Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefits FAQ

The FY26 Benefits Refresh updates partner benefit packages across all MAICPP programs to modernize offerings, add high value AI, cloud, and security benefits, remove outdated items, and increase several existing benefits.

FY26 introduces multiple high value cloud, AI, and security benefits across Launch, Core, Expanded, Solutions Partner designations, and specializations. The additional benefits are listed below:

AI & Security Additions:

• Microsoft Defender Suite Added in:

  • Azure Core Solution Area
  • Azure Specialization
  • Business Apps Solution Area
  • Business Apps Specialization
  • Data & AI
  • Digital & App Innovation
  • Infrastructure
  • Modern Work Solution Area
  • Modern Work Specialization
  • Partner Launch
  • Partner Core
  • Partner Expanded
  • Security Solution Area
  • Security Specialization

• Microsoft 365 Copilot Added in:

  • Business Apps, Business Apps Specialization, Security, Security Specialization

• Microsoft Dragon Copilot (Per User) Added in:

  • Partner Core
  • Partner Expanded
  • Data and AI
  • Digital and App Innovation
  • Infrastructure
  • Modern Work
  • Security

• Copilot Studio Added in:

  • Business Apps
  • Business Apps Specialization
  • Modern Work
  • Modern Work Specialization
  • Partner Expanded

• Intune Suite Added in:

  • Modern Work
  • Modern Work Specialization
  • Partner Expanded
  • Security
  • Security Specialization

• Microsoft Entra Suite Added in:

  • Modern Work
  • Modern Work Specialization
  • Partner Expanded
  • Security
  • Security Specialization

• GitHub Copilot Enterprise (via Azure credits) Added in:

  • All Azure specializations

• Azure Bulk Credits (Production) Added in:

  • Business Apps, Modern Work

• Dynamics 365 Contact Center Added in:

  • Modern Work
  • Modern Work Specialization

  For detailed information, see the Benefits Guide

Some benefits are being retired across programs. All removed benefits won't be offered after February 13, 2026, and will naturally expire for existing partners. If you currently have these benefits, you'll be able to redeem and use them until your benefits expire or your membership end date. Post which you won't be offered the benefits which are being removed from the said program

Yes. Several benefits are increasing to deliver greater value:

• Teams Premium (Partner Expanded, Modern Work)
• Azure Bulk Credits (multiple programs)
• GitHub Copilot Enterprise (Azure Specialization)
• Security Copilot (Security Specialization)
• Microsoft 365 Copilot increases in Modern Work and specializations

Retrofitting applies to only some benefits. For the full list, see the Retrofitted benefits table.

No. Azure benefits are not retrofitted as these were added as an offset to the removal of Visual Studio monthly Azure credits which came as part of the Visual Studio Enterprise subscriptions.

All additions, removals, and increases take effect from February 13, 2026.

Yes. Program pricing increases by ~1-3.5% across Launch, Core, Expanded, SPD, ISV Success, and the Training Services Partner Program.

No partner action is required. Benefits will automatically appear in Partner Center immediately after GA for retrofitted benefits or at renewal for new benefits on purchase.

Cloud benefits must be redeemed before membership expiry. Azure credits must be redeemed and used before membership expiry.

No. None of the software benefits are newly added and therefore are excluded from retrofitting.

All partners who have purchased a membership program which is active, or hold an active specialization; at the time the changes were implemented, will be eligible to get retrofitted benefits for the programs that they have active membership for and for the specializations they actively hold.

The retrofitted benefits are tied to your original membership and will expire when your original membership expires. All benefits will have to be activated and consumed before this expiry date, except for cloud benefits. Your cloud benefits will have to be activated before the expiry of your membership but can be used until the subscription end date.

If you fail to redeem your benefits before your membership expiry date, you will lose your additional benefits and will have to renew your membership to get new benefits.

As of February 13, 2026, Microsoft added few in-demand product licenses to all of the partner benefit offerings like Partner Success launch, Partner Success core, Partner Success expanded, and Solutions Partner designation and specializations. Only a portion of the new benefits, out of the benefits listed, are awarded as a top-up to existing active benefit offers for partners. Refer to the Benefits guide for a list of newly added benefits and information on the benefits being provided as top-up with offers. Here are the extra, incremental benefits provided in the different Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offers after February 13, 2026:

Effective February 13, 2026, Microsoft will transition to supporting the new Visual Studio Enterprise IDE offering. All existing Enterprise benefits - such as VSE, Azure Dev/Ops (Basic + Test Plans), VS Live event discounts, Dometrain, DevForge, Microsoft Q&A, Microsoft Tech Community, Developer Community Forums, Azure Community Forum, Online Concierge Chat, and C# Dev Kit - will continue to remain available. As part of this transition, some legacy perks will be retired as we move to a lighter, streamlined version. To ensure partners continue to receive strong value, bulk Azure credits have been increased across all programs as an offset to this change.

