Microsoft 365 renewal checklist

Start with the information you have. Mark missing prices or dates as unknown instead of guessing. Keep optional future licences separate from the required renewal.

A connected free licence review shows saved available and assigned quantities. It can help you spot products to investigate and carry a licence list into a quote. It does not tell you who is actively working, read your invoice, establish the notice deadline or prove a security problem.

Unassigned licences may be reserved for starters or subject to an existing commitment. Free and trial allocations are not paid savings. Suspended products need their status understood before they enter a new basket. Ask each business owner what will actually be required after renewal; do not simply subtract every unassigned quantity.

For a 220-seat core plan with Teams, Power BI and other add-ons, count the products separately. The same person can hold several licences. Adding every line together gives licence quantities, not unique employees.

A published Microsoft reference price is not the only quotation you can request. Ask suppliers to price the exact requirement, then compare the resulting commercial offers. A better price is possible, not guaranteed. Discounts can depend on product, term, eligibility, timing and the service supplied.

Our quote builder accepts a mixed basket and optional current costs. Its saved comparison separates unknown prices, optional lines and changes that are not comparable. Treat the result as a review document until the proposed price and terms have been confirmed.

For a fair first comparison, keep quantities, product rights and commitment duration equal. A monthly flexible price multiplied by twelve is a projection, not a fixed annual saving. If you then change the licence mix or headcount, show that as a separate scenario.

For new offers, Dead Simple 365 provides annual commitment paid upfront or monthly commitment paid monthly, where available. We do not offer annual commitment paid monthly. An annual upfront offer changes cash flow as well as commitment, so finance should compare the whole payment requirement, not only the monthly equivalent.

Microsoft's new commerce cancellation policy provides a limited cancellation window for licence-based subscriptions. Outside the applicable window, do not assume you can reduce seats or stop paying mid-term. Check the exact product and renewal event with the supplier.

If changing supplier, an eligible CSP transfer preserves the remaining term and does not reopen cancellation rights. See our supplier-change guide and Microsoft's transfer guidance.

A renewal is a useful moment to ask whether your current tools cover your requirements and are configured appropriately. It is not evidence that the tenant is secure or insecure. A licence entitlement, a public DNS record and a deployed control answer different questions.

The email domain check can inspect public MX, SPF and DMARC records for the domain you enter. It does not send email, change DNS or provide a complete email security or deliverability verdict. If a result needs investigation, request scoped help with the finding and your goal. Agree access, work and price before changes are made.

Before acceptance, confirm the full quote, VAT, products, quantities, start date, commitment, payment schedule and which services are included. Identify who will authorise any transfer or configuration work and who will check that it completed. Do not send credentials in the enquiry.

Afterwards, reconcile the supplied products and invoice with the agreed quotation. Keep a record of the next renewal and revisit planned starters, leavers and optional add-ons during the year. The aim is a repeatable purchasing decision, not a one-off rush to a cheaper headline. Licence-only supply remains available; extra support is agreed separately.