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Azure

Get Started with Azure in Open Licensing

If you have purchased Azure in Open credits from a reseller, please select from the following redemption options to use your Azure services.

New subscription

Activate a new subscription using your credits.

Existing subscription

Add more Azure credits to an existing Azure in Open Licensing subscription within Azure Portal.

Purchase Azure through your reseller

Microsoft Azure offers a fast, easy way to start getting the benefits of the cloud for your business, like saving money on IT and scaling up or down as needed. Now you can buy Azure through the Open Licensing program, which provides a simple, flexible way to purchase cloud services from your Microsoft reseller.

A familiar, convenient purchasing option

Many small and midsize businesses purchase through Microsoft Open Licensing, and now Azure is available through the same convenient programs as other Microsoft software.

Get started

It’s easy to get started on Azure. Contact your Microsoft partner and find out how the cloud can benefit your business. Need to find a partner? Visit Microsoft Pinpoint to start today.

Are you a Microsoft partner?

Azure in Open Licensing provides a great way to grow your cloud business with a familiar licensing option that enables you to easily add cloud services along with your other on-premises solutions. Cloud opportunities are exploding, with 35% of Azure business coming from partners like you. Visit the getting started page for more on how your can take part in this opportunity. You can also find more information for partners on the Partner Marketing Center, including a pricing calculator just for Open Licensing.

It’s easy. Here’s how it works

You purchase Azure Prepayment credits from your reseller in the form of an Online Service Activation (OSA) Key. You can use your credits against any consumption-based Azure service for 12 months following the activation of your OSA Key. Azure pricing is specific to the services consumed. View complete list of Azure Services available for Azure Prepayments and detailed pricing here.

Azure service credits are redeemable in increments of the approximate equivalent of USD$100 per unit purchased. See the equivalent amount of Azure service credit per unit purchased by currency using the currency selector. The below table is the list of currencies that can be used to purchase Azure.

organization-wide support plan
Country/Region Billing currency

Afghanistan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Albania

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Algeria

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Angola

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Argentina

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Armenia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Australia

Australia – Dollar ($) AUD

Austria

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Azerbaijan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Bahamas

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Bahrain

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Bangladesh

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Barbados

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Belgium

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Belize

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Bermuda

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Bolivia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Bosnia and Herzegovina

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Botswana

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Brazil

Brazil – Real (R$) BRL

Brunei Darussalam

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Bulgaria

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Republic of Cabo Verde

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Cameroon

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Canada

Canada – Dollar ($) CAD

Cayman Islands

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Chile

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Colombia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Republic of the Congo

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Costa Rica

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Côte d'Ivoire

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Croatia

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Curaçao

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Cyprus

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Czech Republic

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Denmark

Denmark – Krone (kr) DKK

Dominican Republic

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Ecuador

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Egypt

United States – Dollar ($) USD

El Salvador

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Estonia

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Ethiopia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Faroe Islands

Denmark – Krone (kr) DKK

Fiji

Australia – Dollar ($) AUD

Finland

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

France

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Georgia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Germany

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Ghana

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Greece

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Guatemala

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Honduras

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Hong Kong

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Hungary

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Iceland

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

India

India – Rupee (₹) INR

Indonesia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Iraq

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Ireland

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Israel

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Italy

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Jamaica

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Japan

Japan – Yen (¥) JPY

Jordan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Kazakhstan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Kenya

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Korea

Korea – Won (₩) KRW

Kuwait

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Kyrgyzstan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Latvia

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

organization-wide support plan
Country/Region Billing currency

Lebanon

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Libya

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Liechtenstein

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Lithuania

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Luxembourg

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Macao

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Macedonia (FYRO)

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Malaysia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Malta

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Mauritius

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Mexico

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Moldova

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Monaco

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Mongolia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Montenegro

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Morocco

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Namibia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Nepal

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Netherlands

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

New Zealand

New Zealand – Dollar ($) NZD

Nicaragua

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Nigeria

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Norway

Norway – Krone (kr) NOK

Oman

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Pakistan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Palestinian Authority

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Panama

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Paraguay

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Peru

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Philippines

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Poland

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Portugal

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Puerto Rico

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Qatar

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Romania

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Rwanda

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Saint Kitts and Nevis

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Saudi Arabia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Senegal

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Serbia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Singapore

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Slovakia

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Slovenia

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

South Africa

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Spain

Euro Zone – Euro (€) EUR

Sri Lanka

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Sweden

Sweden – Krona (kr) SEK

Switzerland

Switzerland – Franc (chf) CHF

Taiwan

Taiwan – Dollar (NT$) TWD

Tajikistan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Tanzania

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Thailand

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Trinidad and Tobago

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Tunisia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Turkey

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Turkmenistan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Uganda

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Ukraine

United States – Dollar ($) USD

United Arab Emirates

United States – Dollar ($) USD

United Kingdom

United Kingdom – Pound (£) GBP

United States

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Uruguay

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Uzbekistan

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Venezuela

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Vietnam

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Virgin Islands of the United States

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Yemen

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Zambia

United States – Dollar ($) USD

Zimbabwe

United States – Dollar ($) USD

*Azure credit value excludes any taxes paid on purchase

Adding credits to your subscription

You can add credits to your Azure in Open subscription(s) at any time by purchasing through your partner using the same process you followed originally. Credits are used on a ‘first in first out’ basis and each purchase must be used within 12 months of activation.

In the event you are at risk of exhausting your credits prior to reordering additional credits through your partner, there is an option to add credits to your subscription(s) through the use of a credit card. This is done by selecting the subscription to which you would like add credits in the usage and billing portal. From this page, select the ‘Add Credits’ option and then select the credit card option under ‘Method.’