Your company can renew a Solutions Partner designation in Partner Center. You need to meet the Solutions area performance, skilling, and customer success requirements and pay the annual fee within the renewal window to retain Solutions Partner designation status and access to associated benefits.

Before you renew your membership, the Account admin for your company needs to review and update your business information. They can access the company profile in Partner Center to see the status and review what information needs to be updated. Extra documentation might be required to verify your information.

Your renewal window begins on the anniversary of your purchase date plus one day. For example, if your Anniversary date of the Membership offer is September 1, 2021, your 30-day renewal period begins on September 2, 2021. The users having the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partner admin roles in your company receive the renewal communication leading up to your anniversary date and 30 days after. You keep your access to associated benefits during the renewal window.

For more, information, see Renew Membership Offer.

Gold and silver memberships were retired on September 30, 2022. But if you were a gold or silver partner before September 30, 2022, who didn't qualify for the Solutions Partner designation, you can purchase the benefits that you held on September 30, 2022, when the renewal window opens. The renewal window opens the day after your anniversary date.

Partners can purchase or renew the legacy silver and legacy gold offers only until January 21, 2025. You can renew your legacy silver benefits until January 21, 2025, and keep the benefits until they expire one year later. Partners with an eligible active legacy silver/gold purchase status as of January 21, 2025, are eligible for the remainder of the FY25 Cloud Solution Program (CSP) incentive term (January 22, 2025, to September 30, 2025). Microsoft no longer sells Microsoft Action Pack, Microsoft Learning Action Pack, or legacy silver/gold benefits as of January 22, 2025. For partners with legacy silver benefits, we recommend Partner Success Expanded Benefits, a comprehensive package designed for organizations that are ready to expand even further and deepen their partnership with Microsoft.

Refer to the Benefits guide to get a comprehensive list of benefits offered with the different Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offers.

If you recently purchased a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefit offer but can't view or access the benefits in the Benefits Workspace, it's likely because your credit card payment is still being processed, and Microsoft is awaiting confirmation from the bank. Your benefits are provisioned within four days of the purchase date. Check back in after this period of time.

If you recently purchased a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefit offer but can't view or access the benefits in the Benefits Workspace, it's likely because your credit card payment is still being processed, and we're awaiting confirmation from the bank. Your benefits will be provisioned after four days of the purchase date. Kindly check back after this period.

No. The benefits package selected at the anniversary date is valid for 12 months and can't be changed.

If you notice that any of your cloud benefit subscriptions or licenses are expiring but you have an active MAICPP offer purchase, it's likely due to an older subscription nearing its end. You maybe missed extending the subscription by redeeming the new cloud license keys provided with your latest MAICPP offer. Navigate to the Cloud Services section under the Benefits workspace, retrieve the new 5x5 license key for the expiring benefit, and activate it at the earliest.

If you received an email stating that one of your Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscriptions is ending but you have an active MAICPP offer purchase, it's likely due to an older subscription nearing its end. You maybe missed extending the subscription by redeeming the new cloud license keys provided with your latest MAICPP offer. Navigate to the Cloud Services section under the Benefits workspace, retrieve the new 5x5 license key for the expiring benefit, and activate it at the earliest.

The Dynamics 365 Partner sandbox operations application tier 2 Add-on benefit is an add-on benefit and can only be redeemed after activating the base product - Dynamics 365 Partner Sandbox Operations Application benefit. The 5x5 keys of the tier two add-on don't function unless Dynamics 365 Partner Sandbox Operations Application benefit is activated on the same tenant on the MAC portal.

The Dynamics 365 Partner sandbox operations application tier 2 Add-on benefit is an add-on benefit and can only be redeemed after activating the base product - Dynamics 365 Partner Sandbox Operations Application benefit. The 5x5 keys of tier two add-on don't function unless Dynamics 365 Partner Sandbox Operations Application benefit is activated on the same tenant on the MAC portal.

For Azure bulk (yearly) credits, users reassignment isn't supported. You can only change the user in the next year after you renew your membership and receive a new set of benefits. This means that once a user is assigned to Azure bulk credits, they remain assigned during the credit period, and changes can only be made upon renewal.

The Solutions Partner Designation - Digital & App Innovation (Azure) includes the following extra incremental benefits. We grant the benefits only once across the three Azure-related designations: Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, and Infrastructure.

