Skip to main content

Azure Subscription Discount for CSP Pricing

Feature overview​

A subscription discount tells Spotto that you pay less than the retail (pay-as-you-go) prices Azure reports for a subscription, for example through a CSP agreement. Set a percentage on the subscription and Spotto shows its spend and savings at that rate. Your stored billing data is never changed.

Why use this?​

  • Azure cost data for many CSP subscriptions is priced at retail, so Spotto's figures can sit noticeably above what you actually pay.
  • Savings estimates built on retail prices overstate what a change is worth to you.
  • A single percentage per subscription brings both back in line, without exporting data and adjusting it in a spreadsheet.

Key capabilities​

  • Per-subscription rate: Each Azure subscription can carry its own percentage, or none.
  • Azure charges only: Only Azure's own (non-Marketplace) charges are discounted. Azure Marketplace charges always stay at their billed amount.
  • Spend and savings together: Spend, cost trends, Cost Tree, resource costs and recommendation savings all use the discounted amounts. Savings percentages don't change, because both sides of the comparison move together.
  • Applied when you view: The rate is applied when data is read, not written. Changing or clearing it updates every view, past periods included, and needs no rescan.
  • No visual noise: There are no badges or labels. The numbers simply reflect the rate.

How to set or clear a discount​

  1. In the Spotto Portal, go to Connectors -> Connectors -> Cloud Accounts.
  2. Open Subscription Status for the Azure cloud account.
  3. Edit the subscription you want to change.
  4. Expand Advanced options.
  5. Enter the percentage in Configured discount (%), for example 5 or 5.25.
  6. Select Save.

To remove the discount, clear the field and save. Spotto goes back to showing the original amounts.

The field accepts a number from 0 to 100 with up to two decimal places. A decimal comma (5,25) is read as 5.25. A value of 0 behaves the same as no discount.

Validation​

After saving, refresh a page you know well, such as the dashboard or Cost Tree, for that subscription. Azure-native spend should equal the previous amount multiplied by (1 - rate). With a 5% discount, NZD 1,000.00 of Azure spend shows as NZD 950.00. Marketplace charges stay the same.

The most reliable check is a closed month. Compare the subscription's Cost Tree for that billing period with the matching CSP invoice.

How it works​

Spotto keeps cost data at the prices Azure reports. When you view a subscription with a discount set, Spotto separates each amount into:

  • Azure charges: discounted by the configured rate.
  • Marketplace charges: never discounted.
  • Charges with no publisher information: never discounted. These are usually recent estimates that billing hasn't confirmed yet.

The displayed figure is Azure charges x (1 - rate) + Marketplace + unidentified charges, rounded once to the cent. If Spotto can't confirm how an amount splits, it shows that amount at its original value rather than guessing.

Technical reference​

ComponentDetails
ScopeAzure subscriptions, set separately for each subscription
InputPercentage from 0 to 100, up to two decimal places; blank means no discount
Applies toAzure (non-Marketplace) spend and savings in the portal, exports, the browser extension and cost alerts
Never applies toAzure Marketplace charges, charges with no publisher information, stored billing data
API fieldnativeDiscountPercent on the company subscription (null clears it)

Limitations​

  • Older data: Cost data collected before this capability was available doesn't include the Azure/Marketplace split. Amounts from it show at their original value until the subscription is next scanned.
  • Flat rate only: The discount is one percentage for all Azure charges on the subscription. Rates that vary by service, reservation or savings plan aren't supported.
  • Ask Spotto summaries: Environment summaries in Ask Spotto may still quote original amounts.

Troubleshooting​

I set a discount but some amounts didn't change​

What you're seeing: Most figures dropped, but some stayed the same.
Likely causes:

  • The amount is, or includes, Azure Marketplace charges. Those are never discounted.
  • The amount includes recent estimates without publisher information. Those keep their original value until billing confirms them.
  • The data was collected before this capability was available and hasn't been rescanned.

How to fix:

  1. Check the Cost Tree for Marketplace charges on the resource or service.
  2. Wait for the next scan, or trigger one, then refresh the page.

I set a discount but nothing changed at all​

What you're seeing: Every figure for the subscription is the same as before.
Likely causes:

  • The page shows data cached from before you saved.
  • The same subscription is connected to more than one company in Spotto. To avoid applying one company's rate to another, Spotto doesn't apply a discount when ownership is ambiguous.

How to fix:

  1. Refresh the page.
  2. Make sure the subscription is connected to only one company. If it should be connected to more than one, contact support.

The figures don't match my invoice exactly​

What you're seeing: Spotto's discounted total differs from the CSP invoice.
Likely causes:

  • Your agreement doesn't discount every Azure charge at the same rate. Reservations and savings plans are often priced differently.
  • The period you're comparing is still open, so it includes estimates.

How to fix:

  1. Compare a closed billing month.
  2. Confirm with your provider which charges the discount covers.