Billing and Invoicing Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider
Dec 22, 2015
Billing and Invoicing
Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider
Content• Billing Basics• Invoices on Partner Center• Reconciliation Files on Partner Center• Licensed Based Billing • Usage Based Billing • Billing FAQ’s• Reconciliation File Details
Billing Basics
This module introduces Microsoft billing basics for Cloud Solution Providers, at the end of this module you will understand your billing date, payment terms and rules and how licensed based (subscriptions) and usage based (consumption) billing is provided to you.
Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program Billing Basics
• The Partner’s monthly billing date will be the date they sign their relevant Partner Agreement
• A confirmation email will be sent to notify the Partner of their billing dateBilling Date
• Payment Terms – net 30 days• All account payments should be made by the invoice due date (30 days after
the billing date)• Delinquent accounts are subject to suspension and/or termination from the
CSP program
Payment Terms
• One consolidated invoice for all online services• Billing is based on seats sold and/or metered consumption of services
depending on the services• An Offer price is only guaranteed for the term of the subscription. Any
appropriate Price list changes will come into effect upon subscription renewal
Billing Rules
• Invoice and reconciliation files will be delivered in the Partner Center• Files will be available for both viewing and downloadInvoice Availability
• Adjustments and credits are “in arrears” and will appear on the next monthly billing invoice after the credit or adjustment is applied
• Credits for test accounts and integration testing are not authorized. Please see the notes for details about how you can avoid charges for testing
Adjustments/Credits/Cancellations
Licensed-Based Billing
• The Partner is not billed for any charges during the initial period from a subscription start date to the Partner’s first bill date (up to one full month) for subscription based services
Up to One Free Month Incentives
• Subscriptions are annual and auto-renewed• Billing is in 12 monthly payments per annual subscription• The Partner is billed in advance for next billing period for subscription based
services (based on seats at the end of prior billing period)• Partner is billed/credited in arrears for any seat changes (Pro-Rata
calculation based on seat-days) • Pro-rata calculation uses the following formula: [ROUND((ROUND(Unit
Price * Quantity / Number of days in pro-rated Month, 2) * Number of pro-rated days) / Quantity, 2) * Quantity]
• Payments are billed for seats sold (not seats provisioned)
Billing Rules
• Early termination fees are currently not charged for cancellation of licensed based services
• Cancellation credits for licensed based services are pro-rated for unused days for mid-cycle cancellations (as well as seat decreases per the formula above)
AdjustmentsCredits
Cancelations
License-Based Billing – “The Free Period”
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Month 4
Month 5
Month 6
Month 7
Month 8
Month 9
Month 10
Month 11
Month 12
Annual agreement charges billed as a series of Advance Monthly Charges
Free
12/15/x0 1/15/x1 2/15/x1 3/15/x1 4/15/x1 5/15/x1 6/15/x1 7/15/x1 8/15/x1 9/15/x1 10/15/x1 11/15/x1
Subscription term (1 year + free period) - starts when service starts
Partner’s Billing Cadence i.e. 15th of the month
Subscription Term Alignment to Partner’s Billing Date
• Free Service are provided in the period from the start date of the subscription to the date of next consolidate bill (which is the same for all subscriptions provided by the partner). This is regardless of seat count.
• Following this, 12 monthly advance charges aligned to Partner’s bill date apply. • This results in simpler billing reconciliation• All subscriptions auto-renew for a new 12 month period with 12 monthly advanced
charges if not canceled in line with the appropriate agreements.• The Free Period does not apply to Usage-Based services.
Usage-Based Billing
• Azure operates as Pay as you go model in which the partner is only billed for Azure services used.
• Azure usage charges start from the subscription start date and consists of charge for data consumed.
• There is no “Free Period” for Usage-Based Billing.
Usage Based Billing
• Subscriptions are month-to-month and auto-renewed. Billing is monthly in arrears.
• Billing is based on usage.• Metered service rates can change at any day within the invoice cycle.
• Existing subscriptions will be billed at the rate in effect at the beginning of the current invoice cycle.
