Microsoft 365 — Plan Downgrade

Suppose a user in your Microsoft 365 tenancy has an Microsoft 365 Business Basic subscription and wishes to downgrade to Exchange Online (Plan 1).

Microsoft 365 provides some automated plan change functions but not every combination of plan change is supported. However it is possible to change plans manually.

1. Understand the difference between the two plans and which features you will lose.

   In this instance, Microsoft 365 Business Basic essentially consists of Exchange Online (Plan 1) and OneDrive for Business Plan 1. By switching to Exchange Online (Plan 1), OneDrive data will be lost.

2. Make sure you have a spare Exchange Online (Plan 1) subscription.

3. Back up the mailbox (just in case).

4. Backup the data stored in OneDrive.

5. Edit the user, and untick the existing Microsoft 365 Business Basic subscription.

   Click Save.

6. Edit the user, and tick the Exchange Online (Plan 1).

   Click Save.

7. Office 365 will spend a few minutes preparing the mailbox. When complete, all the SMTP addresses, memberships and mailbox contents will be as they were before.

Note it is not possible to first add the Exchange Online (Plan 1) and then remove Microsoft 365 Business Basic. Doing so will remove the mailbox anyway. Also it is not possible to untick Microsoft 365 Business Basic and tick Exchange Online (Plan 1) in one operation.