Professional services FAQs
Review the frequently asked questions about professional service offers for Microsoft AppSource or Azure Marketplace in Partner Center.
Can a partner sell professional services outside of the US, UK, or Canada?
No, the partner must have a seller ID in the US, UK, or Canada in order to sell professional services on Marketplace. To set up a new seller ID for Marketplace, see Create a commercial marketplace account in Partner Center.
Can a partner sell to customers outside of the US, UK, or Canada?
No. Customers must have a billing account with a sold-to address in the US, UK, or Canada in order to purchase professional services on the Marketplace. Many customers have a billing account in the US even if they do business in other countries or regions, so work with your customer to identify an appropriate billing account ID to transact with.
When will this capability be available outside of the US, UK, or Canada?
We plan to enable this capability globally, but timelines aren't available at this time.
How do professional services get taxed?
Professional services get taxed using the same tax policies that exist today for other Marketplace products: Tax details for Microsoft commercial marketplace. When you publish your offer, you're prompted to select the category that your service falls under (Assessment, Briefing, Customer support, Implementation, Migration, Proof of concept, or Workshop). Each category has its own tax code. We don't disclose the rate for each category.
If my professional service falls under multiple categories, which category do I choose when I publish?
The category you select during offer publish dictates the tax code that is assigned to your service. If your service could apply to multiple categories, choose the category that is most relevant. We don't disclose the rate for each category.
Can I include services fees as part of my software price?
Yes. Charges for services such as support included with your offer and billed through the marketplace outside of the professional service offer type may only amount to an ancillary component (less than 10%) of the total price charged to end customers.
Are professional service transactions eligible for Azure benefits?
No, professional services aren't Azure benefit-eligible. Professional service purchases don't count towards a customer's Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC).
Can professional services be sold through Multiparty Private Offers?
No, professional services are not supported in Multiparty Private Offers. We plan to enable this capability, but timelines aren't available at this time.
What happens to my existing listing-only consulting service offer?
The offer type previously known as “Consulting Service” supports listing-only services in support of Microsoft software. This capability is still available in Partner Center as a listing-only professional service and is enabled in all markets.
The storefront experience for customers has not changed and listing-only professional services in support of Microsoft software will still be shown to customers in the Azure Marketplace and AppSource as “Consulting service”.
Why is listing information required if my service is not publicly discoverable?
Publishers can still share listing information with customers via direct link to the Azure portal.
Does my customer need to activate their purchase?
There is no activation required for professional service purchases. The subscription is automatically activated once the purchase is completed.
How do I check that my customer has completed their purchase?
Publishers can use the Insights dashboard in Partner Center to monitor order status and track which purchases a customer has made.
How do I ensure a customer doesn't purchase more services than I am able to fulfill?
Customers must be extended a negotiated private offer in order to complete a professional service purchase. The customer cannot auto-renew their service purchase beyond the billing term length specified in the private offer. The customer can only purchase the service a single time and they cannot upgrade their plan without being extended an additional private offer.