Common questions for the Microsoft Publisher Agreement

The Microsoft Publisher Agreement defines the roles, responsibilities, and requirements in effect between you – as a Publisher of solutions in App Source and the Azure Marketplace – and Microsoft. It governs your listing of products on the Microsoft Commercial Marketplace, as well as your use of Partner Center for publishing activities.

For the current text of the MPA, see Microsoft Publisher Agreement.

The Microsoft Publisher agreement governs the relationship between a Publisher and Microsoft. When a solution is purchased through the Commercial Marketplace, there are three agreements involved:

• The Publisher Agreement, governing the relationship between the Publisher and Microsoft
• The Customer Agreement, governing the relationship between the Customer and Microsoft. Specifically billing and payment terms for offers made available on the Commercial Marketplace
• The Terms and Conditions for a specific Marketplace offer, defining terms between the Publisher and the Customer

Note: Other types of agreements may be applicable in some cases.

Yes. A change log is available at Change history for Microsoft Publisher Agreement.

If you want to create a listing for your software or service offering in the Commercial Marketplace, yes. You will not be able to access the publishing portal until the agreement has been executed. This is true whether you choose to publish transactable offers, or simply create listings. Note that accepting the Microsoft Publisher Agreement is not required to use Azure services, only to publish solutions in the Commercial Marketplace.

The Microsoft Publisher Agreement is a binding legal agreement between your company and Microsoft. As such, it should be accepted by someone who understands the rights and obligations and has authority to execute agreements on behalf of the company.

In Partner Center, in the search bar at the top-center of the screen, enter “agreement”. Then select Agreements from the list of responses. You should see the name of the person who accepted the Microsoft Publisher Agreement, the date it was accepted, and the version.

Microsoft may update this Agreement at any time and will notify you of such changes. By continuing to use your Publisher Account or Listing your Products in the Commercial Marketplace after the changes become effective, you agree to the new terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, you must remove your offers from the Commercial Marketplace and close your Publisher Account.

Your legal department or corporate attorney are best positioned for helping you interpret terms and clauses.

Yes. For the steps to submit notice, see Notifying Microsoft regarding the Publisher Agreement.

To promote a consistent experience for our Publishers and Customers, the terms are not negotiated independent of a larger strategic agreement with Microsoft. Microsoft does not negotiate company-specific amendments or revisions. If you have a Partner Development Manager, they can assist with understanding the circumstances where a larger strategic agreement may be appropriate.

As mentioned above, Microsoft does not negotiate company-specific amendments or revisions.

Inability to access the Partner Center publishing portal is often an indication that the Microsoft Publisher Agreement has not yet been accepted. Accepting the MPA terms is a prerequisite for access to the publishing functionality.

In some cases, inability to access Partner Center may indicate that you are not signed in with the appropriate credentials. To resolve this, go to Join the Microsoft Partner Network, and sign in. When signed in, you should see “Partner Center” in the upper right of the screen near the search icon.

In rare cases, there may be an issue with Partner Center roles and permissions. If so, contact the person who administers the Partner Center account for your company to ensure that you have the appropriate access and functionality.

Yes. Before publishing any listing., the information in your Partner Center account must be verified. This is a behind-the-scenes process in which Microsoft verifies such things as business address, email (domain) ownership and contact information.

For more information about account vetting, see Verify your account information when you enroll in a new Partner Center program.

In addition, before publishing a transactable offer in the Commercial Marketplace, you must complete the Tax Profile and Payout Account processes in Partner Center. To learn how, see Set up your payout account and tax forms and Common questions about payouts and taxes.

You can always open a support ticket in Partner Center. Simply select Support (question mark icon) in the upper right of the screen to begin. For more information, see Support for the commercial marketplace program in Partner Center.

You may, alternatively, post a question on our active community forum.