{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/microsoft-enables-usage-based-billing-by-default-for-copilot-business","json":"https://digestai.news/story/microsoft-enables-usage-based-billing-by-default-for-copilot-business.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/microsoft-enables-usage-based-billing-by-default-for-copilot-business.md","slug":"microsoft-enables-usage-based-billing-by-default-for-copilot-business","headline":"Microsoft enables usage-based billing by default for Copilot Business licenses","summary":"Microsoft will activate usage-based billing by default for eligible services under Microsoft 365 Copilot Business licenses starting November 2. The change applies to small and midsize businesses with up to 300 seats per tenant, according to Microsoft. The shift aims to simplify onboarding for solution providers by reducing billing friction, per Nicole Dezen, Microsoft’s chief partner officer and corporate vice president of global channel partner sales.\n\nCopilot’s new features—including a Home starting point, Today command center, and Code tool—roll out alongside the billing change. Microsoft says everyday AI tasks like summarizing documents remain covered under the fixed license price. Heavy users can opt for consumption-based credits at 1 cent per Copilot Credit, with spending controls like tenant-level budgets and alerts. Partners can build recurring revenue through AI Center of Excellence services, custom agents, and managed consumption spend, per Microsoft’s expectations of over double the year-on-year growth in agent solution revenue.","keyPoints":["Usage-based billing for Copilot Business licenses starts November 2, defaulting on for eligible services","1 cent per Copilot Credit charged for consumption-based usage, with spending policies and alerts available","New Copilot features include a Home dashboard, Today command center, and Code tool for app creation"],"whyItMatters":"The shift to usage-based billing by default could reshape how businesses adopt AI tools, incentivizing providers to monitor and manage AI spend while unlocking new revenue streams for partners.","category":{"slug":"enterprise","name":"Enterprise & Industry","url":"https://digestai.news/category/enterprise"},"entities":{"companies":["Microsoft","Microsoft 365","Microsoft solution providers","B&R Business Solutions","CRN","GitHub"],"models":["Copilot","GPT-5.6","Sonnet 5","Opus 5"],"people":["Chris Regan","Nicole Dezen","Nicole Herskowitz","Jared Spataro"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T07:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T07:00:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"crn.com","title":"Microsoft To Enable Usage-Based Billing By Default For Copilot Business Licenses","url":"https://crn.com/news/ai/2026/microsoft-to-enable-usage-based-billing-by-default-for-copilot-business","publishedAt":"2026-09-30T07:00:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Microsoft enables usage-based billing by default for Copilot Business licenses\", 30 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/microsoft-enables-usage-based-billing-by-default-for-copilot-business","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Microsoft enables usage-based billing by default for Copilot Business licenses","datePublished":"2026-09-30T07:00:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/microsoft-enables-usage-based-billing-by-default-for-copilot-business"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}