods and select View promotional offers.)
  2. Select Add promotional code, enter the code, and select Save.

If you haven't added a payment method yet:

  1. Hover over Billing and select Payment methods.
  2. Select Add card (or pick another method, such as PayPal or bank transfer).
  3. Enter your promotional code.
  4. Select the country or region of your card's billing address, then Next.
  5. Enter your payment details and select Next. Microsoft may make a small authorization charge (for example, $1 USD) to check the card, and removes it later.

Two things trip people up:

  • Manager accounts. Codes "can only be entered at the account level, not the manager account level." Agencies need to enter the code in the client's ad account.
  • Sign-up link offers. If you signed up through a link that came with an offer, the coupon should appear in your account on its own. Microsoft says it can take up to two calendar days after account creation.

If you can't add a payment method, Microsoft's payment methods help suggests checking that you have Super Admin access to the account.

How much do I have to spend before my credit shows up?

It depends on your offer, and Microsoft doesn't publish one figure. Its help says a promotional balance "typically" appears "once you fulfill the offer's requirements, such as a minimum spend." We found no current Microsoft page that gives a US credit amount or minimum spend. The Optmyzr and Adcore figures above are those partners' own.

What Microsoft's docs say about the spend:

  • When it starts counting isn't stated. Microsoft's current help doesn't say whether spend before you redeem counts, so redeem the code before you start spending.
  • You can track it. On an Active offer, you can see "the amount of money you need to spend to receive your credit."
  • You still pay for that spend. On Microsoft's live £400 offer page, prepay accounts have the minimum spend "deducted directly from prepay funds." Postpay accounts have it charged to the primary payment method "once the account threshold is met." Neither the spend nor the credit is refundable.
  • Billing can lag. Charges and credits can take up to 4 hours to show in Billing Summary.

Why wasn't my coupon applied?

Check the offer's status first: hover over Billing, select Coupon, then View promotional offers under Payment methods. Then match what you see:

What you seeWhyWhat to do
Needs payment methodNo payment method on file. Limited-time offers show a cutoff dateAdd one before the cutoff. On a prepay account, make it the primary payment method
StandbyAnother offer is active. "Only one promotional offer can be active at any time," and the one with the earliest expiration date goes firstWait until the active offer expires or is used up
Active, but no balanceThe minimum spend isn't met yetKeep spending until the amount still needed reaches zero
ExpiredThe offer's dates have passedCheck the start and expiration dates in your offer's details
The code is refusedIt was already redeemed (a code works only once, whoever used it), the offer is for new customers only and the account isn't new, or you're in a manager accountUse a new code, or switch to the ad account
No offer at all after a sign-up linkIt can take up to two calendar daysWait two days, confirm you're eligible, then contact Support
Credit doesn't cover what you oweA promotional offer can't pay an existing balancePay the balance yourself. The credit covers later ad spend

Other offer terms can block it too. Microsoft's offer terms say it won't award credit to an account with an invalid payment method, and an offer can't be combined with any other offer, code or discount.

How long does the credit last?

Only for a set time, so plan to use it. Each offer sets its own period: the live £400 offer, for example, says unused credit expires 90 days after it's awarded. Microsoft's help says any balance left "is forfeited at the end of the promotional period."

When the credit runs out or expires, your ads keep running. Microsoft charges your primary payment method (postpay) or deducts from your funds (prepay). A prepay account with no funds is paused. Set your campaign budgets before the credit starts, so the switch back to paid spend doesn't surprise you. If your account currency differs from the credit's currency, its value can move with exchange rates.

Can I get a credit if I already advertise on Microsoft?

Sometimes. Microsoft has existing-customer offers. Its terms say these may need a minimum spend, and "you may also be required to enable a new feature in Microsoft Advertising." They apply only in the countries listed in the offer terms, which include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and India. You still can't request one.

What if the offer terms don't match?

Read the terms that came with your offer, and ask Microsoft Support when they conflict. Microsoft's own pages aren't always consistent. A live offer page for £400 in credits, which expires June 30, 2027, also says it's "valid only for new Microsoft Advertising customers in the United States."

Sources

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