• New subscriptions purchased during an invoice cycle will be billed at the rate in effect at the purchase date.
• Rate changes will apply to all subscriptions in future invoice cycles.• One consolidated invoice is provided for all subscriptions.• The Partner is billed in arrears for the previous billing period (based on
usage at the end of prior billing period).• The Partner is billed in arrears for service changes (i.e. usage on any new
service started during the month).
Billing Rules
• Payments with adjustments will appear on the next monthly billing invoice.• At present early termination fees are not charged for cancellations.• Credits of any type, including SLA credits, will appear on the next monthly
billing invoice.
AdjustmentsCredits
Cancelations
Reconciliation Files on Partner Center
This module will show you how to access crucial billing information and your invoices directly on Partner Center and give you an example of a Microsoft invoice.
Billing OverviewThe Partner Center Dashboard Overview is where you will find a high level summary of your account.
❶ In the lower part of the Dashboard a dedicated Billing Summary show you the balance due, your recent invoices and reconsolidation files and your last payment.
❷ You can also quickly access your billing history.
❶
❷
SAMPLE
Billing Details Page• The Partner Center Dashboard Billing
Page is where you will find a summary of your billing activity.
• The top half of the page is current billing activity and trend. The lower half is the billing history section.
• ❶ The total account balance is displayed prominently in the Center of the page.
• ❷ Links to your invoice PDF and recon files are directly below the balance due.
• ❸ Last payment received is also displayed.
SAMPLE
❷
❸
❶
SAMPLE
NOTE – this invoice is only a sample, exact details may vary by geography (ex: payment instructions, currency, tax treatment)
• Your invoice can be viewed online or downloaded on the Partner Center Dashboard Billing Page.
• The invoice is a summary of all charges (across the program and products) for the current monthly period.
• ❶ Total Current Charges is the amount the Partner is due to pay by the ❷ payment due date.
• ❸ The Payment Instructions gives details on how to pay your invoice. The instructions vary from region, please refer to your invoice for the actual payment instructions.
• The invoice does not contain details about the charges.
• Details of charges including customer references are located in the appropriate Reconciliation Files.
❶
❷
❸
The Invoice
Invoices on Partner Center
This module will introduce you to the reconciliation files available on Partner Center and point out how to use them.
License-Based (Seat Subscription) Reconciliation File
See Appendix for detailed descriptions of all columns provided in the Reconciliation File, the screenshot is not showing all available fields.
• The reconciliation file (recon file) provides a detailed “line-item” view of each billing event• These billing events can be tied back to the orders within the Partner Center using the
“Syndication_Partner_Subscription_Number” from the recon file and the “Subscription ID” from the Partner Center
Usage-Based Reconciliation File
See Appendix for detailed descriptions of all columns provided in the Reconciliation File, the screenshot is not showing all available fields.
• The reconciliation file (recon file) provides a monthly summary view of each billing event• These billing events can be tied back to the orders within the Partner Center using the “Reseller
ID & Name & Reseller BillableAccount ID” from the recon file and the “Subscription ID” from the Partner Center
reseller_id reseller_name reseller_billable_accountId invoice_number service_name SubscriptionId SubscriptionName subscription_description order_id mpn_id service_name service_type resource_guid XY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services B3B2DC63-264C-4346-932C-07EBE13E66C2XY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services 1CD004F2-0995-4DC6-BFED-A2C897D96F46XY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services 3EEDA0C2-BA5B-4161-B191-E284932C51BCXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services 1C722FEE-8DA4-4516-B1D4-0A1481CED402XY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services F6C9C1F3-C403-451E-8A2D-FA460C7CC8D7XY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services 7DB96EFB-D699-4DBB-ACA7-F1571053FA4FXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services FAA99AF6-6F37-463C-A882-D9900CC46E63XY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 03/21/2014 to 04/20/2014 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 3729294 All Services AFE68188-4D48-46A4-A2A6-109C38CAC12E
Daily Usagereseller_id reseller_name reseller_billable_accountId invoice_number subscription_id subscription_name subscription_description order_id CustomerBillableAccountId charge_begin_date charge_end_date usage_date service_nameXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 3/22/2104 All ServicesXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 3/22/2104 All ServicesXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 3/22/2104 All ServicesXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 4/15/2014 All ServicesXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 4/17/2014 All ServicesXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 4/20/2104 All ServicesXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 4/20/2104 All ServicesXY935FBA-1AFE-5B13-95CB-476066EA12D4 A1 Cloud Solution Partner 3123132323 E020006NSH 7cc0ae8d-51f1-413b-83f0-00dffd29999 Pay As You Go Pay As You Go 4.03E+13 4344243 3/21/2014 4/20/2014 4/20/2104 All Services
Subscription Billing (License Based)Common Scenarios
This module will show you common billing scenarios, how they are handled from a billing perspective.