The Solutions Partner Designation - Data & AI (Azure) includes the following extra, incremental benefits. We grant the benefits only once across the three Azure-related designations: Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, and Infrastructure.

The Solutions Partner Designation - Infrastructure (Azure) includes the following extra, incremental benefits. We grant the benefits only once across the three Azure-related designations: Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, and Infrastructure.

If you're getting the error - "You can't use this product key with your current subscriptions" for Microsoft 365 Business Premium (no Teams) or Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams) or Teams Enterprise benefits, it's possibly because you fetched the wrong version of the benefit keys (Non-European instead of European or vice versa). Contact support to get a token replacement.

If you're seeing this error for Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams) or Teams Rooms Pro benefit, we're currently seeing some issues with Microsoft 365 E5 (without Teams), and Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro in a few selected countries/regions. We're actively working on a resolution that we expect to provide soon.

If you selected the incorrect version of Microsoft 365 Business Premium (without Teams) or Microsoft 365 E3 (no Teams) or Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams) or Teams Enterprise, you can open a support ticket to request a new key.

To redeem or activate Microsoft 365 Business Premium (no Teams), Microsoft 365 E3 (no Teams), Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams), and Teams Enterprise benefits:

1. Sign in to Partner Center, then select Benefits.
2. Navigate to Cloud services.
3. Fetch the 5x5 keys, then follow the activation walkthrough.

The Microsoft 365 Business Premium (no Teams), Microsoft 365 E3 (no Teams), Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams), and Teams Enterprise product benefits are available in two versions:

• EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland version
• Non-EEA version

If the tenant for which you want to activate the 5x5 cloud keys is located in the European Economic Area (list of countries/regions) or Switzerland, select the EEA version of the product benefit in Partner Center.

For tenants located outside these regions, select the non-EEA version of the product benefit in Partner Center. For more information, see Changes to Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams licensing: Worldwide expansion of approach taken in Europe.

As of January 22 2025, The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offers Copilot benefits for new purchases and as a top-up to existing benefits to partners having active membership in specific benefit offers:

• Partner Success Expanded Benefits: Includes Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Service benefits.
• Solutions Partner Designations for Business Applications, Modern Work, and Security solution areas, partners receive Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Service benefits.

Refer to the Benefits guide for a list of newly added benefits and information on the ones that are being provided as top-up with offers.

The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offers Teams Rooms Pro and Teams Premium benefits for new purchases and as a top-up to existing benefits to partners with specific benefit offers:

• The Teams Rooms Pro benefit is included in the Partner Success Expanded Benefits, the Solutions Partner - Modern Work Designation, and the Modern Work only.
• Similarly, the Teams Premium benefit is available in the Partner Success Expanded Benefits, the Solutions Partner - Modern Work Designation, and the Modern Work Specialization only. Refer to the benefits guide to get a comprehensive list of benefits offered with the different Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offers: https://aka.ms/solutionspartner.benefits

Here's the complete list of benefits included in the Partner Launch Benefits offer.

Here's the complete list of benefits included in the Partner Success Core Benefits offer.

• Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise IDE

Your company can renew your Microsoft Action Pack in Partner Center during your renewal window.

Before you renew your Action Pack, the Account admin for your company needs to review and update your company's business information. They can access your company's profile in Partner Center to see your status and understand what information needs to be updated. Extra documentation might be required to verify your information.

Your renewal window begins on the anniversary of your purchase date plus one day. For example, if you purchased the Microsoft Action Pack on September 1, 2020, your 30-day renewal period begins on September 2, 2021. You keep access to associated benefits during the renewal window. Purchase of an action pack is disabled when an action pack offer is already active.

Partners can purchase or renew Microsoft Action Pack or Microsoft Learning Action Pack only until January 21, 2025. Microsoft will no longer sell Microsoft Action Pack, Microsoft Learning Action Pack, or legacy silver/gold benefits starting January 22, 2025. For partners with an existing Microsoft Action Pack or Learning Action Pack, we recommend the Partner Success Core Benefits and Partner Success Expanded Benefits packages, depending on the size and needs of your organization.

For more, information, see Renew your Membership offers for Solutions Partner designations during the renewal window.

The Microsoft Action Pack is a portfolio of resources to help partners like you familiarize yourselves with Microsoft technologies and build your solution or service. You can purchase one Microsoft Action Pack whether you have a Solutions Partner designation or not.

The Learning Action Pack is the entry level into the Learning Partner Program. The Learning program provides resources for businesses who offer technology training and/or have a learning practice. The Learning Action Pack offers discounts on Courseware, Microsoft Marketplace, and benefits to help partners become experts across various Microsoft product lines. Refer to the licensing table for the Microsoft Action Pack and the Learning Action Pack.

