No more Skype credits: Microsoft moves to subscription-only model

WEB DESK: Microsoft has recently made changes to Skype, removing two of its main paid features: the option to buy credits and use custom phone numbers. Instead, users are now being directed towards subscription plans, which vary based on where you are and what you need.

Before this, people could purchase credits to make calls to landlines and mobile numbers, but that’s no longer possible. Skype has also discontinued the option of using a custom phone number, so users now have to rely on their mobile numbers for calls.

The first sign of these changes came when a volunteer moderator on Skype’s forums responded to a user who couldn’t buy new credits. The moderator, Ruwim B., explained that Microsoft had stopped offering credits, and monthly subscriptions were now the only option available.

When another user asked whether this meant they couldn’t send SMS messages without credits, the moderator confirmed that unless a new SMS plan is introduced, it will no longer be possible to send texts from Skype once users run out of credits.

Microsoft later confirmed the update, stating they regularly review their products based on how customers use them. They added that existing credits and Skype phone numbers would still work, but once users run out of credits, they’ll need a subscription to keep using paid features. Those relying on a virtual phone number will need to find an alternative.

If you only use Skype for free Skype-to-Skype calls, these changes won’t affect you. But if you call landlines or mobile numbers, or need a custom phone number, these features will no longer be available.

For users with remaining credits or subscriptions, the Caller ID feature—which shows your real mobile number when calling non-Skype numbers—will still be available.

Skype once competed with services like Google Voice, but over time, platforms like Zoom, WhatsApp, and FaceTime have become more popular, especially during the pandemic. Even within Microsoft, Skype has been overshadowed by Teams, which is now the company’s main communication tool.

Since Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, the company has reduced its promotion of the service. While Skype reportedly had 36 million daily users last year, it’s unclear how many were using the now-removed premium features.

Those who did will now have to decide whether to subscribe to the new plans or look for other services.

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