Microsoft (Outlook.com and Microsoft 365) · permanent error
550 5.2.241: HVE account has no billing policy
The HVE account lacks a valid billing configuration, so Exchange Online will not accept messages from it.
- Microsoft
- Provider
- Permanent (5xx)
- Class
- Sources checked
- Author
At a glance
- Code
- 550 5.2.241
- Temporary or permanent
- PermanentRefused for good: the message comes back to the sender, and resending it gets the same answer.
- Who has to act
- The sender. The fix is on the sending side: your domain, your server or your list.
- What the server says
550 5.2.241 The HVE account is not properly set up for billing.
What it means
High Volume Email requires a billing policy for its accounts. When an HVE account has no valid billing configuration, submissions fail with 550 5.2.241, written 550.5.2.241 in Microsoft's table, and a message to contact the administrator. The admin needs to check whether a billing policy is set up for the account and, if not, create one following Microsoft's instructions.
Common causes
- No billing policy was set up for the HVE account.
- The billing policy is not valid for the account.
How to fix it
- 01Admins: check whether a billing policy is set up for the HVE account.
- 02If not, create one following Microsoft's steps to set up billing for High Volume Email.
- 03Retry sending once billing is configured.
Sources
What this page rests on, checked on 20 Oct 2026. The explanation is ours; the reply text is the server's.
- Email nondelivery reports and SMTP errors in Exchange Onlinelearn.microsoft.com
- Manage High Volume Email for Microsoft 365learn.microsoft.com
Related codes
Further reading
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