Mythbusters: Companies don't put Marketplace at the center of buying
Updated 11 Nov 2026 · FY27 (1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027)
The short answer. Marketplace can sit at the center of buying, because a customer's Azure commitment can pay for eligible Marketplace software. That commitment is called a MACC: a promise to spend a set amount on Azure. When the offer is Azure benefit eligible and bought in the Azure portal, the full pre-tax amount counts toward it.
Watch the episode
Recorded before Microsoft's July 2026 program changes. For current amounts, see our FY27 guide.
Myth and reality (FY27)
Myth: Companies don't put Marketplace at the center of their procurement.
Reality: A customer's MACC, its promise to spend a set amount on Azure, can pay for eligible Marketplace purchases. When a purchase qualifies, the full pre-tax amount counts toward that commitment.
For your buyer, that means a Marketplace purchase can use budget that is already set aside. It is not a new line to approve.
Not every purchase qualifies. The offer must be Azure benefit eligible, and the purchase must be made in the Azure portal on a subscription tied to the customer's agreement. A direct credit-card checkout does not count. Azure credit that you give a customer never counts toward their commitment.
What the guest said
- A MACC is a deal where a customer commits to a set amount of cloud spend by a deadline. No upfront payment is needed. It is a promise of usage.
- The commitment can be used in two ways: to buy Azure services, and to buy solutions on the Marketplace.
- That second use matters for procurement, because it changes where buyers choose to buy.
- Cloud costs keep going up. For many companies, including software companies, it is the largest bill they pay.
- More organizations are taking a Marketplace-first approach to buying.
- Some customers now refuse to buy anything that is not on the Marketplace. He calls this a big advantage for publishers, because it opens a budget that is already set.
- Buying through the Marketplace also simplifies governance and makes it easier to track who spends what.
- Everything arrives on one consolidated invoice.
Does this apply to you?
- Probably yes, if you sell business software to mid-size or large companies that already use Azure.
- Check first that your offer is transactable and Azure benefit eligible. Without that, a customer's purchase won't count toward their commitment, and that is the reason they buy this way.
- Be careful if your software runs mainly outside Azure. Microsoft says hybrid and on-premises licenses are not eligible, so confirm your case with Microsoft.
- Not yet, if you only have a "Contact me" listing. A customer cannot buy it through Marketplace.
Full transcript
Johan Aussenac (host): Marketplace Mythbusters. Hello everyone, welcome to episode seven of Marketplace Mythbusters, where we debunk major Marketplace misconceptions. I'm delighted to be welcoming Younès today, joining us straight from Microsoft Ireland. Younès, do a quick intro of yourself.
Younès Laribi (guest): Hello everyone. I'm Younès, I'm a digital cloud architect based in Dublin, as Johan says. What is my job on a daily basis? I try to sit with CIOs and IT managers of software vendors like WeTransact, to help them understand their goal and reach it.
[Passage removed: it covered Microsoft programs that changed in July 2026.]
Johan: Awesome, thanks again for being with us today. Are you ready for some myth busting around the Marketplace?
Younès: Let's go.
Johan: All right. So today's myth of the day: companies don't choose the Marketplace at the center of their procurement strategy.
Younès: That's a tricky one.
Johan: You're quite unlucky. Let's get started by breaking it down into digestible pieces. I think we need to revisit one main Microsoft concept, which is quite famous now, called the Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment. Younès, I don't want to make a low move here, but you're the Microsoft expert, so would you explain to us what it means?
Younès: Yes. MACC stands for Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment. It's as simple as one, two, three. It's a deal where a customer commits to a specific cloud spend, set by a deadline. No upfront payment is needed. It's just the promise of usage.
[Passage removed: it covered Microsoft programs that changed in July 2026.]
Johan: Yes, it's true, and you're quite an expert on the topic. If we're transparent, you're the reason why we signed a MACC, so well done to you.
Younès: Yes, sure, I did.
Johan: But let's stay focused. Maybe it's not about us, it's more about the myth. I think the key take on the MACC is that it can be leveraged in two distinct ways. The first one is to buy Azure services, of course, and the second one is to buy solutions on the Marketplace. I think it's absolutely fundamental, as it has a strong influence on the procurement strategy. So let's go straight to the point.
[Passage removed: it covered Microsoft programs that changed in July 2026.]
Johan: I think that's fundamental again. Allow me to do a shortcut here, and please confirm. I believe that the more I consolidate under my MACC, meaning the consumption and the Marketplace purchases, the bigger the overall discount I can unlock from Microsoft.
[Passage removed: it covered Microsoft programs that changed in July 2026.]
Johan: Cloud expenses are only going up, and often the main source of spend for a company is this. It is the largest bill that we pay as a software vendor ourselves, but I believe it's also true for enterprise and corporate customers.
[Passage removed: it covered Microsoft programs that changed in July 2026.]
Younès: Yes, it's totally true. If you recall, we worked on that with you when we built our MACC. But it's evolving even more today. Increasingly, organizations are adopting a Marketplace-first approach for procurement.
[Passage removed: it covered Microsoft programs that changed in July 2026.]
Younès: More and more MACC customers are now refusing to purchase anything that's not available on the Marketplace. It's a huge advantage for publishers here to unlock this predefined budget.
Johan: Yeah, and it's starting to be the same for us here. We only purchase from the Marketplace. It's true, your point. We also witness that with our customers today. Some corporate or enterprise customers only buy verified solutions on the Azure Marketplace. So I think it's safe to say that the myth is busted. Microsoft customers are leaning into a Marketplace-first procurement strategy to get the most out of their commitment, a.k.a. their MACC, and secure a strong return on investment.
Younès: Yes, plus there are plenty of other perks. It streamlines governance and simplifies our cost accountability by bringing everything together in one consolidated invoice.
Johan: That's awesome. Thanks for having been with us, Younès, today, and looking forward to our next Marketplace Mythbuster.
Younès: Thank you, thank you for having me.
Johan: See you soon. Marketplace Mythbusters.
Frequently asked questions
Does a credit card purchase count toward the MACC?
Not a direct credit card checkout in the store. Microsoft says the customer must buy in the Azure portal, on a subscription tied to its agreement.
Do purchases made before my offer became eligible count?
No. Microsoft says the benefit is not retroactive. Billing periods after the offer becomes eligible do count.
Why would a buyer choose to buy through Marketplace?
An eligible purchase can use Azure budget the buyer has already committed, so it is not a new line to approve. The charges also arrive on the Microsoft invoice the buyer already gets.
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
- Customer Migrate & Modernize
- Co-selling with Microsoft
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.
