Microsoft CSP Partner Program Updates - March 2025

Ravi C. K.

02 Apr 2025 — 15 min read

March 2025 Microsoft Partner Center Annoucement

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What are the key updates for Microsoft partners?

Starting April 1, 2025, all new and renewing monthly billing plans for annual and triennial subscriptions under NCE will be priced 5% higher than the upfront billing option for annual/triennial subscription plans. This is part of Microsoft's effort to standardize the billing structure.

The specific Microsoft products mentioned as having pricing updates starting on April 1, 2025, are Microsoft Teams Phone Standard, Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium Per User for both new and existing customers upon renewal.

Beginning April 14, 2025, the system will check if the reseller has a valid CSP reseller authorization and active tenant, is in the same region as the indirect provider, has accepted the MPA for indirect resellers, and is associated with a valid Partner Location Account (PLA). Failure to meet these criteria will result in an error.

Beginning March 10, 2025, functionality to configure trial renewal attributes at purchase will be available in Sandbox and will become generally available on April 1, 2025. This allows partners to specify values like license quantity, term, and billing frequency for the paid subscriptions their trial purchases renew into.

Starting March 10, 2025, customers on EOS and EOS with Conversion offers can schedule changes to edit the billing frequency for their annual or triennial term subscriptions, effective at renewal, through both the Partner Center UX and APIs. This capability is also available to test in Sandbox.

CSP direct-bill partners and indirect providers who use billing APIs must migrate from the CSP Billing Reconciliation V1 APIs to the new asynchronous billing reconciliation APIs before April 21, 2025. Failure to migrate will disrupt their ability to reconcile billing information, manage Azure consumption data, and track unbilled usage.

The two key documents being updated are the CSP Program Guide, effective April 27, 2025, and the Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA), effective September 27, 2025. Both were announced on March 27, 2025.
Microsoft is deprecating graph.windows.net audience tokens to enhance security, requiring partners to update how they interact with Partner Center APIs. Partners need to take necessary steps to prepare for this transition, as outlined in the announcement.
A new feature allows partners to clone outbound opportunities with one click in the Referrals workspace, intended to help recreate expired or declined opportunities easily. It is recommended that partners carefully review customer information, solution details, budget, timelines, and product details before cloning.
Partners are now required to provide Solution Area and Solution Play for all IP Co-sell opportunities created via the UI and bulk upload. This change aims to enhance Microsoft seller assignment time, enable targeted opportunity assignments, and drive faster deal velocity.

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If you need help with the changes or to leverage Hybr CSP Billing, contact the Hybr CSP Billing Team experts via the request form.

What are the key dates I need to be aware of for upcoming changes in the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program?

Several important dates are approaching:

March 27, 2025: The updated CSP Program Guide becomes effective automatically for current partners.
April 1, 2025: Pricing updates go into effect, including a 5% increase for monthly billing plans for annual and triennial subscriptions compared to upfront billing, and price changes for Microsoft Teams Phone Standard, Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium Per User. Mid-term billing frequency changes for triennial offers will also no longer be supported. Additionally, the ability to configure trial renewal settings at purchase becomes generally available.
April 14, 2025: Changes to the Partner Location Account (PLA) API will be implemented to ensure only authorized indirect resellers can be assigned as Partner of Record (POR) for new CSP subscriptions.
April 21, 2025: The CSP Billing Reconciliation V1 APIs will be retired, and partners must migrate to the new asynchronous V2 APIs.
September 27, 2025: The updated Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA) will become effective automatically for current partners.

What are the upcoming pricing changes in the CSP program, and how will they affect my customers?

Starting April 1, 2025, Microsoft is standardizing its billing structure. This means that all new and renewing monthly billing plans for annual and triennial subscriptions will be priced 5% higher than the upfront billing option for the same term.

This change applies across Buy Online, CSP, and MCA-E. Additionally, the prices for Microsoft Teams Phone Standard, Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium Per User will be updated for both new and existing customers upon renewal.

Customers on EOS and EOS with Conversion offers can schedule billing frequency changes at renewal starting March 10, 2025. Mid-term billing frequency changes for triennial offers will be blocked beginning April 1, 2025.

