No joke: Microsoft foolishly published inaccurate price list on April 1st
- Reference: 1744001955
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/04/07/microsoft_april_1_pricing_mistake/
- Source link:
The software Goliath admitted to its error in posts to the news feed it provides to its partner community.
“The April NCE license-based price list doesn't indicate the correct pricing for annual commitment monthly billing plans for Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Service,” states one of the [1]posts . “These prices are correctly reflected in the March price list,” the post adds.
[2]
The price rises were known long before March, because Microsoft [3]announced them in November 2024.
[4]
The planned changes weren’t great news for customers because they meant those who make monthly payments for annual subscriptions would be slugged an extra five percent. Microsoft prefers its customers to pay up front for the full year, which helps the Windows titan’s cashflow and lowers its transaction costs.
[5]Microsoft 365 price rises are coming – pay up or opt out (if you can find the button)
[6]VMware sues Siemens for allegedly using unlicensed software
[7]Congress takes another swing at Uncle Sam's software licensing mess
[8]Tech trainer taught a course on software he'd never used and didn't own
If you purchased the products mentioned above before Microsoft published a correct price list, the software giant will honor the price you paid. If you placed an order after the corrected lists were published, but used the inaccurate lists to formulate a quote, you’re out of luck.
At this point we should explain the reference to “NCE” above: It’s the New Commerce Experience, a channel program Microsoft [9]bills as allowing partners to “unlock growth opportunities, drive more customer success, and lower complexity and costs—no matter how your customers buy.”
Perhaps Microsoft’s blurb should also mention that sometimes NCE means partners need to clean up messes that arguably shouldn’t happen. ®
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[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/partner-center/announcements/2025-april#5
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z_OiTLVhSZ2ySD3sB9PBsAAAA0Y&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/partner-center/announcements/2024-november#flexible-billing-for-microsoft-365-copilot-pricing-updates-for-annual-subscriptions-and-teams-phone
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z_OiTLVhSZ2ySD3sB9PBsAAAA0Y&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/07/microsoft_365_price_rises/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/26/vmware_sues_siemens_for_using/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/28/congress_software_licensing/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/31/who_me/
[9] https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/partnership/new-commerce
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Why not?
They publish inaccurate software every day of the year, so why not add a little sparkle?
A lesson learned?
Don't use Copilot to produce price lists.
E&OE
I remember every price list and offer, when I was younger, had E&OE stamped on it somewhere (Errors and Omissions Excluded), meaning if there was an error on the price list/offer, it wouldn't be honoured.
Re: E&OE
But IIRC in certain jurisdictions, regardless of E&OE, the price advertised is the price you pay. Priced it lower than you should? Tough.
However in retail shops, barcodes have put paid to that. If a browsing customer puts something back on the wrong rail, buyer beware, since prices aren’t stickered any more unless there’s an actual reduction.
And then of course there’s the sting in the tail of all US pricing.
Re: E&OE
Of course that only applies if there is a human in the loop who is sufficiently switched on to realise that a 65" TV for £50 might be a typo.
If they don't let you use the self service checkout, there's always a till staffed by an 18 year old who will congratulate you for finding such a good deal.
Re: E&OE
"Cav emp" would also be appropriate although these days it takes a multi-page licence to say that.
"a few lucky folk may have dodged a five percent Copilot price hike"
I'm having difficulty in understanding this one. In what way would it be lucky to have paid any money for it? Or even have it fr free?
"It’s the New Commerce Experience"
aka this is how we're going to fuck you, and you are going to have to like it.
Not only Microsoft Raising Prices
Adobe have just upped my Photography plan from 9.98GBP to 14.99GBP a month. I've just cancelled it. I wouldn't have minded a 10% increase, but 50% is taking the micky. Photoshop was the last thing holding me onto Windows so I guess that's a silver lining.
“unlock our growth opportunities, drive more revenue per customer, and lower our costs—no matter what our customers need.”
FTFY