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How to Use Microsoft Partner Center (CSP and MPN Guide)

Learn how to use Microsoft Partner Center for CSP program, MPN benefits, customer management, and marketplace publishing. Guide for Microsoft partners and resellers.

8 min readUpdated January 2025

Microsoft Partner Center is the unified portal for managing your Microsoft partnership. Whether you're a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), managed service provider, or software vendor, Partner Center provides access to programs, benefits, customer management, and marketplace tools.

Getting Started with Partner Center

Access Partner Center

  1. Go to partner.microsoft.com/dashboard
  2. Sign in with your work account (must be a Global Admin)
  3. Complete your organization profile if prompted

Key Areas in Partner Center

SectionPurpose
HomeDashboard overview, notifications, quick actions
CustomersManage customer relationships and subscriptions
BenefitsAccess MPN benefits, product keys, cloud credits
MarketplacePublish and manage your offers
InsightsAnalytics on customer usage and partner performance
ReferralsCo-sell opportunities and leads

Enrolling in CSP (Cloud Solution Provider)

CSP lets you sell Microsoft cloud services directly to customers.

  1. Go to Account Settings > Programs
  2. Find Cloud Solution Provider and click Get Started
  3. Choose your model:
    ModelBest ForRequirements
    Direct-billLarge partners with support infrastructure$300K+ annual revenue, 24/7 support capability
    Indirect resellerMost partners, SMB-focusedWork with a distributor, no revenue threshold
  4. Complete the enrollment form and agreement
  5. Start transacting once approved

Managing Customers

Add a New Customer

  1. Go to Customers > Add customer
  2. Enter organization details:
    • Company name
    • Primary domain
    • Contact information
  3. Send the reseller relationship invitation
  4. Customer accepts via email link
  5. Manage their subscriptions and provide admin access

Provision Subscriptions

  1. Select a customer from your list
  2. Click Add subscription
  3. Choose product (Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics, etc.)
  4. Select quantity and billing frequency
  5. Confirm the order

Accessing MPN Benefits

  1. Go to Benefits in the left navigation
  2. Select MPN Benefits
  3. Browse available benefits:
    • Product licenses: Internal use software
    • Technical benefits: Support incidents, advisory hours
    • Cloud credits: Azure credits for development
    • Visual Studio subscriptions: For your developers
  4. Click Activate on benefits you want to use

Solutions Partner Designations

Microsoft replaced legacy competencies with Solutions Partner designations:

  • Data & AI
  • Digital & App Innovation
  • Infrastructure
  • Modern Work
  • Security
  • Business Applications

Earn designations based on your Partner Capability Score measuring:

  • Performance: Customer adds and revenue growth
  • Skilling: Certified professionals
  • Customer success: Usage and deployment metrics

Publishing to Marketplace

If you have your own solution to sell:

  1. Go to Marketplace > Overview
  2. Click New offer
  3. Select offer type (SaaS, Azure app, etc.)
  4. Complete offer setup:
    • Offer details and description
    • Pricing and plans
    • Technical configuration
    • Marketing materials
  5. Submit for certification
  6. Publish once approved

Common Tasks Quick Reference

TaskLocation
Add user accountsAccount Settings > User management
View invoicesBilling > Billing history
Access supportHelp + Support > New request
Update company profileAccount Settings > Organization profile
View incentivesIncentives > Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions

Microsoft Partner Center is the unified portal for Microsoft partners to manage their partnership, access MPN benefits, enroll in programs like CSP (Cloud Solution Provider), manage customer subscriptions, publish marketplace offers, and access training and incentives. It replaces the legacy Partner Membership Center.

Need Professional Help?

Our team of experts can help you implement and configure these solutions for your organization.