Partners can purchase or renew Microsoft Action Pack or Microsoft Learning Action Pack only until January 21, 2025. Microsoft will no longer sell Microsoft Action Pack, Microsoft Learning Action Pack, or legacy silver/gold benefits starting January 22, 2025. For partners with an existing Microsoft Action Pack or Learning Action Pack, we recommend the Partner Success Core Benefits and Partner Success Expanded Benefits packages, depending on the size and needs of your organization.

Per the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Agreement, you keep access to program benefits as long as your offer is active. Once a membership expires, access to benefits is lost.

For more, information, see Renew Cloud Partner Program Offer

No, you can't split tokens to unlock multiple subscriptions. The tokens must be used in the format provided. For example, a 25-license token can't be split into five different five-license tokens.

Replacement tokens for cloud service activations on wrong tenant and for licenses added by mistake on existing subscriptions can be issued one-time only, within 30 days after activation of the original token. Contact Support to get a key replacement.

To redeem Copilot for Finance, Copilot for Sales and Copilot for Services benefits, you must:

1. Activate the license keys of Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E3 or Microsoft 365 Business Premium (no Teams) benefit.
2. Activate Copilot for Microsoft 365 benefit.
3. Redeem Copilot for Finance or Copilot for Sales or Copilot for Services.

You can find the benefits under Cloud services in the Benefits workspace. Be sure that you activate all the benefit licenses on the same tenant.

To redeem the Copilot for Microsoft 365 benefit:

1. Activate the license keys of Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E3 or Microsoft 365 Business Premium (no Teams) benefit.
2. Redeem the Copilot for Microsoft benefit.

You can find the benefits under Cloud services in the Benefits workspace. Be sure you activate all the benefit licenses on the same tenant.

Not all products require a product key. Product activation is required for Windows server and client operating systems and all Microsoft Office client applications.

Microsoft AI Cloud Partner program Azure bulk credits benefit redemption shall always create a new subscription. The Azure credits benefit can't be redeemed on an existing subscription.

Some product keys issued are Multiple Activation Keys (MAK). These products have a finite number of installations, activations, or licenses. A product key stops working when all installations and activations are consumed. Extra activations for the product keys aren't granted.

No. The on-premises software product licenses that are included with Solutions Partner designation or legacy gold or silver benefits pack and the Microsoft Action Pack aren't perpetual. You're entitled, and have the right, to use the licenses only during your membership. You need to obtain license rights via Commercial Licensing or uninstall any on-premises software obtained via the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program if you choose not to renew your membership offer.

You can view and manage product licenses and other benefits in the Partner Center Benefits workspace under Developer tools. Learn more in Manage your Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefits.

We include product licenses for partners in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program who attain Solutions Partner designation or legacy gold or silver benefits or purchase a Microsoft Action Pack to help them build innovative solutions and become familiar with Microsoft products and technologies. To learn about how to use the product licenses, see Manage your Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefits.

Yes, there are limitations. Product license terms of use are different from commercial licenses acquired through Microsoft licensing programs. For more information, see Product licensing terms of use. Product licenses don't include software assurance. There are some restrictions on product licenses.

The product licenses have different terms of use from commercial licenses acquired through Microsoft licensing programs. We recommend reviewing your options for meeting your company's licensing needs on the Microsoft Licensing page.

When you use the account merge capability in Partner Center, each account's existing benefits remain as is until the next renewal. Upon renewal, benefits that are included with Solutions Partner designation or legacy gold or silver benefits or Action Pack are implemented for the partner company's Partner global account. To learn more about how the capability works and how to decide if it's right for your company, review the information about account merge.

You can ask Partner Center AI assistant any questions you have about your company's benefit product licenses.

You can determine the expiry dates of your benefits using the following Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program date constructs. You can also ask Partner Center AI assistant what your benefits expiration date is.

Membership start date: The commencement of membership is on the date of purchase for MAPS, legacy silver, legacy gold, and Solutions Partner. Benefits are provided on the same day.

Membership end date: The membership ends after one year from the initial start date. Renewal is possible within 30 days following the one-year period to maintain continuous benefits. Alternatively, you can repurchase membership at any time after the expiration of the initial purchase and unlock benefits of the membership.

Benefits activate by: The benefits activate by date is the date until when the benefits unlocked remain available for redemption for 13 months from the Membership start date. Benefits expire if not redeemed within this timeframe.

Benefits start date and expiry date (after benefits redemption):

Related content

• Locate your Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefits
• Renew your Membership offers for Solutions Partner designations during the renewal window