3. What changes are being made to the Partner of Record (POR) assignment process for CSP resellers, and what do I need to do to prepare?

Effective April 14, 2025, Microsoft is updating the PLA API and Partner Center UI to enhance compliance in POR assignments. Indirect providers will only be able to assign indirect resellers as POR on new CSP subscriptions if the reseller: has a valid CSP reseller authorization and active tenant, is in the same region as the provider, has accepted the MPA for indirect resellers, and is associated with a valid PLA. If these requirements aren't met, the system will display an error.

Indirect resellers should ensure their CSP tenant is active and associated with an authorized PLA ID, they have accepted the MPA, and they are in the same region as their indirect provider to avoid service disruptions. Indirect providers should test POR assignments in sandbox environments, identify invalid PORs using the Insights dashboard, and train their teams on the new validation rules.

4. What security-related updates are being implemented that CSP partners need to be aware of?

Microsoft is implementing several security enhancements. The graph.windows.net audience tokens are being deprecated, requiring partners to update their interaction with Partner Center APIs.

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is being enforced for all users signing into the Azure portal and the Microsoft 365 admin center. Additionally, Microsoft began blocking unused Azure subscriptions in December 2024, with deletion occurring after 90 days of being blocked (if there's no activity or consumption for over 12 months).

Partners should prepare for the token deprecation, ensure MFA is enabled for their users accessing the portals, and review their Azure subscriptions for any that might be considered unused.

5. What enhancements are being made to co-sell and partner-led opportunities?

Beginning April 1, 2025, partners will be able to clone outbound opportunities in the Referrals workspace with a single click, making it easier to recreate expired or declined opportunities. It is recommended to review all opportunity details before cloning and address any decline reasons from the parent opportunity.

Additionally, providing the Solution Area and Solution Play will become mandatory for all IP Co-sell opportunities created via the UI and bulk upload. This change aims to improve Microsoft seller assignment time, enable targeted assignments, and accelerate deal velocity.

6. What are the key updates related to billing and subscription management in Partner Center?

Several updates are being made to billing and subscription management. The end-of-sale (EOS) scheduling for billing frequency changes is now available, allowing customers on EOS and EOS with Conversion offers to schedule changes to their billing frequency for annual or triennial subscriptions at renewal. This can be managed through both the Partner Center UI and APIs. Mid-term billing frequency changes for triennial offers will be blocked starting April 1, 2025.

Functionality to configure trial renewal settings at purchase will become generally available on April 1, 2025, allowing partners to specify the license quantity, term, and billing frequency for paid subscriptions that trials renew into.

Finally, the CSP Billing Reconciliation V1 APIs are being retired in April 2025, and partners must migrate to the new asynchronous V2 APIs to avoid disruption in accessing reconciliation data.

7. How can Microsoft E5 Security and E5 Compliance suites now be leveraged for existing Microsoft 365 customers?

Microsoft is extending the opportunity for CSP partners to upsell Microsoft E5 Security and E5 Compliance suites to customers who currently have Microsoft 365 E3 + EMS E3. This provides an alternative for customers who may not be planning a full transition to ME5 but still require enhanced security and compliance, particularly in light of increasing demands related to AI transformation.

Additionally, the Microsoft 365 E5 Security suite is now available as an add-on for Business Premium customers, offering them more advanced security features.

8. What resources are available to help CSP partners stay informed and address questions about these changes?

Microsoft provides a variety of resources to support CSP partners. The updated CSP Program Guide and MPA are available in Partner Center for review. Partners can refer to the Partner Launch Calendar for a consolidated view of recent and active launches.

The CSP Bimonthly Update newsletter aggregates important announcements and updates. Monthly CSP spotlight webinars cover licensing readiness. The monthly CSP community Q&A sessions offer a platform to ask questions about program changes.

Partners can also find more information and support on the Microsoft partner website and through Partner Center support tickets. For specific questions about billing APIs, documentation and migration guides are available.

