How to move Microsoft subscriptions between seller portals of a distributor

Introduction

This article guides Distributors through the process of moving Microsoft subscriptions between different seller portals within the same Distributor environment. The process varies depending on whether the target seller was onboarded with or without a Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) ID. Understanding these procedures ensures smooth subscription transfers and maintains service continuity for end customers.

In this article:

• Sellers without MPN ID
• Sellers with MPN ID

In the Distributor environment, Microsoft subscriptions can be transferred between different seller portals to accommodate business changes, organizational restructuring, or customer management requirements.

Sellers without MPN ID

When an Indirect seller is onboarded without an MPN ID, individual subscription transfers are not possible through the Microsoft Partner Center interface. Instead, the complete customer organization must be transferred using the platform's Transfer Organization feature.

For complete instructions on transferring organizations to sellers, please refer to the Transfer Organization knowledge base article.

The Transfer Organization process includes:

• Comprehensive validation to ensure transfer eligibility
• Complete migration of customer data including all subscriptions
• Built-in safeguards for billing integrity
• Detailed step-by-step instructions for Distributor Admins

Sellers with MPN ID

When an Indirect Seller is onboarded with an MPN ID, subscriptions can be moved to their seller portal by:

1. Assigning the correct MPN ID to the affected subscriptions directly in the Microsoft Partner Center.

To move subscriptions to a seller with MPN ID in the Microsoft Partner Center:

1. Access the Microsoft Partner Center
2. Navigate to the subscription that needs to be transferred
   
3. Locate the MPN ID field in the subscription details
   
4. Update the MPN ID to match the target seller's MPN ID
   
5. Submit the changes
   

Once the MPN ID is updated, the affected subscription will automatically re-sync from the old seller portal to the new one.

Additional Step (Optional): A new seller Relationship link with the correct MPN ID might need to be generated in the Microsoft Partner Center and accepted by the affected customer. This step ensures proper relationship establishment between the customer and the new seller in the Microsoft Partner Center.

Limitations

• Sellers with MPN ID: Only license-based Microsoft CSP and NCE subscriptions support automatic movement through Microsoft Partner Center MPN ID updates
• Sellers without MPN ID:  Organization transfer is using the Transfer Organization feature
• Azure Reserved Instances require Microsoft Support assistance for MPN ID changes (sellers with MPN ID only)
• Synchronization for Sellers with MPN ID via MS Partner Center happens once a day, during the overnight sync.

Summary

The method for moving Microsoft subscriptions depends on whether the target seller has an MPN ID:

• Sellers with MPN IDs support more flexible subscription management. You can move individual subscriptions either by using the Transfer Organization feature or by updating the MPN ID directly in the Microsoft Partner Center, allowing other customer relationships to remain unaffected.

• Sellers without MPN IDs require the use of the Transfer Organization feature, which transfers the entire customer relationship—including all subscriptions, billing history, and related data.

For step-by-step guidance, see the Transfer Organization knowledge base article.

Related Content

• Transfer Organization
• Requirements for Purchasing Microsoft Services
• Organization Synchronization With The Microsoft Partner Center