Microsoft 365 Copilot: Self-service 30-day trial for eligible small and medium businesses

Updated July 23, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.  What and Why: We are introducing Low Friction Trial (LFT) for Microsoft 365 Copilot. This change allows eligible Small and Medium Business (SMB) users to start a 30-day Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) trial without entering payment information. The trial is enabled by default for eligible tenants and provides admins with visibility and control through license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Rollout Schedule: SMB: We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by early July 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): We begin rolling out late July 2026 and expect to complete by mid-September 2026.  Impact on Your Organization: Who is affected:  Small and medium-sized business (SMB) tenants with up to 300 seats and users eligible for a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) paid license upgrade Tenants where self-service trials are enabled Platforms/Services: Microsoft 365 Copilot Copilot Chat Microsoft 365 admin center What will happen: Eligible users without a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license can start a 30-day trial from Copilot Chat. No payment information is required to start the trial. Trial users receive full access to Microsoft 365 Copilot, including Copilot Chat grounded in Microsoft 365 content. Trial users also receive access to agents such as Researcher and Analyst. Trials are enabled by default for eligible tenants. Each trial start automatically generates a license request in the Microsoft 365 admin center. After the trial ends, users must be assigned a paid license by an admin to continue using Copilot. This program is offered on an experimental basis. If discontinued, active trials will continue through their trial period; no new trials will be issued. Action Required / Recommendations: No action is required if you want to allow user trials. To manage or disable trials, go to Microsoft 365 admin center > Settings > Org settings > Self-service trials and purchases. Review and act on pending Copilot license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Prepare helpdesk staff for potential questions related to Copilot trials and license requests. Compliance considerations: Compliance Area Explanation AI/ML or agent capabilities interacting with customer data Trial users gain access to Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents (Researcher, Analyst) that interact with existing Microsoft 365 content under current Copilot data handling and security boundaries. New way for users to interact with generative AI Eligible users can start a Microsoft 365 Copilot trial and interact with generative AI without prior admin license assignment. Admin monitoring or reporting Each trial start generates a license request visible in the Microsoft 365 admin center, providing an additional usage and demand signal. Admin control available Admins can enable or disable self-service trials through the Microsoft 365 admin center. User self-enablement Eligible users can start or stop using the trial themselves if self-service trials are enabled for the tenant.