Details and Key Actions

1. Pricing Updates:

Standardization of Billing Structure: Effective April 1, 2025, Microsoft is standardizing its billing structure across Buy Online, CSP, and MCA-E. All new and renewing monthly billing plans for annual and triennial term subscriptions will be priced 5% higher than the upfront billing option for the same term.
"All new and renewing monthly billing plans for annual and triennial per user subscriptions are priced five percent higher than the annual billing plan for annual and triennial subscriptions."
Impact: This change affects all CSP partners and their customers with monthly billing for annual or triennial subscriptions. Month-to-month and annual term subscriptions with upfront payment are currently not affected.
Action: Partners should notify affected customers about the upcoming price increase and inform them of the option to switch to upfront annual or triennial billing to avoid the increase.
Price List Preview: The March NCE license-based price list preview was republished on March 20, 2025, to correctly reflect the 5% price increase for monthly billing plans for triennial term subscriptions.
"On March 20, the price list preview was republished to correctly reflect the expected 5% price increase for monthly billing plans for triennial term subscriptions."
Teams Phone and Power BI Pricing: Starting April 1, 2025, the pricing for Microsoft Teams Phone Standard, Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium Per User will be updated for both new and existing customers upon renewal.
EOS Billing Frequency Changes: For customers on End-of-Sale (EOS) and EOS with Conversion offers (e.g., Microsoft 365 E3/E5, Office 365 E1/E3/E5 with Teams), partners can now schedule changes to billing frequency for annual or triennial subscriptions effective at renewal, starting March 10, 2025. This functionality is available to test in Sandbox.
Mid-Term Billing Frequency Changes (Triennial): Beginning April 1, 2025, mid-term billing frequency changes for triennial offers will no longer be supported.

2. Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA) Update:

The MPA is being updated, effective September 27, 2025.
Changes will automatically apply to current partners on this date, requiring no action, signature, or acknowledgment.
"Changes will become effective for current partners automatically on September 27, 2025, without further action by either party."
The updated MPA incorporates terms supporting privacy, security, compliance, and transparency.
"The MPA incorporates terms that support our commitment to privacy, security, compliance, and transparency."
Partners are advised to review the updated MPA in Partner Center with their legal teams.

3. Security Updates:

Deprecation of graph.windows.net Audience Tokens: Microsoft is deprecating these tokens to enhance security, requiring partners to update their interaction with Partner Center APIs.
MFA Enforcement for Azure and Microsoft 365 Admin Centers: Microsoft is enforcing multifactor authentication (MFA) for all users signing into both the Azure portal and the Microsoft 365 admin center. Partners should review the latest information and timelines.
Removal of Unused Azure Subscriptions: Since December 2024, Microsoft has been blocking unused Azure subscriptions (no activity or consumption for over 12 months). These are deleted after 90 days, with notifications sent 30 days prior to blocking.
Microsoft 365 E5 Security Add-ons: The Microsoft 365 E5 Security suite can now be added to both Microsoft 365 E3 + EMS E3 customers and Business Premium customers, providing enhanced security features, particularly relevant for AI transformation with Copilot.

4. Partner Center Functionality Updates:

New Sandbox Capabilities: Several new features are available or coming soon to the Customers workspace in the Sandbox environment:
Testing the scheduling of billing frequency changes for EOS offers (available now, production on March 10, 2025).
Viewing the updated functionality where mid-term billing frequency changes for triennial offers are no longer supported (available now, effective April 1, 2025).
Configuring trial renewal settings at purchase, allowing partners to specify license quantity, term, and billing frequency for paid subscriptions (available in Sandbox March 10, 2025, production on April 1, 2025).
AI Assistant Enhancements: The AI assistant within the Earnings and Incentives workspaces now supports answering questions from the Partner Incentives Co-op Guidebook, in addition to existing policy/program guide information.
Co-sell and Partner-Led Opportunities: Beginning April 1, 2025, partners can clone outbound opportunities with a single click in the Referrals workspace. Additionally, providing "Solution Area" and "Solution Play" will be mandatory for all IP Co-sell opportunities created via the UI and bulk upload.
End-of-Sale (EOS) Scheduling for Billing Frequency Changes: This capability is available in Partner Center UI and API as of March 10, 2025, allowing scheduling of billing frequency changes for EOS offers at renewal.

