How to Delete a Subscription (Not Deactivate)

Applies To: Work 365 (Subscriptions / Billing Contracts)
Audience: System Administrators | Billing Teams

Overview

Deleting a subscription in Work 365 is not the same as deactivating it. Delete removes the record only from your Work 365/Dynamics environment—no delete request is sent to the provider (e.g., Microsoft Partner Center). The provider’s live subscription remains active, and if still active upstream, it can reappear on the next sync.

Use deletion sparingly for bad/duplicate data or failed initial syncs. For audit continuity, prefer deactivation.

Key Concepts

• Local-only delete: Removes CRM record; provider subscription is unaffected.

• Re-sync behavior: Active provider items can be recreated on the next sync.

• Dependencies: License Change Logs (LCLs) and related records must be removed first to avoid orphans.

How It Works

1. Remove dependent LCLs (and any other dependent rows) to prevent orphaned references.

2. Delete the Subscription record.

3. On the next sync, if the provider subscription still exists, Work 365 may recreate the record.

Use Cases

Delete locally when:

• Quantities/prices/costs won’t sync or calculate correctly.

• First-time sync created incomplete/incorrect data.

• Product/unit/currency was misconfigured.

• Data became inconsistent or misleading.

If the subscription participated in invoicing, consider deactivation + notes instead of deletion for auditability.

Prerequisites

• ✅ System Administrator or Work 365 Admin privileges.

• ✅ Confirm the record is not needed for reporting, invoicing, or audits.

• ✅ Understand deletion is local-only and may be reversed by sync if the provider item is still active.

Steps to Delete a Subscription

1. Open the Subscription
   Work 365 → Billing Contracts → Subscriptions → open the target record.

2. Delete Related License Change Logs (LCLs)
   Subscription → Related → License Change Logs (Associated View) →
   Select all → Delete License Change Logs → confirm.

   ⚠️ Always remove LCLs first to avoid orphaned data and billing/sync errors.

3. Delete the Subscription
   Back on the subscription → Delete (ribbon) → confirm → wait for success.

4. Verify Post-Deletion Behavior

   • Subscription is gone from views/search.

   • If provider record is still active, it may reappear after the next sync.

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Cleanup order: LCLs → other dependents (e.g., charges/usages) → Subscription.

• Provider first: If the intent is to end service, cancel at provider before local cleanup.

• Audit trail: For historically billed items, prefer deactivate over delete.

• Batch work: Test the sequence in sandbox when bulk-cleaning records.

FAQs / Common Questions

Q: I deleted the subscription and it came back—why?
A: The provider record is still active; the next sync recreated it. Cancel upstream, then delete locally again if desired.

Q: Can I skip deleting LCLs?
A: No. LCLs reference the subscription; remove them first to prevent orphaned references and invoice errors.

Q: When should I deactivate instead of delete?
A: When you need historical/audit continuity. Use delete only for corrupt/bad data.

Summary

Deleting a subscription in Work 365 is a local-only cleanup. To remove safely:

1. Delete all LCLs,

2. Clear remaining dependents, then

3. Delete the subscription.
   Expect provider-linked subscriptions to return on sync if they remain active upstream.