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Key takeaways
1
Automatic EA volume price levels A–D are replaced by one consistent price for affected Online Services under the standardized model.
2
Potential cost impact depends on the Online Services affected and your current Customer Price Sheet; model the renewal using your actual product and pricing data.
3
The change applies at renewal and can also affect a new Online Service not already listed on your Customer Price Sheet.
4
Azure should be assessed separately because Microsoft already used a consistent-pricing approach for Azure before the November 2025 change.
5
On-premises products such as SQL Server, Windows Server, and perpetual Office are not affected.
6
U.S. Government price lists and worldwide Education price lists are excluded from this change.
7
Your next step is to review your Customer Price Sheet, renewal date, and any Online Services you plan to add before renewal.
Microsoft’s November 1, 2025 pricing change standardizes pricing levels for certain Online Services under Microsoft volume licensing agreements.
The important distinction for Azure customers is that this is not a new blanket Azure price increase. Microsoft states in its Online Services pricing consistency update that Azure already used a consistent-pricing model.
The practical question is therefore not “How much will Azure increase?” but rather: Which Online Services on your agreement are affected, when does the new pricing apply, and what does your Customer Price Sheet show today?
The important distinction for Azure customers is that this is not a new blanket Azure price increase. Microsoft states in its Online Services pricing consistency update that Azure already used a consistent-pricing model.
The practical question is therefore not “How much will Azure increase?” but rather: Which Online Services on your agreement are affected, when does the new pricing apply, and what does your Customer Price Sheet show today?
What changed on November 1, 2025
Microsoft changed the way Online Services pricing levels are handled across applicable volume licensing programs.
Under the previous structure, Enterprise Agreement customers could receive volume-based pricing levels ranging from A through D. Under the standardized approach, affected Online Services have one consistent price across Price Levels A–D, aligned with pricing published on Microsoft.com.
The policy applies when an existing agreement renews and may also apply when a customer purchases a new Online Service that is not already included on its Customer Price Sheet.
Microsoft explains the scope and timing in its Online Services pricing consistency announcement.
Under the previous structure, Enterprise Agreement customers could receive volume-based pricing levels ranging from A through D. Under the standardized approach, affected Online Services have one consistent price across Price Levels A–D, aligned with pricing published on Microsoft.com.
The policy applies when an existing agreement renews and may also apply when a customer purchases a new Online Service that is not already included on its Customer Price Sheet.
Microsoft explains the scope and timing in its Online Services pricing consistency announcement.
Scope of the pricing change
The update covers applicable Online Services purchased through:
- Enterprise Agreement (EA)
- Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA)
- Online Services Premium Agreement (OSPA) in China
- On-premises software products
- U.S. Government price lists
- Worldwide Education price lists
Does this change Azure pricing?
Not in the way the original policy is sometimes described.
Microsoft’s November 2025 announcement does not establish a universal Azure price increase or a general 6–12% uplift for Azure customers.
Instead, Microsoft says the pricing change extends its consistent-pricing approach to additional Online Services, while Azure already followed that model.
Azure customers should therefore review Azure pricing separately using their existing Enterprise Agreement pricing, price protection, usage, and effective rates.
Microsoft’s Azure EA pricing guidance explains how Enterprise Agreement pricing information is represented and managed.
Where your account access permits, review Azure EA price-sheet fields alongside your actual Azure consumption rather than applying a generic percentage increase.
Microsoft’s November 2025 announcement does not establish a universal Azure price increase or a general 6–12% uplift for Azure customers.
Instead, Microsoft says the pricing change extends its consistent-pricing approach to additional Online Services, while Azure already followed that model.
Azure customers should therefore review Azure pricing separately using their existing Enterprise Agreement pricing, price protection, usage, and effective rates.
Microsoft’s Azure EA pricing guidance explains how Enterprise Agreement pricing information is represented and managed.
Where your account access permits, review Azure EA price-sheet fields alongside your actual Azure consumption rather than applying a generic percentage increase.
Who is affected and when?
The effect depends on your agreement, Customer Price Sheet, renewal timing, and the Online Services you purchase.
If your EA has not reached renewal
Your existing agreement generally continues under its current pricing until the applicable renewal event.
Start reviewing your exposure before renewal so procurement and FinOps teams have time to compare existing prices with the standardized pricing that may apply next.
Start reviewing your exposure before renewal so procurement and FinOps teams have time to compare existing prices with the standardized pricing that may apply next.
If you are approaching renewal
Identify the Online Services affected by the standardized pricing structure and compare them against your current Customer Price Sheet.
The financial impact will depend on your existing pricing rather than a universal percentage published by Microsoft.
The financial impact will depend on your existing pricing rather than a universal percentage published by Microsoft.
If you plan to add a new Online Service
A new Online Service that is not already listed on your Customer Price Sheet may fall under the standardized pricing model before the broader agreement renewal.
That does not mean adding one product automatically replaces every existing service in your agreement.
Review planned additions with your Microsoft account team or licensing partner before purchasing them.
That does not mean adding one product automatically replaces every existing service in your agreement.
Review planned additions with your Microsoft account team or licensing partner before purchasing them.
If you primarily want to understand Azure exposure
Assess Azure independently.
Use your Azure EA pricing and consumption data to evaluate your effective Azure costs rather than treating the November 2025 Online Services standardization as an automatic Azure uplift.
Use your Azure EA pricing and consumption data to evaluate your effective Azure costs rather than treating the November 2025 Online Services standardization as an automatic Azure uplift.
Review your Customer Price Sheet before renewal
The Customer Price Sheet is one of the most important documents in this pricing change because it helps determine what your organization already purchases and which planned additions require closer review.
Use this five-step process before renewal.
Use this five-step process before renewal.