1. New Subscription is purchase2. Subscription remains unchanged for a billing period3. New Subscription is purchased with seat adjustments during the free period4. Seat increase / decrease for existing billed subscription5. Cancelation – no set changes prior to cancelling6. Cancelation – seat changes prior to cancelling
The period between the start date of the subscription and the first billing date (for this subscription) is FREE, regardless of activity (ex: seat changes)
The recon file will still show this initial use to reflect the seat count at each point *
Basic Billing Scenarios: 1) New subscription is purchased
Any Usage between the start date of the subscription and the first billing date (for this subscription) will be provided FREE OF CHARGE
First Advance charge billed for the subscription
First Bill CutSubscriptio
n Start Date
* If a subscription is cancelled before its first billing cut, charges will not be applied to the account and won’t even be generated in the reconciliation file. This is particularly important if Partners want to perform testing but do not want to pay for subscription charges for testing.
Operating Unit A, performs no actions on subscription 123 during the billing period between June 15th and July 14th.
Since there is no variation, the only charge reflected on the July 15th bill will be the advance charge for the following month
Basic Billing Scenarios: 2) Subscription remains unchanged for a billing period
Advance Charge: For the Whole Month Period from July 15th to August 14th for 15 seatsAssuming the Charge per Subscription per month is 10 USD , charge would be 10 USD x 15 seats = 150 USD
Advance Charge: For the Whole Month Period from June 15th to July 14th billed on June 15th (on previous invoice)
July 15th
(Billing Cut)
The detailed table below describes the line items you would see in the reconciliation file for the above scenario:• Since there is no variation, the only charge reflected on the July 15th bill will be
the advance charge for the following month
Subscription_Start_Date
Subscription_End_Date
Charge_Start_Date
Charge_End_Date Charge_Type
Unit_Price
Quantity Amount
Total_Other_Discount
Sub_Total Tax
Total_For_Customer
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 6/15/2013 0:007/14/2013
23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 15 150 0 150 15 165
Prorated UsageFrom: June 3rd
To: June 7th
For: 10 seatsZERO CHARGE
Prorated UsageFrom: June 12th
To: June 14th
For: 15 seatsZERO CHARGE
Operating Unit A, whose billing cycle is on the 15th day of each month: • Orders subscription 123 on June 3rd for 10 seats of SKU E3.• On June 8th, Increases the seat count of the subscription 123 to 20
seats• On June 12th, Decreases the seat count of the subscription 123 to
15 seats
Advance Charge: For the Whole Month Period from June 15th to July 14th. Assuming the Charge per Subscription per month is 10 USD , charge would be 10 USD x 15 seats = 150 USD
Prorated UsageFrom: June 8th
To: June 11th
For: 20 seatsZERO CHARGE
June 15th
(Billing Cut)June 12th
June 8th
June 3rd
Subscription_Start_Date
Subscription_End_Date
Charge_Start_Date
Charge_End_Date Charge_Type Unit_Price Quantity Amount
Total_Other_Discount Sub_Total Tax
Total_For_Customer
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 6/3/2013 0:00 6/7/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 0 10 0 0 0 0 0
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 6/8/2013 0:00 6/11/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 0 20 0 0 0 0 0
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 6/12/2013 0:00 6/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 0 15 0 0 0 0 0
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 6/15/2013 0:00 7/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 15 150 0 150 15 165
The detailed table below describes the line items you would see in the reconciliation file for the above scenario:
• Due to the up to 30 days free incentive the first 3 line items will be charged at 0 Unit Price (as all of these seat changes occurred during the incentive period)
• The fourth line item will be the advance charge for the next billing period (from June 15th to July 14th in this example)
Basic Billing Scenarios: 3) New subscription is purchased with seat adjustments during the free period
