Customer Migrate & Modernize: up to $200K for moving a customer to your solution on Azure
Updated 6 Nov 2026 · FY27 (1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027) · Reviewed by an ex-Microsoft team member
The short answer. Customer Migrate & Modernize is the biggest payment in Microsoft's FY27 incentives. Microsoft pays $4,000 to $200,000 when a customer moves onto your solution on Azure, sized by how much Azure that customer plans to use in year one. You need a certified software designation. Your total earnings are capped, at $250,000 for most software companies.
In plain words. A customer says yes, and moves onto your product running on Azure. Microsoft pays you for the move, because it brings Azure usage. The bigger the customer's planned Azure use, the bigger the fee. It pairs with the assessment: together, one customer can be worth up to $220,000.
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Does this apply to you?
Probably yes, if:
- You hold a certified software designation in Azure, Security or Industry AI. This is a Microsoft credential your company earns with real work.
- You have customers who would run your solution on Azure.
- The customer has a valid Microsoft customer ID (called a TPID) and plans a measurable amount of Azure use.
Not yet, if you have no designation. It is the gate to every customer incentive. Joining, publishing and Azure sponsorship do not need it.
Probably not, if your customers will not run your product on Azure. The fee is paid for Azure usage, so there has to be some.
What kinds of move count?
- On-premises to Azure: a customer moving to your solution on Azure.
- New customers: adopting your solution on Azure.
- From another cloud: moving to your solution on Azure.
- Expansion: a customer adds regions or business units.
What does it pay?
It is sized by the customer's planned Azure use in year one.
- XXS: $5K to $15K planned, 120 days, paid $4,000
- XS: $15K to $50K, 120 days, paid $12,000
- S: $50K to $100K, 120 days, paid $28,000
- M: $100K to $250K, 200 days, paid $64,000
- L: $250K to $500K, 260 days, paid $140,000
- High value: more than $500K, 300 days, paid $200,000
Amounts are for Market A countries. Market B countries are paid 80%.
What does it mean for you as a CEO?
An example: a customer plans to run $120,000 of Azure on your solution in year one. That falls in band M, so the fee is $64,000. The same customer can also have a $12,000 or $20,000 assessment before the move.
The question is never what the maximum is. It is which band your project lands in, and whether it fits inside the limits below.
The limits to know
- A cap on your total earnings: $250,000 for most software companies. Companies Microsoft manages directly have higher caps, $1 million, or $1.5 million for the 15 largest.
- Up to 4 approved claims per customer, and 2 at a time.
- Hit your Azure targets on more than 60% of claims, or new claims pause.
- High value migrations must be pre-nominated before work starts.
- At least half of all your claims must be migrations.
Get two answers in writing before you commit: whether Microsoft classes your company as managed (it changes your cap), and exactly what happens if you miss a project target.
Two ways to run it
Same as the assessment. You deliver it, or a partner delivers it. A partner-led project always needs a pre-nomination, and the partner needs a Microsoft Azure specialization.
How to claim it
- Nominate when the customer confirms.
- Customer consent. The customer agrees in Partner Center within 30 days, or the claim expires.
- Deliver and prove, then submit: a customer survey, a partner survey, a claim invoice in USD, and the customer's Azure subscription IDs.
- Get paid. Microsoft checks the proof for up to 30 days, then pays within 45.
Frequently asked questions
How much can one customer be worth?
Up to $220,000 with the assessment: up to $20,000 for the assessment and up to $200,000 for the migration.
Is there a limit?
Yes. Total earnings are capped per company, at $250,000 for most software companies.
Do I need a certification?
Yes, a certified software designation in Azure, Security or Industry AI.
How many claims can I have per customer?
Up to 4 approved claims per customer, and 2 at a time.
What if I miss the Azure target?
You need to hit your Azure targets on more than 60% of your claims, or new claims pause. Ask Microsoft what else happens if you miss a target, and get it in writing.
Want the full picture?
Everything here is also in our complete guide to Microsoft FY27 Marketplace incentives, with plain-words notes for newcomers. Get the complete FY27 guide
Not sure which incentive fits your company?
Ask for your free Microsoft Incentives Assessment: a personalized report of every incentive your company can claim, what each is worth, and the order to claim them. Free, no obligation. No Partner Center login needed to start. Ask for your free Assessment
The other FY27 incentives
- Azure sponsorship
- AI Build & Publish for Marketplace
- AI Build & Publish for the Agent Store
- Customer Assessment & POV
- Co-sell in FY27
Based on Microsoft's FY27 Partner Investments material and the Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace pages on Microsoft Learn. Microsoft may change its programs at any time, and every payout needs Microsoft's approval. Amounts are in USD.