Please note, this feature is not available in the following countries:

  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Korea
  • Russia
  • Taiwan
  • Ukraine

Getting support

Contact your reseller for support, or submit a support case online through the Microsoft Azure classic portal. Subscription and billing issues do not require a support contract. However, technical/break-fix issues will require an Azure support plan, which is sold separately.

For details on available support plans, visit the Azure Support Plans page.

More details

More details on Azure in Open, such as offer availability, usage quotas, service level agreements, and usage quotas, can be found on our Pay-As-You-Go page.

Frequently asked questions

  • Azure pricing is specific to the services consumed. Detailed pricing for Azure services can be found at Azure pricing.

  • Azure is priced on a consumption basis by the specific service being used. For example, Azure Backup pricing is different from basic Azure storage, as it includes additional capabilities such as backup compression, data encryption, and the network bandwidth required to restore backups.

  • Azure in Open Volume Licensing offers a new option for customers to purchase Azure Services from their Microsoft Partner. Customers purchase Azure SKUs through the Open, Open Value, or Open Value Subscription Volume Licensing Programs. Azure in Open purchases are valid for 12 months after activation and must be activated within five years of the purchase date.

    The SKUs are provided in the form of an Online Service Activation (OSA) Key that a reseller purchases from a distributor and sells to a customer. The full purchase will be issued on a single OSA key unless otherwise specified at the time of purchase.

    When an order is processed the OSA key can be obtained from the Volume Licensing Service Center and activated in the Azure Account Portal.

  • Before August 2014, there were two options for customers to purchase Azure, either on the Azure website or as part of an Enterprise Agreement (EA) with Microsoft. With this change, Azure will now be available through another familiar licensing option that offers the benefits of Microsoft Volume Licensing.

    One major benefit of purchasing Azure via Open Licensing is the ability for customers to work with the same resellers that they may purchase from currently under the Open Volume License Programs—enabling them to take advantage of the services and expertise they offer as well as help with managing their account.

  • If you are looking for a reseller to help with purchasing Azure in Open, visit Microsoft Pinpoint.

  • Azure in Open is available in countries that have Open Volume Licensing program partners and that offer Azure Direct. Go here to see if Open volume licensing is available in your country.

  • In the Azure Marketplace, customers in Open licensing can transact all bring-your-own-license(BYOL) offerings and will need to associate a new subscription with a credit card for usage-based offerings. Some Azure services can be purchased through Open Licensing as per user licenses on an annual term, separately. Azure Active Directory Basic and Premium and Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) are examples of a per user license that are purchased annually and separately.

    Some services aren’t available in all Datacenter locations. You can check to see what services are offered in each Datacenter here.

  • Azure Government is a government-community cloud specifically designed for needs of the US Government and is on a physically isolated datacenter and network located in the continental United States. Currently Azure in Open cannot be used to procure services from the Azure Government Cloud.

  • No. The Azure in Open program does not offer any rollover benefits to future periods. Customers have a “use or lose” deadline that expires 12 months after the date of activation. If a customer has activated multiple OSA keys at different times, each key will have a separate expiration date based on the each key’s individual activation date.

  • Associating an Azure in Open subscription with an EA will forfeit any unconsumed Azure in Open credits. Prior to associating an Azure in Open account with an EA, please review relevant Azure EA documentation. To avoid any potential forfeiture of credit, it is recommended that customers consume all credit on an Azure in Open subscription prior to adding the account to their EA.

  • The management portal is used to configure and use Azure services. The usage and billing portal is used to track Azure subscriptions to view usage, consumption and balance information. This is also where you can update account details. The preview portal combines this information and can be used interchangeably with the other portals. Access all three at Microsoft Azure Portal.

  • Customers use the Microsoft Azure classic portal to handle the administration of domains, end users, subscriptions, and co-administrators. Customers can also elect to have a Microsoft partner manage their account on their behalf, or manage it with a partner.

  • Customers who created an Azure account prior to July 14, 2014 under any offer type (including Azure trials and Office365) should create a new Azure account using a different email address to create an Azure in Open subscription.

  • To manage a customer account, resellers must work with their customers to be added as a co-administrator on the account. This is set up in the ‘settings’ section of the management portal. Resellers can then logon to each customer portal to monitor and manage the account.

  • In addition to logging into your account to view balance and consumption, you will be automatically sent an email notification when any of your tokens balance reach 30% of their initial value. Using the Billing Alerts feature, you can also create up to five configurable alerts that will notify you via email when the remaining subscription credits reaches the configured amount. Each alert can be sent to two email addresses. The alerts are created at the subscription level and can be accessed in the usage and billing portal under the 'alerts' tab and are described in detail below.

    Azure in Open Billing Alerts:

    • Token Credit Remaining: Remaining token balance is less than or equal to 30% of the initial token balance.
    • Token Expiry: 30 days until token expiration date. After the expiration date, any unused credit will be lost.
    • Subscription Credit Remaining: Total subscription credits remaining is less than or equal to the configured amount.
  • If an Azure in Open subscription reaches a zero balance the services will be suspended. The data will be retained for 90 days and once funds are added to the subscription the services can be reinstated, however there could be some services that would need to be redeployed.

  • Customers can either contact their partners directly or submit a support case online through the Microsoft Azure classic portal. Subscription and billing issues do not require a support contract. However, technical/break-fix issues will require an Azure support plan which can be purchased with a credit card. For Microsoft support, please use the following links:

  • Each Azure workload is different and needs to be evaluated by the Billing Support team to determine if the move can be supported.