Assign New Subscriptions to a Default Billing Contract (Auto-Association)

Applies To: Work 365 (Billing Contracts, Subscription Sync)
Audience: Billing Admins, System Administrators

Overview

Work 365 can automatically assign newly synced provider subscriptions (for example, from Microsoft Partner Center) to a customer’s Default Billing Contract. This helps keep subscription intake clean and reduces manual work after each provider sync.

This requires two things:

1. Enabling the setting in Admin Hub, and

2. Marking exactly one Billing Contract per Account as Default.

Key Concepts

Default Billing Contract

A Billing Contract flagged as the default “landing contract” for newly synced subscriptions under the same Account.

Associate Default Billing Contract (Setting)

An Admin Hub setting that tells Work 365 to auto-attach new provider-synced subscriptions to the default contract.

Scope / What it affects

This impacts new subscriptions discovered by provider sync after the setting is enabled.
It does not automatically move subscriptions that already exist in Work 365.

How It Works

When a provider sync discovers a new subscription for an Account:

• If Associate Default Billing Contract = Yes, and

• The Account has one Billing Contract where Is Default = Yes

✅ Work 365 assigns that new subscription to the default Billing Contract automatically.

If the Account has no default or multiple defaults, results can be inconsistent and usually require manual cleanup.

Prerequisites

Before configuring this feature, confirm:

• You have permissions to edit Admin Hub settings and Billing Contracts

• The Billing Contract belongs to the correct Account

• Best practice: Only one Default Billing Contract per Account

Configuration Steps

Step 1 — Enable Auto-Association to Default Billing Contract

Where: Work 365 → Administration → Admin Hub

1. Go to Application Settings

2. Open Subscription Management

3. Find Associate Default Billing Contract

4. Set it to Yes

5. Click Save

✅ Result: Work 365 will auto-attach newly synced subscriptions when a valid default contract exists.

Step 2 — Set the Default Billing Contract for the Customer

Where: Work 365 → Billing Contracts → open the target Billing Contract

1. Open the Billing Contract you want as the default landing contract

2. Locate Is Default (commonly on the General section)

3. Set Is Default = Yes

4. Click Save

✅ Result: New provider-synced subscriptions for that Account will land on this Billing Contract.

Important Rules and Best Practices

One Default Billing Contract per Account (Required)

• Do not set multiple Billing Contracts as default for the same Account

• If you find multiple defaults, clear Is Default on all but one contract

Choose the right “landing” contract

Pick the Billing Contract you want new subscriptions to land on, such as:

• Monthly / In Advance for standard licensing

• A dedicated Arrears contract for Azure usage (recommended to keep usage billing separate)

Know what will not happen automatically

• Existing subscriptions already in Work 365 are not moved automatically

• If you need to reorganize existing subscriptions, move them manually (and follow your normal checks for LCL/invoice-reference conflicts before moving)

Use Cases

• You’re onboarding new customers and want subscriptions to land in the correct Billing Contract without manual assignment

• You frequently receive new subscriptions via provider sync and want consistent “landing” behavior

• You run multiple billing models (licenses vs Azure usage) and want predictable contract placement

Troubleshooting

New subscriptions still aren’t auto-assigning

Check these in order:

1. Admin Hub setting

• Confirm Associate Default Billing Contract = Yes

2. Default flag on Billing Contract

• Confirm the intended Billing Contract has Is Default = Yes

3. Provider Account mapping

• Confirm the subscription is syncing under the correct Account

• Provider Account → Account mapping must be correct

4. Multiple defaults

• If more than one Billing Contract is default, clear the flag so only one remains

Subscriptions are syncing but remain unassigned

Most often caused by:

• No Billing Contract marked as Default for that Account

• Multiple defaults (Work 365 can’t reliably pick one)

• Provider Account mapped to the wrong CRM Account

FAQs / Common Questions

Q: Will this move existing subscriptions onto the default contract?
A: No. It only applies to new subscriptions synced after the setting is enabled.

Q: Can I use this if I have multiple billing models (licenses vs Azure usage)?
A: Yes—just be intentional about which contract is the default landing contract. Many teams keep Azure usage on a separate contract.

Q: What happens if there’s no default Billing Contract for the Account?
A: Work 365 won’t have a target contract to assign to. Subscriptions may remain unassigned and require manual assignment depending on your setup.

Summary

To auto-assign newly synced provider subscriptions to a Billing Contract:

1. Enable Associate Default Billing Contract = Yes in Admin Hub, and

2. Set exactly one Billing Contract per Account to Is Default = Yes.

From that point forward, new subscriptions synced for that Account will automatically attach to the Default Billing Contract.