One of the Power BI report user is seeing the message "Upgrade to Power BI pro license"

[Atulkumar2584]

Detailed Issue Description: Our powerBI is saying "upgrade to a paid PowerBi license" We cannot access POWERBI. on dashboard
Exact Date and Time that the issue occurred: 4/23/26
Error Message (if applicable, attach screenshot): Upgrade to a paid Powerbi License
KB article used: KB0029222
Summary of related ticket history (within 30 days): none
Steps to recreate issue:
Zipline > applications > Daily driver link > error occur
Troubleshooting steps completed by the Store:
We have restarted computer

Troubleshooting steps performed with the Analyst and result/s:
Gather the following information:
Name of the Power BI App: DDR 

Is the "Power BI Digital Health Check Report" missing?
No

Access and Log in to Power BI
MOD is able to login but got an error message

Search for and add the app in Power BI
App is already added

Was the manager able to add the app to Power BI? yes however error saying "Upgrade to a paid Powerbi License"

Is the issue related to an AP (Asset Protection) Power BI app?
No

Partnered with Shift Lead Kate
For escalation to PT - Store and Data Product Operations

What Self-Service was offered? ERC
Issue Resolved? no
List down the needed Next Step of Action/s if issue re-occurs

[v-sshirivolu]

Hi @Atulkumar2584  ,
As per Microsoft documentation, access to shared Power BI content depends on the assigned license type and workspace capacity. Users accessing content in shared workspaces require a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license unless the workspace is backed by Premium capacity. Free users can access shared content only when the workspace is hosted in Premium capacity.

Please verify that the affected users have an active Power BI Pro or PPU license assigned, confirm whether the DDR app workspace is hosted in Premium capacity, and ensure the users still have the required app/workspace permissions configured correctly.

Refer to these Microsoft documents:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/consumer/end-user-license

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-roles-new-workspaces

[v-sshirivolu]

Hi @Atulkumar2584 ,

I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions. 

[v-sshirivolu]

Hi @Atulkumar2584 ,

I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions

[krishnakanth240 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Atulkumar2584 

As per Microsoft official documentation what a user can access in Power BI depends on 3 factors -  license type, workspace where content is hosted, and their assigned permissions.

Error Upgrade to Power BI Pro license occurs when user with Free license tries to access content that is stored in a non-Premium (that is Pro) workspace. So users with free license cannot view shared content in non-Premium workspaces whereas Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) licensed users can.

However, there is an exception that is if workspace is assigned to Premium capacity then even users with Free license can view reports and dashboards shared with them. In such cases, organizations often assign Pro license only to content creators while end user can access reports without needing a paid license.

Also paid license (Pro or PPU) is required for publishing, sharing, and collaborating on content while free users are limited mainly to personal use unless Premium capacity is involved.

For your reference the documentation

Power BI Licensing Guide- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/consumer/end-user-license

You either need to assign a Pro license to the affected user or move the workspace or app to Premium capacity to allow access without triggering upgrade message.

[Kagiyama_yutaka]

I think DDR is just treating u as Free because the ws’s license‑path didn’t load clean, so opening it once from Power BI→Apps resets the path and when it still holds the ws needs Premium or u need Pro.

[vigneshkumarcvk]

Hi @Atulkumar2584,

The error message Upgrade to a paid Power BI license usually indicates that the app or report is published in a Pro workspace or uses features that require a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license.

• If the DDR app is hosted in a Premium capacity workspace, free users should be able to access it without upgrading.

• If it’s in a Pro workspace, then all viewers will need a Pro license to open the report.

Next steps:

1. Confirm whether the DDR workspace is backed by Premium capacity.

2. If not, check with your admin to assign Pro licenses to affected users.

3. Alternatively, request the workspace owner to move DDR into a Premium workspace if available.

This should resolve the Upgrade to a paid license prompt.