Completing the METEAOP form

Summary of changes

The Manual EA True-up and EAS Annual Order Purchase (METEAOP) form improves partner experience through simplified fields and form validations to ensure successful processing. The form is used globally.  

METEAOP general guidelines

Use the Partner Order Entry Tool (POET) first for covered scenarios and METEAOP for all others. A different METEAOP form must be used for each order type in an order. New products can't be ordered with true-up (TUP) products in the same METEAOP form. TUP products for year 1 can't be ordered with TUP products for year 2. Online services (OLS) reservations from different enrollment years must be reconciled in separate METEAOP forms.

Submit via POET instead of the METEAOP form if placing an order for an expired Enterprise Agreement (EA) (less than 60 days) that is not TUP compliant for last year. Don’t use the METEAOP form to handle scenarios where POET doesn’t display the desired price, billing option, or SKU. Instead, use POET’s flag item functionality to indicate to Regional Operations the desired price, billing option, or SKU. Completing the METEAOP form: General guidance 

Form header

Select appropriate option for the customer enrollment from the Program Type dropdown menu. 

Fill out the Enrollment number and Customer Name fields. 

Enter the End of Term date based on the program selection.

• EA: End date is the end date of enrollment.  

• Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE): End date is the end date of enrollment.  

• Enterprise Agreement Subscription (EAS): End date is the last day of coverage. 

Select the Order Type from the dropdown menu. 

• Indicate in the Extra Comments field if the enrollment is a nonstandard duration one. Form header 

• Select appropriate option for the customer enrollment from the Program Type dropdown menu. 

• Fill out the Enrollment # and Customer Name fields. 

• Enter the End of Term date based on the program selection in step 1.  

• Select the Order Type from the dropdown menu. 

• Indicate in the Extra Comments field if the enrollment is a nonstandard duration one. 

Often EAS METEAOP submissions fail because the agreement end date is used instead of the end of the next anniversary date when completing the form.

Tips for correct EAS end of term date:

• Identify the last annual order and check coverage periods. For example:  November 1, 2024 – October 31,2025

• The new End of Term is one year from the last coverage date. For the example we’re using, the date is October 31 2026.

• The Usage Date for renewal OLS seats begins on the new period plus one day. For our example, the date is November 1 2026.

For EAS, end of term may change by order type:

• Annual order year 2: End of term is the end date of the full calendar month of year 2.

1. Enrollment start effective date: August 23 2023

2. Annual order year 2 usage date: August 23 2024

3. End of term: August 31 2025

• Extra product order (placed in years 1 and 2): Subscription agreement end date for the current year reporting.

1. Enrollment start effective date: August 23 2024

2. Extra product order usage date: March 15 2025

3. End of term: August 31 2025

• EAS reservation reconciliation year 1 (PO type: Midterm Enterprise)

METEAOP form walkthrough: Section 1

1. SKU number: Ensure that the SKU number matches the product description per the price list. For reconciliations, the SKU used by the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) when reserving is only a reference and the partner must choose the correct full or step-up SKU belonging to the same family of products to reconcile the reservations. In the METEAOP form, use the correct SKU and description from the price list (not from the explore.ms SKU search function).

2. Provide the required information for each product in each line. The Offering Code is linked to the Program Type and the Order Type shown in the header. A dropdown menu populates based upon the selection made in the header section of this form.

3. Ensure that the unit price listed for the SKU is the same as the price locked in the CPS.

4. If the SKU is not price-locked and is an additional product (ACP), or if the line item is a reconciliation of an OLS reservation, make sure to use the unit price from the price list of the month when the SKU was initially ordered or reserved.

5. Billing Option: When the user selects “EAS” as Program Type and Annual Order/Extra Order as Order Type, Billing Option defaults to Annual Billing. When the user selects EA/SCE as Program Type, TUP Order/New Order as Order Type, and “On-Premises” as Product Type, Billing Option defaults to Prepay. You can select Annual or Prepay as Billing Option for other scenarios. (Custom billing should use a CPS order).

6. Ensure that the purchase order (PO) number provided is unique. Only one order type or section can be placed per PO. Should you have an order with two sections or order types, two unique POs and a different METEAOP form are required.

7. For reservation reconciliation orders, ensure that the reservation PO number is included in the Remarks field.

8. If your order has more lines than are available in the METEAOP form, select the Add 10 Rows in Section 1 button, and more rows are added. The form will not allow you to delete the extra rows. Simply leave any unused rows blank. 

9. We can backdate OLS seats in the following scenarios:

10. Ordering continuing coverage (usage date = one day after the end of the previous coverage). For example, for EAS late annual orders, existing seats from the prior enrollment year can be backdated up to last anniversary date.

11. An OLS backdating amendment has been processed to allow backdating of coverage for net new seats.

12. Ordering new OLS seats in the last month of an enrollment and backdating to the first day of the last month of the enrollment. For example, on ordering new OLS seats in May 2025 under enrollment expiring May 31, 2025, the usage date is May 1, 2025.

For reservation reconciliations, the usage date in METEAOP must match the original usage date of the reservation.

METEAOP form walkthrough: Section 2

Complete section 2 when your customer transitions from on-premises to the cloud, such as when transitioning from Office Pro Plus and Core CAL to Office 365.

1.      Provide the required information for each product on each line. This should include the transition SKU (as billed to the next anniversary).