Operating Unit A, performs the following seat adjustments to the existing subscription 123 during the period from July 15th to August 14th : • On July 20th a seat decrease to a total of 12• On July 31st a seat increase to a total of 18• On August 10th a seat decrease to a total of 10
Items Included In the billing on August 15th:
Basic Billing Scenarios: 4) Seat increase / decrease for existing billed subscription
Reversal of the Advance Charge: For the Whole Month Period from July 15th to August 14th. = - 165 USD
Jul 15th
(Past Billing Cut) July 20th
July 31st
Prorated UsageFrom: July 15th
To: July 19th
For: 15 seats26.61 USD
Prorated UsageFrom: July 20th
To: July 30th For: 12 seats46.84 USD
Prorated UsageFrom: July 31st To: August 9h
For: 18 seats63.87 USD
Aug 10th
Prorated UsageFrom: August 10th To: August 14th For: 10 seats17.74 USD
Advance Charge: For the Whole Month Period from August 15th to September 14th for 10 seats110 USD
Aug 15th
(Billing Cut)
Basic Billing Scenarios: 4) Seat increase / decrease (cont.)
Prorated Charge Calculation:
(A) Price
(B) Seats
Charge Start Date
Charge End Date
(C)Number of days
(D) Number of days in proration
Period
Sub Total (without Tax) *
A x B x (C/D)
10 15 7/15/2013 7/19/2013 5 31 24.19
10 12 7/20/2013 7/30/2013 11 31 42.58
10 18 7/31/2013 8/9/2013 10 31 58.06
10 10 8/10/2013 8/14/20135
31 16.13
* Rounding may vary depending on currency considerations
The detailed table below describes the line items you would see in the reconciliation file for the previous scenario:
Subscription_Start_Date
Subscription_End_Date
Charge_Start_Date
Charge_End_Date Charge_Type
Unit_Price
Quantity
Amount
Total_Other_Discount
Sub_Total Tax
Total_For_Customer
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 7/15/2013 0:008/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge Credit 10 15 -150 0 -150 -15 -165
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 7/15/2013 0:007/19/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 15 24.19 0 24.19 2.42 26.61
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 7/20/2013 0:007/30/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 12 42.58 0 42.58 4.26 46.84
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 7/31/2013 0:00 8/9/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 18 58.06 0 58.06 5.81 63.87
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 8/10/2013 0:008/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 10 16.13 0 16.13 1.61 17.74
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 8/15/2013 0:009/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 10 100 0 100 10 110
Operating Unit A cancels subscription 123 on August 25th:
• Since the whole period has been billed in advance in the last billing statement, a “credit for unused days” is provided covering the period from August 25th to September 14th
• The credit for unused days should be the only line item regarding subscription 123• The line item should also reflect the Subscription End date as August 25th 2012
Basic Billing Scenarios: 5) Cancellation - no seat changes prior to cancelling
Credit for unused daysFrom: August 25th To: September 14th For: 10 seats
Aug 15th
(Past Billing Cut)
August 25th
Previously Billed Advance Charge 10 seatsfrom August 15th to
September 14th 100 USD
Consumed portion of the advance charge from August 15th to August 24th
Sept 15th
(Billing Cut)
Subscription_Start_Date
Subscription_End_Date
Charge_Start_Date
Charge_End_Date Charge_Type
Unit_Price
Quantity
Amount
Total_Other_Discount
Sub_Total Tax
Total_For_Customer
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 8/25/2013 0:009/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge Credit 10 10 -67.74 0 -67.74 -6.77 -74.51
The detailed table below describes the line items you would see in the reconciliation file for the above scenario:
Assuming instead of Cancelling subscription 123 without making any seat changes Operating Unit A: • First, decreases seats on August 25th to 5 seats• Then, Cancels the subscription on September 1st
Follows same logic as a bill change the advance charge is reversed and the actual use is using the same proration formula. The last portion from September 1st to September 14th is still provided as a “credit for unused days”. So, the bill on September 15th will reflect four line items related to Subscription 123.
