How to Create an Azure VM from Debian 12 Image: Troubleshooting Tips

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If you’re trying to create a virtual machine with the Debian 12 (Bookworm) image from the Azure Marketplace and the deployment keeps failing, don’t worry—there’s a simple solution. The error message you might see looks like this: “MarketplacePurchaseEligibilityFailed,” along with a note that says, “The ‘unknown’ payment instrument(s) is not supported for offer.” This occurs during the step where Azure checks if your account can buy the image, not when the VM itself is being set up.

This problem isn’t about the Debian image itself. Instead, it’s usually caused by an issue with your Azure subscription’s billing setup. Common reasons include:

Your subscription doesn’t have a valid credit card or billing profile linked.
Marketplace purchases are turned off in your account settings.
Your subscription is a free, sponsorship, or trial plan that limits buying options.
You’re using a specific type of subscription, like an Enterprise Agreement or CSP account, with restrictions.
Your account might be part of a private marketplace where the Debian image isn’t allowed.
Azure policies are blocking marketplace purchases.

Microsoft clearly states that this error often comes down to billing issues, especially unsupported or missing payment methods.

To fix this, follow these steps:

1. Ensure Marketplace Purchases Are Enabled

Sign in to the Azure Portal.
Go to “Cost Management + Billing.”
Select your billing account or enrollment.
Open “Policies.”
Make sure that “Azure Marketplace” is set to “Free + Paid” (or a similar enabled setting).

2. Check Your Payment Method

Make sure your subscription has a valid payment method attached, such as a credit card.
Confirm that your account isn’t hitting any spending caps.
If there’s no valid card linked, or if the payment method isn’t supported, marketplace purchases will fail.

3. Verify Private Marketplace Settings (if used)

If you’re part of a private marketplace, ensure that the Debian 12 (Bookworm) offer is explicitly allowed. Otherwise, the purchase validation will fail and block VM creation. If needed, review your private marketplace configurations.

4. Temporary Workarounds

As a quick fix, you can try:

Deploying Debian 11 instead of Debian 12.
Using a different Linux distribution like Ubuntu.
Switching to a subscription that has marketplace purchases enabled.

This approach confirms the issue is related to your account setup, not the Debian image itself.

Once your billing setup is correct and a valid payment method is linked, you should be able to create Debian 12 VMs without problems. Ensuring these settings are in place generally resolves the issue.

If you need detailed instructions or want to explore more options, check out the links below:

This process should help you get your VM up and running smoothly.