How much credit does IBM Cloud give new accounts?
IBM's free-tier page says “You get credit for your first USD 200 of apps and services on us”, “available for 30 days”. The amount follows your currency: IBM's upgrade guide lists $200 for the United States, 151.96 for UK pounds and 168.67 for euros.
IBM's pricing page words it as “You receive a USD 200 credit to help get you started, which can be used on IBM Cloud products in your first 30 days.” The credit “cannot be used with third-party products and might not be available for all accounts.”
Nothing carries over: “Any unused upgrade credit expires after the 30 day period ends. You are invoiced for any usage that exceeds the promotional credit.”
Source: IBM Cloud free tier page, IBM Cloud pricing page, IBM Cloud docs: upgrading your account
Who qualifies for the IBM Cloud credit, and how do I claim it?
A new IBM Cloud account: the “email address must not be associated with an existing account”. IBM's FAQ says “To receive the USD 200 credit, you first need to upgrade to a Pay-as-you-go account” and it is “available for first-time Pay-as-you-go accounts only”; its pricing page says registering with a card sets you up with that account.
A card is needed up front: “Payment details are required up front, but you won't be charged until you consume a billable service”. IBM places a hold that is “typically around USD 1.00.” The credit “is automatically applied but might take a few hours to appear in your account.”
Students and faculty have their own route: IBM's trial accounts are for “faculty and students at accredited degree-granting academic institutions.”
Source: IBM Cloud free tier FAQ, IBM Cloud pricing page
Does IBM Cloud have promo codes?
Yes, IBM publishes some on its free-tier page, most marked “Expires 31 December 2026”. They are separate offers on specific products, and the USD 200 credit needs no code. IBM's docs say codes are “provided on a limited basis by IBM Cloud sales to customers with billable accounts.”
Each code is single-use and time-limited: “Each promo code can be used one time and is valid only for a certain amount of time.” It does not reach other vendors' products: “Promo codes cannot be used for third-party services unless otherwise stated in the definition of the promo code.” Check any code you find elsewhere against IBM's own list, because IBM sets each code's expiry and terms.
Promo codes on IBM's free-tier page
- BUYMAD, BUYSAO and BUYOSA: 70% off for 12 months on IBM Cloud VPC services in Madrid, São Paulo and Osaka
- VPC1000: USD 1,000 credit for 120 days on Bare Metal Servers for VPC and related VPC services
- TRYCONTAINERS: 50% off for six months on IBM Kubernetes Service, Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud and Code Engine, for net-new accounts (GPU profiles excluded)
- POWERVS2500: USD 2,500 in credits for up to 90 days on IBM Power Virtual Server
- BUYBRS: USD 5000 credit for 90 days on Backup and Recovery services, for new clients
- TRYCOS: up to USD 500 in free credits for your first 3 months
Source: IBM Cloud free tier page, IBM Cloud docs: applying promo codes
How do I apply an IBM Cloud promo code?
In the console open Manage, then Billing and usage, then Promotions and credits. Select “Apply a promo code”, enter the code, click Verify and then Apply. IBM's FAQ adds “you must have a credit card on file to apply promotional codes for authentication purposes.”
You can also apply a code from the catalog while creating a resource: “The promo code is added to your account even if you don't create the service.” It then covers the whole account, and “Promo codes can't be removed from your account, but they expire and become inactive when they reach their end date.”
An alphanumeric string like a1b2c3def456 is not a promo code: “it's a different type of code that is referred to as a feature code.” Feature codes go on the account settings page or the registration form.
Source: IBM Cloud docs: applying promo codes, IBM Cloud free tier FAQ
What happens when the IBM Cloud credit runs out?
It lasts 30 days: “Any unused upgrade credit expires after the 30 day period ends.” After that you pay as you go, and IBM notifies you “when your monthly spending reaches 80%, 90% and 100%” of the thresholds you set. Lite plans stay free.
Only Lite plans are free of charge: “Lite plans will never incur charges; however, to consume non-Lite plans on the free tier, an upgrade to a Pay-as-you-go plan is required. When you consume beyond the free tier threshold for the service, you're billed monthly for your resource usage.”
IBM says there are “No fees or upfront commitments, cancel anytime.”
Source: IBM Cloud docs: upgrading your account, IBM Cloud free tier FAQ, IBM Cloud free tier page
Is IBM Cloud free to keep using after the credit?
Partly. IBM offers “over 40 always-free products with no time limit” on Lite plans, with quotas that reset each month. The USD 200 credit itself is a one-off sign-up offer for any new account.
Lite plan limits, per IBM
- You can provision one instance of any service with a Lite plan
- After 10 days of no development activity, your apps go to sleep
- After 30 days of no development activity, Lite service instances are deleted
- Reaching a quota limit suspends the service for that month, and quotas reset on the first of every month
Source: IBM Cloud free tier page, IBM Cloud free tier FAQ