Basic Billing Scenarios: 6) Cancellation - seat changes prior to cancelling
Prorated UsageFrom: August 25th
To: September 14th For: 5 seats
Aug 15th
(Past Billing Cut)
Previously Billed Advance Charge 10 seatsfrom August 15th to
September 14th 100 USD Reversal of the Advance Charge: For the Whole
Month Period from August 15th to September14th. = - 100 USD
Sept 1st
Prorated UsageFrom: August 15th
To: August 24th
For: 10 seats
Aug 25th Sept 15th
(Billing Cut)
Credit for unused daysFrom: September 1st To: September 14th For: 5 seats
Subscription_Start_Date
Subscription_End_Date
Charge_Start_Date
Charge_End_Date Charge_Type
Unit_Price
Quantity
Amount
Total_Other_Discount
Sub_Total Tax
Total_For_Customer
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 8/15/2013 0:009/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge Credit 10 10 -100 0 -100 -10 -110
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 8/15/2013 0:008/24/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 10 32.26 0 32.26 3.23 35.49
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 8/25/2013 0:009/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge 10 5 11.29 0 11.29 1.13 12.42
6/3/2013 0:00 6/15/2014 0:00 9/1/2013 0:009/14/2013 23:59OLSRecurringCharge Credit 10 5 -22.58 0 -22.58 -2.26 -24.84
The detailed table below describes the line items you would see in the reconciliation file for the above scenario:
Consumption Billing (Usage Based)Common Scenarios
This module will show you common billing scenarios for Azure
Billing is based on usage. A Partner is only billed for Azure services used, including during the initial period from subscription start date to the Partner’s first bill date (up to one full month).
The recon file will show all usage by subscription.
Azure Billing Scenario
Any Azure services or applications enabled and used between the start date of the subscription and the first billing date will appear on the first invoice.
• First invoice billed for the subscription, in arrears.
• Any Azure usage, including new services or applications enabled and used during the billing month, will be billed on the next invoice, etc.
First Bill CutSubscription Start Date
• If a subscription is cancelled before its first billing cut, charges for any Azure usage will be generated in the reconciliation file.
• For useful information on how to create and/or use Azure services or applications, go to www.azure.com and select the “Features” heading.
Billing FAQ
This module will provide answers to Frequently Asked Question about billing and your invoice
Frequently Asked Billing Questions
On what day will I receive my monthly invoice?• The day you sign your current CSP contract will be your billing date. This date is effective as of Pacific Standard
Time.
Can I change my billing date?• No, once created, a billing date cannot be changed.
Who does my invoice come from? • Your monthly invoice and recon files will be delivered to the Partner Center where you can view and download them.
How do I contact Microsoft regarding questions about my invoice or recon file?• All questions or disputes should be raised through submitting a Service Request from the CSP Partner Center.
How do I pay my invoice?• Each monthly invoice will list the payment instructions for your operating country and currency.
My billing admin has left my company - how do I update my billing admin?• You must submit a Service Request in the Partner Center in order to update your billing admin contact.
How do I tie my customer transactions in my recon file to my customer records in the Partner Center?• The Syndication_Partner_Subscription_Number maps to the Subscription ID in the Partner Center. 26
Cloud Solution Provider Program
On what location I will be taxed?• Partner’s will be taxed based on their details (not the end customer) as the billing relationship is between
Microsoft entity and the Partner.
Where I can submit my Tax ID• As a Partner you have two options: during on-boarding or submit via service request in order to update
your Tax ID. The changes will be reflected on the next billing cycle.
Where I can submit my tax exemption certificates • Partners are required to submit tax documentation via service request in order to be exempted from tax
charges. The changes and appropriate refunds will be visibility on the next billing cycle.
