Work 365 – Why Is the Azure Markup 17.67%?

Applies To: Work 365 (Azure Billing / Consumption Markup)
Audience: Administrators, Finance Teams, Billing Managers

Overview

Seeing a ~17.67% markup on Azure consumption in Work 365 is by design. That markup is what you need to achieve a 15% profit margin on the selling price.
Markup and margin aren’t the same thing—converting a target margin into the correct markup prevents under- or over-charging.

The Math (Markup vs. Margin)

• Margin (%) = Profit ÷ Selling Price

• Markup (%) = Profit ÷ Cost

To convert a desired margin to the required markup:

Markup  =  Margin1−Margin\textbf{Markup} \;=\; \frac{\text{Margin}}{1-\text{Margin}}Markup=1−MarginMargin

Example for a 15% target margin:

• Markup = 0.15 ÷ (1 − 0.15) = 0.15 ÷ 0.85 = 0.176470588… ≈ 17.65%

So applying ~17.65–17.67% markup on cost yields 15% margin on the selling price.
Small differences you may see (e.g., 17.647%, 17.67%, or line-level variations) come from rounding and currency precision across many usage lines.

Handy inverse (if you have a markup and want the resulting margin):

Margin  =  Markup1+Markup\textbf{Margin} \;=\; \frac{\text{Markup}}{1+\text{Markup}}Margin=1+MarkupMarkup

Quick Reference (Other Target Margins)

(Formula used: markup = margin ÷ (1 − margin).)

Worked Example

• Cost: $100.00

• Target margin: 15% → Markup: 17.647%

• Selling price: $100 × (1 + 0.17647) = $117.647

• Profit: $17.647

• Margin check: $17.647 ÷ $117.647 = 0.15 (15%)

How Work 365 Uses This

When Work 365 imports Azure usage from Partner Center, it applies your configured markup-on-cost to compute the selling price. The default configuration often targets a 15% margin, which corresponds to a ~17.65–17.67% markup.

• If you want a different target margin, set that target (or enter the equivalent markup using the formula above) in your Work 365 Azure/usage pricing settings.

• Work 365 will apply the new value to future imports/calculations.

• Expect minor rounding differences at the line level; totals reconcile at invoice level given consistent currency precision.

Tip: For consistency, pick the margin you want to achieve and let Work 365 (or your team) compute the equivalent markup with the formula.

FAQs

Q: Why 17.67% and not exactly 17.65%?
A: Decimal precision and rounding across thousands of usage lines can nudge the displayed percentage. Anything around 17.65–17.67% achieves a 15% margin.

Q: Can I just set 15% somewhere?
A: If your field expects markup, convert with markup = margin ÷ (1 − margin). Some setups allow entering a target margin directly—otherwise, use the equivalent markup.

Q: Why do my totals differ by a few cents?
A: Currency precision and per-line rounding. Ensure consistent decimal settings on currency and invoice lines.