Different Subscription options on Azure for an Organization
Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) vs. Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) vs Pay As You Go (PAYG)
| Features | Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) | Enterprise Agreement (EA) | Pay As You Go (PAYG) |
| Commitment | No commitment and the option to cancel at any time | 3-Year Agreement, with a minimum commitment of 500 user licenses | The drawback of the pay-as-you-go option is that your organization is not taking advantage of the discounts offered through CSP or EA |
| Invoicing | Monthly | Annually upfront for the full year including being back-charged for users that were added | You are paying directly to Microsoft from your credit card based on the services that you use in Azure |
| Increase User Counts | Anytime | Anytime | Anytime |
| Decrease User Counts | Anytime | Once per year – 30 days notice. Need to maintain a minimum of 500 users. | Anytime |
| Support | 24×7 support from Partner with priority access to escalated Microsoft Premier Support. Dedicated Partner consultants with all details of your account and environment. | Basic support from Microsoft. Additional cost for Premier Support. No dedicated team knows your account and environment. | Missing out on the more attentive support services that a Microsoft Partner can deliver under their CSP program |
| Detailed Billing | Yes | No | Yes, you are paying on a per-second basis from your credit card. The credit Card limit is the spending limit you have in Azure |
| Product Availability | All cloud subscription licenses (Dynamics 365, Office 365, Azure) | All Microsoft Products | All Microsoft Azure Marketplace Products |