💡

If you need help with the changes or to leverage Hybr CSP Billing, contact the Hybr CSP Billing Team experts via the request form.

5. Partner of Record (POR) Assignment Changes:

Effective April 14, 2025, Microsoft will implement changes to the PLA API and UI in Partner Center to ensure that indirect providers can only assign authorized and compliant indirect resellers as POR for new CSP subscriptions.
The system will validate if the reseller:
Has a valid CSP reseller authorization and active tenant.
Is in the same region as the indirect provider.
Has accepted the MPA for indirect resellers.
Is associated with a valid Partner Location Account (PLA).
Failure to meet these requirements will result in an error message during subscription orders. Suspended reseller tenants will have their Granular Delegated Admin Privileges (GDAP) revoked across all customer accounts.
Action: Indirect resellers need to ensure they meet the listed requirements. Indirect providers should test POR assignments in sandbox and use the Insights dashboard to identify and resolve invalid PORs.

6. Retirement of CSP Billing Reconciliation V1 APIs:

The CSP Billing reconciliation V1 APIs are being retired in April 2025. After April 21, 2025, these APIs will no longer provide access to reconciliation line items for billing periods as of April 2025.
"After April 21, 2025, the following four APIs no longer provide access to reconciliation line items for billing periods as of April 2025."
Partners using these APIs must migrate to the new asynchronous billing reconciliation APIs (v2) to avoid disruption in their ability to reconcile billing, manage Azure consumption data, and track unbilled usage.
The new APIs are: Billed and unbilled daily rated usage reconciliation API v2 and Billed invoice reconciliation API v2.
Action: Partners need to migrate to the new APIs before April 21, 2025. Relevant documentation and resources are provided in the announcement.

7. CSP Monthly Updates and Community Resources:

Monthly views, including updated partner launch calendars and the CSP Bimonthly Update newsletter, are available. These resources provide a consolidated view of recent and active launches, program updates, events, and reminders.
The monthly CSP community Q&A sessions offer partners an opportunity to ask questions about program changes. Registration details for upcoming calls are provided.

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Recommendations

Review: Carefully review all linked documents and announcements in Partner Center.
Legal Review: Ensure your legal teams review the updated Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA).
Communicate: Inform relevant internal teams and notify customers about the upcoming pricing changes and other relevant updates.
Sandbox Testing: Utilize the Sandbox environment to test new functionalities related to billing frequency changes and trial renewals.
Training: Attend CSP Technical Training sessions and Community Q&A calls to gain a deeper understanding of the changes and address any questions.
Customer Engagement: Proactively engage with customers to discuss the pricing updates, billing options, and new security offerings. Leverage partner readiness materials for Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-ons.

Critical Deadlines and Actions

April 1, 2025:

Standardizing the billing structure with a pricing update: The 5% price increase for new and renewing monthly billing plans for annual and triennial subscriptions takes effect. Pricing updates for Microsoft Teams Phone Standard, Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium Per User also take effect. Mid-term billing frequency changes for triennial offers are no longer supported. Functionality to configure trial renewal attributes at purchase becomes generally available. The April EOS price list is available, reflecting EOS and EOS with Conversion Offer pricing updates.
Co-sell and partner-led opportunities enhancements: The ability for partners to drive clone outbound opportunities with one click begins. The requirement to provide Solution Area and Solution Play for all opportunities created via UI and bulk upload starts.

April 14, 2025:

Important change to Partner of Record (POR) assignment for CSP resellers: The updated PLA API and UI in Partner Center are implemented to validate POR assignments for new CSP subscriptions, ensuring only authorized indirect resellers are assigned.

April 21, 2025:

Urgent: CSP Billing Reconciliation V1 APIs to retire April 2025: The CSP Billing reconciliation V1 APIs are to be retired.

April 27, 2025:

A Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Program Guide update is now available: The updated CSP Program Guide becomes effective.

September 27, 2025:

The Microsoft Partner Agreement is being updated, effective September 27, 2025: The updated Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA) becomes effective automatically for current partners.