Step 1: Export your current price sheet
Input: Current Enterprise Agreement pricing data
Owner: Procurement, licensing, or FinOps
Output: Current baseline of purchased services and effective pricing
Start with the most recent Customer Price Sheet available for your agreement.
Owner: Procurement, licensing, or FinOps
Output: Current baseline of purchased services and effective pricing
Start with the most recent Customer Price Sheet available for your agreement.
Step 2: Inventory planned Online Services
Input: Planned Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, security, productivity, and other Online Service purchases
Owner: Procurement and business application owners
Output: List of expected additions before and after renewal
Identify products your organization expects to introduce during the remaining agreement period.
Step 3: Identify affected services
Input: Current price sheet and planned purchases
Owner: Procurement or licensing team
Output: List of existing and new Online Services requiring pricing review
Determine whether planned Online Services already appear on the Customer Price Sheet.
A new Online Service not already listed may be subject to the standardized pricing model before renewal.
Step 4: Compare current and renewal pricing
Input: Current Customer Price Sheet and applicable standardized prices
Owner: FinOps and procurement
Output: Renewal cost model
Model the renewal using actual product-level pricing.
Do not apply a generic percentage increase to the entire Microsoft or Azure estate.
For Azure, where your EA price-sheet export includes these fields, compare BasePrice, UnitPrice, and MarketPrice to understand the difference between Microsoft’s reference pricing and your effective Azure EA pricing. Microsoft explains these Azure-specific fields in its Enterprise Agreement price-sheet documentation.
Owner: FinOps and procurement
Output: Renewal cost model
Model the renewal using actual product-level pricing.
Do not apply a generic percentage increase to the entire Microsoft or Azure estate.
For Azure, where your EA price-sheet export includes these fields, compare BasePrice, UnitPrice, and MarketPrice to understand the difference between Microsoft’s reference pricing and your effective Azure EA pricing. Microsoft explains these Azure-specific fields in its Enterprise Agreement price-sheet documentation.
Step 5: Escalate exceptions before signing
Input: Renewal model and planned additions
Owner: Procurement and Microsoft account team or licensing partner
Output: Confirmed pricing assumptions for budgeting and negotiation
Resolve unclear products, agreement-specific exceptions, and planned service additions before the renewal date.
Owner: Procurement and Microsoft account team or licensing partner
Output: Confirmed pricing assumptions for budgeting and negotiation
Resolve unclear products, agreement-specific exceptions, and planned service additions before the renewal date.
Two common EA pricing scenarios
A scenario-based review is more useful than assuming every organization will experience the same percentage increase.
Scenario 1: Existing services with an upcoming renewal
An organization is approaching its EA renewal but is not planning to introduce major new Online Services beforehand.
The team should compare the affected Online Services on its existing Customer Price Sheet with the pricing that will apply at renewal.
Azure consumption should be evaluated separately using the organization’s Azure EA pricing and usage data.
The outcome depends on the organization’s current pricing and product mix.
The team should compare the affected Online Services on its existing Customer Price Sheet with the pricing that will apply at renewal.
Azure consumption should be evaluated separately using the organization’s Azure EA pricing and usage data.
The outcome depends on the organization’s current pricing and product mix.
Scenario 2: Adding a new Online Service before renewal
Another organization has several months remaining on its EA but plans to introduce an Online Service that is not currently included on its Customer Price Sheet.
That new service may be priced under the standardized model before the full agreement renews.
The organization should confirm the applicable pricing with Microsoft or its licensing partner before purchase rather than assuming the current pricing level automatically applies.
That new service may be priced under the standardized model before the full agreement renews.
The organization should confirm the applicable pricing with Microsoft or its licensing partner before purchase rather than assuming the current pricing level automatically applies.
Impact analysis for Azure users
- Check your renewal date first: determine when the standardized pricing model becomes relevant to your agreement and review planned Online Service purchases before that date.
- Audit your Customer Price Sheet: a new Online Service not already listed on it may be priced under the standardized model before renewal, so review planned additions with your account team.
- Model the renewal using actual pricing: use your current Customer Price Sheet and the applicable standardized prices for affected Online Services; assess Azure separately using your EA pricing and usage data.
- Separate Azure from other Online Services: do not apply an assumed tier-standardization increase across Azure simply because Azure appears on the same Enterprise Agreement.
- Confirm agreement-specific pricing: review renewal pricing and planned service additions with your Microsoft account team or licensing partner rather than assuming that the public pricing-standardization policy determines every commercial term in your agreement.
The focus shifts toward understanding what is actually being purchased, how each service is priced, and where cost can be optimized before the renewal is finalized.
Our take: prepare before the renewal date
The November 2025 pricing standardization makes pricing visibility increasingly important for Microsoft customers, but it should not be interpreted as a universal Azure price increase.
For FinOps and procurement teams, the strongest starting point is the Customer Price Sheet.
Determine which Online Services are affected, separate Azure from the newly standardized products, identify services you intend to add, and model renewal costs from actual pricing data.
That also increases the value of stronger FinOps practices, because commercial pricing and actual cloud consumption need to be evaluated together rather than treated as a single percentage increase.
Organizations that perform this work before renewal are in a stronger position to budget accurately and discuss pricing with Microsoft than organizations that wait until the new agreement takes effect.
For FinOps and procurement teams, the strongest starting point is the Customer Price Sheet.
Determine which Online Services are affected, separate Azure from the newly standardized products, identify services you intend to add, and model renewal costs from actual pricing data.
That also increases the value of stronger FinOps practices, because commercial pricing and actual cloud consumption need to be evaluated together rather than treated as a single percentage increase.
Organizations that perform this work before renewal are in a stronger position to budget accurately and discuss pricing with Microsoft than organizations that wait until the new agreement takes effect.
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