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Manage self-service purchases and trials (for admins)

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As an admin, you can use the Microsoft 365 admin center to see self-service purchases and trials (referred to in this article as purchases and trials) made by people in your organization. You have the same data management and access policies over products bought through self-service purchase or centrally in the Microsoft 365 admin center marketplace.

For each purchase or trial subscription, you can see the following details:

  • product name
  • purchaser name
  • subscriptions purchased
  • expiration date
  • purchase price
  • assigned users

You can also control whether users in your organization can make purchases or sign up for trials. To learn how to manage these settings, see Use AllowSelfServicePurchase for the MSCommerce PowerShell module.

Before you begin

Note

If you're the person who signed up for the subscription, you're automatically a Billing account owner or Global admin.

Payment methods for self-service purchases and trials

Self-service purchases require a payment method at sign-up, and automatically renew at the end of the subscription term.

Some self-service trials require a payment method at sign-up, and automatically convert to a paid version when the trial ends.

Other self-service trials don't require a payment method at sign-up, and don't automatically renew. Trials without a payment method are only available to select customers with an existing subscription agreement.

How we use directory data

When you enable the AllowSelfServicePurchase policy, you allow Microsoft's Commerce service to process a user's directory data, which is outside the boundaries of the Microsoft 365 tenant. Specifically, Microsoft Commerce collects a Microsoft Entra ID v1.0 access token, which contains the user's first and last name, email address, IP address, and tenant and user GUID. For a full list of attributes included in the access token, see Microsoft identity platform access tokens.

We use the directory data to provide the user with a license and to send email about the subscription to that user. The directory data processed by Microsoft Commerce is governed by the Microsoft Privacy Statement. To learn more about the terms that apply to self-service trials, see Organizational trial – Terms of service. Like other Microsoft products used by your organization, the use of a self-service purchase or trial product is governed by the Microsoft Product Terms. Before a user makes a purchase or starts a trial, we notify the user of the personal data that we process and the terms that apply.

View self-service subscriptions

Tip

If you're using Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China, use the following link to access the admin center: https://portal.partner.microsoftonline.cn/

  1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to the Billing > Your products page.
  2. On the Products tab, select the filter icon, then select Self-service.
  3. To view more details about a subscription, select one from the list.

View who has licenses for a self-service purchase or trial subscription

As an admin, you can't assign or unassign licenses for a purchase or trial subscription bought by a user in your organization. However, you can Take over a self-service purchase or trial subscription, and then assign or unassign licenses.

Tip

If you're using Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China, use the following link to access the admin center: https://portal.partner.microsoftonline.cn/

  1. In the admin center, go to the Billing > Your products page.
  2. On the Products tab, select the filter icon, then select Self-service.
  3. Select a product to see licenses assigned to people.

    Note

    If there are multiple purchases or trials for a product, that product is only listed once, and the Available quantity column shows the total of all subscriptions acquired for that product.

  4. The Users list is grouped by the names of people who made purchases or started trials.
  5. To export a list of users with licenses for these subscriptions, select the subscriptions that you want to export, then select Export users.

Enable or disable self-service purchases and trials

You can enable or disable self-service purchases and trials for users in your organization. The MSCommerce PowerShell module includes a PolicyID parameter value for AllowSelfServicePurchase that lets you control whether users in your organization can make purchases or start trials, and for which products.

You can use the MSCommerce PowerShell module to do the following actions:

  • View the default state of the AllowSelfServicePurchase parameter value—whether it's enabled or disabled by product
  • View a list of applicable products and whether purchases or trials are enabled or disabled for those products
  • View or modify the current setting for a specific product to either enable or disable it

Important

When you use the AllowSelfServicePurchase policy, it controls both purchases and trials. For a list of the products available, see View a list of self-service purchase products and their status.

For more information, see Use AllowSelfServicePurchase for the MSCommerce PowerShell module.

Centralize licenses under a single subscription

You can assign existing licenses or buy extra subscriptions through existing agreements for users assigned to self-service purchases or trials. After you assign these centrally purchased licenses, you can request that users cancel their existing subscriptions. Alternatively, you can take over the subscription and cancel it yourself in the admin center. For steps to do that, see Take over a self-service purchase or trial subscription.

Tip

If you're using Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China, use the following link to access the admin center: https://portal.partner.microsoftonline.cn/

  1. In the admin center, go to the Billing > Purchase services page.
  2. Find and select the product that you want to buy, then select Buy.
  3. Complete the remaining steps to complete your purchase.
  4. To export a list of users to reference in the next step, follow the steps in View who has licenses for a self-service purchase or trial subscription.
  5. Assign licenses to everyone who has a license in the other subscription. For instructions on how to do this, see Assign licenses to users.
  6. Contact the person who bought the original subscription and ask them to cancel it.

Take over a self-service purchase or trial subscription

You can take over a self-service purchase or trial subscription made by a user in your organization. When you take over a purchase or trial subscription, you have two options:

  1. Move the users to a different subscription and cancel the original subscription.
  2. Cancel the subscription and remove licenses from assigned users.

Move users to a different subscription

When you move users to a different subscription, the old subscription is automatically canceled. The user who originally bought the self-service purchase or trial subscription receives an email that says the subscription was canceled.

Note

You must have an available license for each user you're moving in the subscription that you're moving users to.

Tip

If you're using Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China, use the following link to access the admin center: https://portal.partner.microsoftonline.cn/

  1. In the admin center, go to the Billing > Your products page.
  2. On the Products tab, select the filter icon, then select Self-service.
  3. Select the subscription that you want to take over.
  4. On the subscription details page, in the Subscriptions and settings section, select Take control of this subscription.
  5. In the details pane, select Move users.
  6. Select the product that you want to move the users to, then select Move users.
  7. In the Move users to box, select Move users. The move process might take several minutes. Don't close your browser while the process runs.
  8. When the move process is finished, close the Move completed pane.
  9. On the subscription details page, the Subscription status for the purchase or trial subscription shows as Deleted.

Cancel a self-service purchase or trial subscription

When you choose to cancel a self-service purchase or trial subscription, users with licenses lose access to the product. The user who originally signed up for the subscription receives an email that says the subscription was canceled.

Tip

If you're using Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China, use the following link to access the admin center: https://portal.partner.microsoftonline.cn/

  1. In the admin center, go to the Billing > Your products page.
  2. On the Products tab, select the filter icon, then select Self-service.
  3. Select the subscription that you want to cancel.
  4. On the subscription details page, in the Subscriptions and settings section, select Take control of this subscription.
  5. In the details pane, select Cancel subscription.
  6. Select a reason for your cancellation from the drop-down list, then select Cancel subscription.
  7. In the Are you sure you want to cancel? box, select Cancel subscription.
  8. Close the details pane.
  9. On the subscription details page, the Subscription status shows as Deleted.

Need help? Contact us

For common questions about self-service purchases and trials, see Self-service purchases FAQ.

If you have questions or need help with self-service purchases and trials, contact support.