Previous Month Deadlines

March 1, 2025:

Standardizing the billing structure with a pricing update: The NCE license-based price list preview reflecting the 5% price increase for monthly billing on annual term subscriptions is released.

March 3, 2025:

Standardizing the billing structure with a pricing update; pricing updates for Microsoft Teams Phone and Power BI: Announcement reiterating the 5% price increase for new and renewing monthly billing plans for annual and triennial subscriptions (effective April 1, 2025). Also announces pricing updates for Microsoft Teams Phone Standard, Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium Per User (effective April 1, 2025).

March 5, 2025:

Urgent: CSP Billing Reconciliation V1 APIs to retire April 2025: Announcement of the retirement of CSP Billing reconciliation V1 APIs on April 21, 2025, urging partners to migrate to the new asynchronous V2 APIs.

March 6, 2025:

AI assistant answers questions about the Partner Incentives Co-op Guidebook: The Partner Center AI assistant in the Earnings and Incentives workspaces is updated to answer questions from the Partner Incentives Co-op Guidebook.

March 7, 2025:

New purchase and subscription management functionality available to test in Sandbox: Several new capabilities become available in Sandbox, including testing EOS scheduling billing frequency changes, viewing the updated functionality for the blocking of mid-term billing frequency changes for triennial offers (effective April 1, 2025), and testing the configuration of trial renewal settings at purchase (generally available April 1, 2025).

March 10, 2025:

End-of-sale scheduling for billing frequency changes in Partner Center UI and API is now available: Functionality to schedule billing frequency changes for annual and triennial subscriptions on EOS and EOS with Conversion offers becomes generally available in the Partner Center UI and API, effective at renewal.
Microsoft E5 Security and E5 Compliance suites can now be added to 0365 E3 + EMS E3 Customers: Announcement that Microsoft E5 Security and E5 Compliance suites can now be purchased as add-ons for customers with Microsoft 365 E3 + EMS E3.
Microsoft 365 E5 Security suite is now available as an add-on to Business Premium customers: Announcement that the Microsoft 365 E5 Security suite can now be purchased as an add-on for Business Premium customers.
New purchase and subscription management functionality available to test in Sandbox: Functionality to configure trial renewal attributes at purchase becomes available in Sandbox.

March 11, 2025:

March Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) monthly updates and community reminder: Monthly views, including partner launch calendars, the CSP Bimonthly Update newsletter, and CSP community resources, are updated for March 2025. Reminder about the monthly CSP community Q&A session.

March 13, 2025:

Monthly update: Important actions partners need to take to secure the partner ecosystem: Announcement of important security updates, including the upcoming deprecation of graph.windows.net audience tokens, the enforcement of MFA for Azure portal and Microsoft 365 admin center, and the ongoing removal of unused Azure subscriptions.

March 20, 2025:

Co-sell and partner-led opportunities enhancements: Date of the initial announcement regarding one-click cloning for outbound opportunities and mandatory Solution Area/Solution Play for IP Co-sell.
Important change to Partner of Record (POR) assignment for CSP resellers: Announcement of changes to the PLA API and UI in Partner Center, effective April 14, 2025, to ensure only authorized indirect resellers are assigned as POR for new CSP subscriptions.

March 26, 2025:

Republished March 2025 NCE license-based price list preview for expected price changes in April 2025: The March price list preview is republished to correctly reflect the expected 5% price increase for monthly billing plans for triennial term subscriptions. Reminder of all pricing updates going into effect on April 1, 2025.
Important change to Partner of Record (POR) assignment for CSP resellers: Reminder of the upcoming changes during the CSP Technical Training session.

March 27, 2025:

A Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Program Guide update is now available: Announcement of the updated CSP Program Guide, effective April 27, 2025. Changes become effective for current partners automatically on March 27, 2025.
The Microsoft Partner Agreement is being updated, effective September 27, 2025: Announcement of the updated Microsoft Partner Agreement (MPA), available for review now and becoming effective on September 27, 2025, automatically for current partners.

February 28, 2025:

Standardizing the billing structure with a pricing update: Functionality to test scheduling billing frequency changes for EOS and EOS with Conversion offers becomes available in Sandbox.