Billing overview for Partner Center Cloud Solution Providers (CSP) program
Appropriate roles: Admin agent | Billing admin | Helpdesk agent | Sales agent
This article provides the basic billing and invoice information for Cloud Solution Provider program (CSP) partners in Partner Center.
Bill your customers
Bill your customers however you want. To confirm their charges, look at the reconciliation line items and find them by their CustomerId.
Billing types
Billing types in Partner Center include:
- Legacy billing (license-based and usage-based)
- New commerce billing (license-based, usage-based, software subscription, perpetual software, marketplace, reservations, and savings plans)
Billing currency
Legacy: The currency used for billing your CSP tenant in the specific country/region.
New commerce: The currency used for billing your CSP tenant in the specific country/region.
Invoices
Your invoice shows all the charges for the billing period for all products and customers. To learn more, refer common billing scenarios.
Legacy billing:
- The billing period is monthly, starting on your billing anniversary date.
- Your invoice and reconciliation documents are available two days after the billing anniversary date. For example, you can see your invoice on September 14 if your billing anniversary is on September 12.
New commerce billing:
- The billing period is a full calendar month.
- Invoice and reconciliation documents are available by the eighth of each month.
- This invoice includes products with the
New Commerce Experiencetag.
Invoice in partner location currency
You always get invoices in your billing currency. However, Azure plan services have prices in US dollars (USD) and for these services, foreign exchange (FX) rates apply to the invoice. For a full list of country/region currencies, see new commerce offers country/region availability and partner currency matrix.
We use Thomson Reuters' exchange rate from two business days before the start of each month. For example, we use the mid-rate from November 29 for all purchases from December 1 to 31.
Price lists
Price lists are updated monthly.
Preview price lists are available one month in advance.
To see the latest Cloud Solution Provider programs and offers, follow these steps:
Sign in to Partner Center and select the Pricing workspace.
Find distinct price lists for the different types of available products.
You can find the following price lists on the Price lists page:
License-based prices are guaranteed for the subscription's billing term.
Usage-based prices can change monthly.
Prices for products, services, and software subscriptions are fixed for the subscription's billing term. However, prices might change when you renew.
Adjustments and credits in arrears show on your next invoice, after they're applied.
Important
To compare prices, use your billing currency when customers are in different countries or regions.
New commerce pricing and billing currencies for different types of products
| Product type | Pricing currency | Billing currency |
|---|---|---|
| Azure pay-as-you-go | USD | Partner location currency |
| Azure reservation | USD | Partner location currency |
| Azure savings plan | USD | Partner location currency |
| Marketplace (non-Microsoft) | USD | Partner location currency |
| License-based or Online services (Office, Dynamics, and PowerApps) | All accepted currencies | Partner location currency |
| Software subscription | All accepted currencies | Partner location currency |
| Perpetual software | All accepted currencies | Partner location currency |
Note
The foreign exchange (FX) rate might affect your subscription costs if your billing currency is different from the product's pricing currency. The FX rate varies based on the charge date. To get the best price, check the current FX rate before purchasing.
Payment terms
Pay invoice amounts within 60 days to avoid delinquency or termination of your CSP program enrollment. Clear the outstanding balance to regain access if you lost it due to delinquency.
Payment processing
Check the Partner Center Billing workspace after five business days for invoice payment amount and status. Update your billing and tax profile information before paying and add correct remittance instructions to avoid delays.
Pay the exact due amount if you pay for one invoice. To pay multiple invoices with one payment, list all the invoice numbers and remittance instructions to apply the payment. Otherwise, the amount becomes an unallocated payment.
To keep using your service uninterrupted and avoid reminders, pay the full balance.
Credit notes
You might receive a credit or rebill if you ask to:
- Update your address, purchase order, cost, and any other relevant information.
- Issue a tax or purchase refund for the original invoice.
You get a new invoice when the original one is voided.
License-based billing in Partner Center
Billing plan or frequency
Legacy
Billed monthly or annually.
New commerce
Billed upfront or one-time, monthly, or annually.
Billing period
Legacy
Every month, your billing period starts on the same day you chose during enrollment. For example, if you chose the 15th, your billing period starts on the 15th of each month. This date is your billing anniversary date.
New commerce
Billing period is one full calendar month.
Billing term
Legacy
The term or duration of your subscription is 12 months from the purchase date. The billing days might vary based on the billing anniversary date. For more information, see common legacy billing scenarios.
New commerce
You can buy a subscription for 1, 12, or 36 months and align the end date with another subscription (cotermination) or the calendar month. These alignments might shorten the actual subscription duration. See align subscription end dates.
Charge cycle
Legacy
The charge cycle starts on the purchase date and can be monthly, yearly, one-time, or other intervals. The charge dates of the first bill might vary, depending on when your next bill is due. Subsequent charge cycles follow the billing plan until the billing term ends.
New commerce
The charge cycle starts on the purchase date and can be monthly, yearly, one-time, or other intervals. The charge dates of the first bill might vary if you align the end date with a calendar month or another subscription. See align subscription end dates. Subsequent charge cycles follow the billing plan until the billing term ends.
Subscription cancellation
Before you cancel your subscription, be aware of the refund policy.
Legacy
Get a full refund if you cancel your subscription within a month of purchase or renewal. Get a prorated refund after that depending on how long you use the service. You pay only for what you use.
New commerce
Cancel the service within seven days of purchase or renewal. Get a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours. If you cancel later but still within seven days, you get a prorated refund based on usage.
After seven days, no refunds are available, and you must pay for the full term, even if you don't use the product. See the new commerce cancellation policy.
Subscription renewal
Legacy
All license-based subscriptions renew automatically after 12 months. The automatic renewal ensures uninterrupted use of the products and services and simplifies subscription management.
New commerce
Your subscriptions renew automatically according to your billing term. The automatic renewal ensures uninterrupted use of the products and services and simplifies subscription management.
To stop your subscription from automatically renewing, see the new commerce autorenew policy.
Unbilled charges
Legacy
Doesn't support unbilled charges.
New commerce
You can see unbilled charges within 24 hours to seven days. The time frame depends on your location and meter reading points. Contact support if you don't see them after a week.
Usage-based billing in Partner Center
You pay only for what you use with a usage-based resource in an Azure subscription at a pay-as-you-go rate. There are no fixed plans or contracts. However, some products, such as Azure reservations, savings plans, or marketplace (non-Microsoft) SaaS products, have different pricing.
Billing frequency
Legacy
Billed monthly.
New commerce
Billed monthly.
Billing period
Legacy
Every month, your billing period starts on the same day you chose during enrollment. For example, if you chose the 15th, your billing period starts on the 15th of each month. This date is your billing anniversary.
New commerce
Billing period is one full calendar month.
Billing term
Legacy
You pay only for resources when you use them.
New commerce
You pay only for resources when you use them. However, Azure reservations and savings plans have a billing term of either one year or three years.
Charge cycle
Legacy
The charge cycle is monthly starting from the billing anniversary date.
New commerce
Charge cycle is one full calendar month.
Subscription cancellation
Legacy
Cancel your Azure subscription anytime.
New commerce
Cancel your Azure subscription anytime.
Subscription renewal
Legacy
You pay for a subscription until you cancel it. Use products and services seamlessly and manage the subscription until you decide to cancel.
New commerce
You pay for a subscription until you cancel it. Use products and services seamlessly and manage the subscription until you decide to cancel.
Unbilled charges
Legacy
Doesn't support unbilled charges.
New commerce
You can see unbilled charges within 24 hours to seven days. The time frame depends on your location and meter reading points. Contact Partner Center support if you don't see them after a week.