Comparison
EA, MCA-E or CSP: what fits in 2026?
Three ways to buy Azure, each with its own contract, price and way of working. Here you see the differences, when going direct to Microsoft is better and how to switch.
The short answer
If you have agreed a large consumption commitment with Microsoft, a MACC, MCA-E directly with Microsoft can be cheaper. There is a downside: if you do not reach the agreed amount, you pay the difference at the end anyway. Savings and FinOps then earn you nothing up to your commitment. In a cloud with AI, where usage changes fast, we therefore advise against a large commitment.
Without a commitment, MCA-E usually means list price. Then CSP through Intercept gives you more: a discount on your usage, one invoice, and a fixed point of contact with Azure and AI specialists who know your environment. No support ticket at Microsoft, but people who know who you are.
Renewing an EA is usually no longer possible for smaller organisations; Microsoft then points to MCA-E or CSP.
The differences side by side
| Enterprise Agreement | MCA-E, directly with Microsoft | CSP through Intercept | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract | At least three years | Does not expire | Monthly and with no minimum spend, under the Microsoft Customer Agreement. Only the CSP Enterprise programme, for usage from €50,000 a month, runs for at least twelve months |
| For whom | According to Microsoft, from 500 users or devices. At renewal, Microsoft usually refers smaller organisations elsewhere | Organisations with a Microsoft account team | Any organisation, from the first euro |
| Azure price | According to most sources, no price levels for Azure usage | Usually list price, discount through a commitment | Discount rising with your usage, indicatively 5 to 12% |
| Commitment (MACC) | Possible. Miss it and you pay the shortfall | Possible. Miss it and you pay the shortfall | Not needed. Every saving comes straight off your invoice |
| Support | Basic free; technical help requires a paid support plan | Basic free; technical help requires a paid support plan | Included below €50,000 a month: a fixed point of contact with Azure specialists, no tickets. Above that, 24/7 CSP Enterprise Support at a reduced rate |
| Invoice from | Microsoft, or a licensing partner with an indirect EA | Microsoft | Intercept BV, every month |
| Switch to CSP | Direct EA: administrative transfer. Indirect EA: technical migration | Administrative transfer | Intercept handles it from start to finish, at a fixed price agreed up front |
| Cost insight | Cost Management | Cost Management | Finally a clear Azure invoice: Intercept's customer portal shows your costs per subscription, resource group and resource, alongside Cost Management |
An Enterprise Agreement runs for at least three years. Microsoft describes the EA as intended for organisations with 500 or more users or devices.
Source: Microsoft
The Microsoft Customer Agreement does not expire. You sign it with a Microsoft seller or through a CSP partner; if you buy through a partner, you get your invoice from that partner.
Source: Microsoft
If you do not reach the amount of a MACC by its end date, Microsoft charges the remaining balance as a shortfall.
Source: Microsoft, 3 March 2026
When MCA-E is the better choice
- You have a large consumption commitment with Microsoft, or are about to make one. Then going direct can work out cheaper.
- Do weigh what you commit to. What you save below your commitment, you pay at the end anyway: Microsoft charges a shortfall if you do not meet the MACC. Optimising only pays off above the agreed amount.
- Is a MACC running? Then that subscription cannot be transferred while the MACC runs. We plan the switch for the moment it can.
- In doubt? We calculate both routes and tell you honestly which is better.
When CSP through Intercept fits
- You want every saving and every FinOps step to come straight off your invoice, even when AI makes your usage change fast.
- You do not want a commitment and still want a discount, from the first euro.
- You want to work with specialists who know your environment, not open a support ticket at Microsoft. Intercept is an Azure Expert MSP, with more than 70 Azure specialists and Microsoft Azure MVPs in house.
- You want one monthly invoice from a European company, with your costs per subscription in the customer portal.
- If your Azure is spread over several tenants, Intercept merges them into one tenant, with one invoice under one contract.
Intercept BV
Azure usage same subscriptions€20,000
9% discount− €1,800
Per month€18,200
Amounts excluding VAT
- Discount on all your usage
- Costs per resource in the portal
- Support included, 24/7 on request
How to switch
With a direct EA or an MCA-E, the switch is an administrative transfer: no downtime, the same subscription and resource IDs, and your permissions stay in place. Intercept requests that transfer from Microsoft itself, as a direct-bill CSP partner and Azure Expert MSP. With an indirect EA, a credit card or an MCA signed online, a technical migration within your own tenant is needed. Intercept takes care of it from start to finish. Do the check to see your route and timeline.
More on your EA ending and moving from credit card to invoice.
- Direct EAMCA-E Administrative migrationSame IDs, same permissions
- Indirect EACredit cardOnline MCA Technical migration, by InterceptSame tenant, new subscriptions
CSP through Intercept- Handled start to finish
- Clearing out what can go
- Optimising costs
Frequently asked questions
Isn't MCA-E, directly with Microsoft, cheaper?
Sometimes. If you have a large consumption commitment with Microsoft, going direct can work out cheaper. If you use less than you committed to, you pay the difference at the end anyway. Without a commitment, MCA-E usually means list price. We calculate both routes and tell you honestly which is better.
Is a large consumption commitment with Microsoft a good idea?
It can bring a discount, but it fixes your usage for years. If you do not reach the agreed amount, Microsoft charges the difference at the end. Savings and FinOps then earn you nothing up to your commitment. In a cloud with AI, where usage changes fast, we therefore advise against a large commitment. In doubt? We calculate both routes.
Source: Microsoft, 3 March 2026
Am I tied to Intercept afterwards?
No. Your tenant and subscriptions remain yours, and an Azure plan can move to another CSP partner later. Only the CSP Enterprise programme from €50,000 a month has a minimum term of twelve months.
Source: Intercept
What does the switch itself cost?
That is settled in advance: a fixed price in your proposal, with no extra charges afterwards. After that, you only pay for your Azure usage, with a discount.
My EA does not end for another year. Can I switch now?
Often you can, because Azure subscriptions can be transferred mid-term. Whether it pays off depends on what you have already committed to, such as a prepayment, a commitment or reservations. We run the numbers and tell you if waiting is better.
Can I still renew my EA?
Maybe. At renewal, Microsoft generally directs smaller organisations to MCA-E or CSP. Market sources mention a threshold of around 2,400 users, but Microsoft has not published a fixed threshold. Your renewal notice or your LSP will give you a definite answer.
Source: Market source
Prefer your real numbers?
Send your situation and your latest Azure invoice. Within two working days of sending your invoice, you have a calculation based on your actual usage, with the alternatives alongside.