2.      This is the quantity of online services products that are being transitioned from on-premises into cloud. 

3.      The usage date is the date the transition happened. 

4.      When the transition is within the same workload, the unit price of the transition SKU is zero because the customer has already paid for the year the transition occurs. When the transition isn't within the same workload, the customer must pay for the billing period from the usage date to the next anniversary. 

METEAOP form walkthrough: Section 3

Complete section 3 when your customer transitions from on-premises to the cloud. This covers the products remaining post-transition or post-license reduction. 

• For transition scenarios, select Remaining On-premises License in the Type column. For a subscription license reduction, select "Subscription License Reduction" in the Type column.

• For transition scenarios, the Quantity is always a positive value. (This is the quantity remaining after the transition.) For example, if out of 1,000 on-premises SKUs, 500 have transitioned to the cloud, you must enter the value of "500" for the remaining on-premises quantity. 

• For subscription license reduction scenarios, the quantity provided is the quantity to be reduced and is always a negative value. (This is the quantity you reduce your licenses by.) For example, if the initial quantity is 100 and you wish to reduce the quantity by 20, provide a quantity of "-20." For partial reduction scenarios, when quantities for all items in the original order aren't reduced to zero, enter a note in the Remarks column indicating "Partial reduction" and provide the rebill purchase order number.

• For transition scenarios, provide the line number from section 2 that matches the transition SKU here in section 3. This refers to the remaining on-premises license quantity. List all applicable line items here. 

METEAOP checklist (Use before sending to Regional Operations for processing)

Purchase order header:

End of Term Date:

For EA/SCE-Expiration date

For EAS:
Scenario 1: Anniversary is first day of the month. End of Term Date is the next day before next anniversary date (Example: Next Anniversary April 1, 2025 Enter 31 March, 2025)

Scenario 2: All other End of Term Date should be inserted as the last day of next anniversary month (Ex: Next Anniversary 18 April, 2025 ►Enter 30 April, 2025). Validate that the Program Type is correct: Program Type, Enrollment Number, Customer Name, Partner Name, and Order Type

Section 1 - Purchase order details

• Ensure entries are correct for SKU (Part Number), Product Description, and Usage Country.

• Validate that the SKU Price matches the Special Pricing Table (price locked) or Usage Date month’s price list (price not locked).

• On-premises products: Billing Option should be "Prepay" unless allowed via amendment. Exception: Monthly subscriptions that are on-premises products (CAL Bridges, VDA, Win per User) can be "Annual" or "Prepay."

• Online services: Usage Date can be backdated only if reconciling reservations, allowed via amendment or continuing coverage.

• Online services: Subscription Term should be "Coterminous."

• Online services: For multi-tenant, monthly subscriptions that are on-premises products (CAL Bridges, VDA, Win per User) must be ordered under the lead enrollment.      

• PO numbers can only be up to 30 characters long.

• Step-ups: Quantities upgraded can't be more than the base licenses available.

Section 2 - Transitions

• Remaining months for transition SKUs can't be more than 11 months.

• Quantities transitioned can't be more than the originally available quantities.

• Are CAL Bridges required?

Section 3

• Transitions: Type refers to remaining on-premises amounts and should be positive. Ensure that rebill PO numbers have been included.

• Reductions: Type refers to subscription license reduction amounts and should be negative. Ensure that rebill PO numbers have been included (N/A if full reduction at line level).

Late EAS annual orders

• OLS backdating is okay for continuing coverage or exception. If ordering net new seats, use a new line for different usage dates.

OLS reservation reconciliation

• If you’re not the partner on record (POR) it’s okay to submit a reconciliation order. However, you cannot order anything else.

• OLS backdating is okay for quantities reserved, not more. If ordering net new seats, use different lines for different usage dates.

• You can reconcile if the price isn’t locked; use the list price at the date of reservation. However, price isn't locked for the remaining term of the enrollment.

• O365E SKUs can't be reconciled with M365E SKUs unless the extra components exist.

• Ensure the product family of reconciliation SKU matches product family of the reserved SKU.

• If the reserved SKU is GOV and the customer is CORP, you must reconcile with the non-GOV SKU. No need to fix the reservation.

• Ensure reservation PO numbers are included for each line.

• Ensure the quantity reconciled equals the quantity reserved. If not, explicitly indicate that reconciliation is partial.

Other considerations

• Credit and rebills: Is the adjustment or credit case number included? No need to submit separate credit and rebill cases, there will be no loss of service.

• Revised CPS processing: Coordinate or confirm with the CE that all affected PO numbers are clearly and explicitly indicated on the CPS note. Have the affected PO numbers been adjusted prior?

• Complex pricing scenarios: For cases with custom pricing referenced in amendments, indicate the Opportunity ID in the form to ensure smooth processing.

METEAOP submission via Volume Licensing Central (VL Central)

When submitting the METEAOP form via VL Central, you must indicate the reason for using the manual order form. Only METEAOP forms with valid reasons will be accepted; otherwise, you are asked to resubmit via the appropriate ordering tool, such as the Partner Order Entry Tool (POET). 

Valid reasons include the following:

• System issue (Provide details and attach a screenshot of the system issue.)

• Step-up SKU unavailability

• Credit holds

• Agreement for Online Services-Government (AOS-G) orders

Next steps

• Always use the latest version of the form by downloading it from explore.ms.

• Read the notes and instructions within the file as it clarifies questions and ensure the form gets completed and processed correctly. 

• Populate all required fields (*).

• Insert a valid reason in the comments section of the CLT when submitting the form.