Will I receive my documents in hardcopy version• All documents, such as invoices will be provided electronically unless you are in a location where
hardcopies are required and pre-approved by Microsoft.
Where can I get more details on taxes?• Further details can be provided by your local tax office or your tax advisor.
Frequently Asked Billing QuestionsTax
Reconciliation File Details
This module provides you with exhaustive details about the columns used in the reconciliation files.
Column Description Comment Sample
Operating_UnitUnique identifier for specific billing entity Useful detail but not for reconciliation. Same in all rows.
8dd03642-test-test-test-46b58d356b4e
Customer_NumberCustomer unique identifier in Microsoft billing platform
Unique Identifier associated to customer in Microsoft billing platform. It may be useful to identify customer when contacting support but not for reconciliation. 123456789
Order_IDOrder unique identifier in Microsoft billing platform
Unique Identifier associated to order in Microsoft billing platform. It may be useful to identify order when contacting support but not for reconciliation. 566890604832738111
Subscription_IDSubscription unique identifier in Microsoft billing platform
Unique Identifier associated to subscription in Microsoft billing platform. It may be useful to identify subscription when contacting support but not for reconciliation.NOTE: This is not the same as the Subscription ID on the PAC. Please see Syndication_Partner_Subscription_Number usCBMgAAAAAAAAIA
Syndication_Partner_Subscription_Number Unique identifier for subscriptions
A customer can have multiple subscriptions for the same plan, so this is an important for Recon File analysis. This field maps to the Subscription ID in the Partner Admin Console.
fb977ab5-test-test-test-24c8d9591708
Offer_ID Unique Offer ID Standard Offer ID as per pricelist 306855
Durable_Offer_ID Unique Durable Offer ID Standard Offer ID as per pricelist1017D7F3-6D7F-4BFA-BDD8-79BC8F104E0C
Offer_NameService offering purchased by the customer Standard Service Name Microsoft Office 365 (Plan E3)
Subscription_Start_Date
Subscription start date is the day after the order is submitted
By looking at subscription start date in conjunction with end date, you can understand if we are still within the first year of the subscription or the subscription has renewed for the following year. Time is always the beginning of the day - 0:00; irrelevant. 1/23/2014 0:00
Subscription_End_Date
Subscription end-date - 12 months + x days after start date (to align to Partner Billing date) or 12 months from renewal date
At renewal prices are aligned to current pricelist. Customer communication may be required in advance of automated renewal.Time is always the beginning of the day – 0:00; irrelevant. 2/1/2015 0:00
Charge_Start_Date Start day of the charges
This is the most important field for reconciliation; it calls out the start day of the charges. This becomes very important when customer changes seat numbers as it will multiply lines in Recon File and the charges will be per day (pro-rata calculation). 2/1/2014 0:00
Charge_End_Date End day of the charges
This is the most important field for reconciliation; it calls out the end date of the charges. This becomes very important when customer changes seat numbers as it will multiply lines in Recon File and the charges will be per day (pro-rata calculation). 2/28/2014 23:59
Licensed Services Recon File Columns – Detailed
Licensed Services Recon File Columns – Detailed (cont.)Column Description Comment Sample
Unit_Price Price per seat Key field for reconciliation with Partner system information 6.82Quantity Number of seats Key field for reconciliation with Partner system information 2
Amount Total of Price for Quantity Useful to check that amount calculation matches on how you calculate this for your customers 13.32Total_CAL_Discount Not available Irrelevant column. N/ATotal_Other_Discount
Amount of discount applied to these charges
Orders with discount (special deal), IUR or new subscription eligible for free month incentive will have discount in these columns. IUR and free month have 100% discount 2.32
SubTotal Total before tax To be checked if it matches with expected total in case of discount 11
Tax Tax amount charged Tax treatment applied per each geography’s tax rules and each specific Partner’s tax circumstances 0Total_for_customer Total after tax To be checked only for those Partners that are charged Tax in the invoice 11
Currency CurrencySame for all rows. Each billing entity has only one currency. To be checked only with first invoice or after major billing platform updates EUR
Customer_NameCustomer name as reported in PAC Key field for reconciliation with Partner system information Test Customer A
Licensed Services Recon File Columns – Detailed (cont.)
