Is LicenseVault legitimate?

Yes. LicenseVault is an independent EU-based reseller of genuine Microsoft retail keys. Every key is first-use or fully transferred and activates against Microsoft's own activation servers. Resale is lawful under the EU exhaustion-of-distribution-rights doctrine established by the Court of Justice of the European Union in case C-128/11 (UsedSoft v Oracle, 2012).

How fast is delivery?

Typical delivery is under 10 minutes, 24/7. The 90-day average is approximately 8 minutes. Keys are released automatically by email after Stripe captures payment.

What is the refund policy?

14-day free return on every purchase under EU Directive 2011/83/EU. Selected category landings offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If a key ever fails to activate, LicenseVault replaces it free of charge for the lifetime of the product.

Are the keys region-locked?

No. Microsoft retail product keys are not region-locked. A key purchased from LicenseVault activates Windows, Office, Server, SQL or Visual Studio in any Microsoft-supported language and country.

Why is LicenseVault cheaper than the Microsoft Store?

LicenseVault sources surplus retail and unused volume keys through authorised EU resale channels and operates without first-party retail overhead. The keys are identical genuine Microsoft retail product keys — not OEM stickers, not MAK-shared, not grey-market.

Which payment methods are accepted?

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and instant SEPA / bank transfer — all via Stripe (PCI-DSS Level 1, TLS 1.3).

In which languages is LicenseVault available?

The storefront is available in English, Spanish, German, French and Dutch. Customer support replies in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Arabic. The daily magazine publishes in 22 languages.

Are these guides written by AI?

No. Each guide is drafted by a former SAM (Software Asset Management) consultant and reviewed by a second specialist before publishing. AI is used only for translation into the 22 supported languages.

How often are guides updated?

Every quarter, and immediately whenever Microsoft releases a major licensing change (new SKU, product retirement, EOL date shift).

Can I republish or quote these guides?

Yes — short quotes with attribution and a link back are encouraged. For full republication, email press@licensevault.net for a CC-BY licence.

What's the difference between a guide and a comparison?

Guides answer 'how do I decide?' and 'how does this work?' (e.g. OEM vs Retail, Server CAL math). Comparisons answer 'A or B?' (e.g. Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365). Use guides for context, comparisons for a verdict.

Guides

Microsoft licensing buying guides

Practical, no-fluff walkthroughs that answer the licensing questions most buyers get wrong — written by specialists who've worked inside SAM consultancies.

What you'll find here

Each guide is a deep dive on a single licensing question — the kind a Microsoft partner would normally charge €200/hour to answer. We publish them free because half our support tickets used to be "which one should I buy?" and writing the answer once saves everyone time.

Edition selection (Home vs Pro, Standard vs Datacenter, Family vs Business).
Licensing models explained (OEM, Retail, MAK, KMS, CAL, Core, NFR).
Step-by-step install, activation and migration walk-throughs.
End-of-life schedules and the right time to upgrade.

All guides

Frequently asked

Are these guides written by AI?: No. Each guide is drafted by a former SAM (Software Asset Management) consultant and reviewed by a second specialist before publishing. AI is used only for translation into the 22 supported languages.
How often are guides updated?: Every quarter, and immediately whenever Microsoft releases a major licensing change (new SKU, product retirement, EOL date shift).
Can I republish or quote these guides?: Yes — short quotes with attribution and a link back are encouraged. For full republication, email press@licensevault.net for a CC-BY licence.
What's the difference between a guide and a comparison?: Guides answer 'how do I decide?' and 'how does this work?' (e.g. OEM vs Retail, Server CAL math). Comparisons answer 'A or B?' (e.g. Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365). Use guides for context, comparisons for a verdict.

Microsoft licensing buying guides

What you'll find here

All guides

Which Office Version Should I Buy? (2026 Buyer's Guide)

Windows Server Licensing Explained (Plain English)

SQL Server: Server+CAL vs Per-Core Licensing

OEM vs Retail Windows Keys — What's the Difference?

How to Activate Windows 11 With a Product Key (Step by Step)

How to Install Office 2024 — Pro Plus, Home & Business

Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365: Which One Should You Buy? (2026)

Windows 10 vs Windows 11 — Should You Upgrade in 2026?

Windows 11 Home vs Pro — Which Edition Do You Need?

Office 2024 vs Office 2021 — Worth the Upgrade?

Microsoft 365 Family vs Personal — Worth the €30 Difference?

SQL Server Standard vs Enterprise — When to Pay 4× More

Best Office Suite for Students in 2026

How to Transfer a Windows License to a New PC (Step by Step)

Fix Activation Error 0x80072F8F (Windows & Office)

Office Deployment Tool — Plain English Walkthrough

Windows 11 TPM Bypass — What You're Actually Giving Up

How to Choose a Microsoft 365 Business Plan (Basic, Standard, Premium, Apps)

How to Find & Back Up Your Windows Product Key

How to Cleanly Uninstall Old Office Before Installing Office 2024

Windows Server 2025 Upgrade Path (from 2016, 2019, 2022)

How to Set Up Outlook 2024 with IMAP (Gmail, iCloud, Generic)

How to Enable BitLocker on Windows 11 Pro (the Safe Way)

How to Activate Office Without Internet (Phone Activation Walkthrough)

Windows 10 ESU Explained — What You Pay, What You Get

Related

Frequently asked