ColumnDescription
Charge_Type
Specifies the type of charges or adjustment
Field Name Description Action TypePURCHASE_FEE Purchase fee The initial charge for a given subscription. ChargeCANCEL_FEE Cycle fee Periodic charges per billing period for a given subscription. Charge
CANCEL_USAGEFEE Assess usage fee when cancel This is the prorated charge for the service used by the customer in this billing period that has not yet been paid for, when subscription is cancelled. Convert Resource
CYCLE_USAGEFEE Assess usage fee for current cycle This is the charge for the service used by the customer in this billing period. Convert Resource
PURCHASE_PRORATE Prorate fees when purchase This is the first charge when the charge is not for an entire billing period and the charges are prorated. Proration
CANCEL_PRORATE Prorate fees when cancel This is the prorated refund for the unused portion of the service in the billing period when the subscription is cancelled. Proration
ACTIVATION_PRORATE Prorate fees when activate Prorated fees assessed when the subscription is activated till the remaining days in the billing period. Proration
CREDIT Credit Apply a credit to a payment instrument CreditOFFSET_LINEITEM Offset a line item Charges refunded partially or wholly. OffsetRENEW_PRORATE Prorate fee when renew Charges assessed when a subscription is renewed i.e. subscription renewal fee ProrationTAX_REFUND Refunded tax paid Tax refund due to validation of tax exemption certificate: Offset
CANCEL_INSTANCEPRORATE Cancel instance prorate Prorated charges refunded to the customer when seats associated with the subscription are changed. Instance Prorate
CYCLE_INSTANCEPRORATE Cycle instance prorate Prorated charges assessed from the customer when seats associated with the subscription are changed. Instance Prorate
CANCEL_DISCOUNT Cancel discount Charges assessed when discounts are cancelled. DiscountACTIVATION_DISCOUNT Activation discount Discount applied when a subscription is activated. DiscountCYCLE_DISCOUNT Cycle discount Discounts applied on the period charges per billing period for a given subscription DiscountRENEW_DISCOUNT Renew discount Discount applied when a subscription is renewed. DiscountONE_TIME_REFUND One time refund One Time Refund processed for the customer Offset
Column Description SampleService Name Name of the Azure service All Services
Service TypeUtilized to further break down the Service for Windows Azure services
• Service Bus – Individual or Pack• SQL Azure database – Business or Web Edition
ResourceGUIDThe identifier that rolls up all Service data and ties it to the price list DA41BC5F-C52D-4464-8A8D-8C8DCC43503B
Resource/Resource Name Name of the Azure Resource• Data Transfer In (GB)• Data Transfer Out (GB)
RegionThe region the usage applies to. Primarily used to assign rates to data transfers as rates vary by region. Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America
Consumed QuantityThe amount of service consumed (hours, GB, etc.), during each month of the selected quarter 0
Consumption PriceThis rate is calculated using the monthly consumption charges for a unit of service. $.03/min
MeteredRegionThis column identifies the location of a data center within the region for services where this is applicable and populated.
East Asia, South East Asia, North Europe, West Europe, North Central US, South Central US
MeteredService
This column is utilized to track the individual Microsoft Azure service that may not be specifically identified in the Service Name column. For example, data transfers are reported as "Microsoft Azure - All Services" in the Service Name column. This MeteredService column will indicate which specific service the usage pertains. AccessControl, CDN, Compute, Database, ServiceBus, Storage
MeteredServiceType
Project
ServiceInfo1The number of ServiceBus connections that were provisioned and utilized on a given day.
For example, if you had an individually provisioned connection during a 30 day month, Service Info 1 would read “1.000000 Connections / 30 days”. If you had a 25 pack of ServiceBus connections provisioned and you had utilized 1 during that day, your daily usage statement for that day would indicate “25 Connections / 30 Days – Used: 1.000000”.
Usage-Based Reconciliation File Columns – Detailed