Microsoft 365 Service Credit: How to Claim One, Because They Don't Request Themselves
After any big service incident, someone in the office asks the hopeful question: do we get money back? After the Microsoft 365 outage of 12 to 13 November 2026, the accurate answer is "possibly a service credit, and only if somebody asks for it properly". A Microsoft 365 service credit does not arrive on its own. Someone has to request it, with the right details, inside the time limit.
This guide sets out what Microsoft's own documents say about how to claim. It does not say whether a credit is due to your organisation: Microsoft decides that under your agreement. For the outage itself, see Microsoft 365 outage: what Microsoft has confirmed and what to do.
Where is the Microsoft 365 SLA rulebook?
Microsoft publishes the Service Level Agreement for Microsoft Online Services on its licensing website. For each service it sets out the uptime commitment, how downtime is defined, the service credit levels and the claim procedure. Microsoft revises it periodically and lists each edition by date. At the time of writing, the most recent English edition listed was dated 1 October 2026.
We are deliberately not quoting its percentages here. Read the edition that applies to your agreement, because that is the one that counts.
Source: Microsoft, Service Level Agreement for Microsoft Online Services.
What does Microsoft tell its partners about service credits?
Microsoft's Partner Center documentation describes how service level agreement credits are requested for services sold through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme. It is the clearest public description of the paperwork.
| Topic | What Microsoft's guidance states |
|---|---|
| Who can submit | Only CSP direct and indirect providers can request the credit. Indirect resellers cannot, and are directed to the process for reporting problems on behalf of a customer |
| Time limit | For services other than Azure, within one month from the end of the billing month in which the incident occurred |
| Tenant details | The customer tenant's ID (GUID) |
| Incident details | The outage incident identifier from the Service health page in the Microsoft 365 admin center |
| Proof | Evidence that the customer experienced the outage and asked for the credit. The customer's email must come from the affected tenant's domain; personal addresses are not accepted |
| Impact details | Supporting information such as the time and duration of downtime and the number and locations of affected users |
| How credit is determined | By the specific services affected, not the customer's entire plan |
| Proration | Credits are prorated based on the affected service and the duration of the outage |
| Advisories | Advisory incidents are typically not eligible. The final incident post and post-incident review should be checked |
A note on the clock: for an incident in November with a calendar-month billing period, one month from the end of the billing month lands at the end of December, a time of year not famous for prompt paperwork. Confirm the date that applies to you with your provider and your agreement, and do not leave it to the last week.
Source: Microsoft Learn, How and when to request a credit from Microsoft.
Who do you actually ask?
| How you buy Microsoft 365 | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Directly from Microsoft | Your administrator contacts Microsoft support and follows the claim procedure in the Service Level Agreement |
| Through a reseller or provider | Ask the company that invoices you for the licences. Under Microsoft's partner guidance, the CSP provider submits the request |
Not sure which you are? Look at who sends the invoice.
What should you gather now, while it is fresh?
- The incident identifier. For this incident Microsoft's references are EX1550543 (Exchange Online) and MO1550821 (Microsoft 365). Find the entries for your tenant under Health, then Service health, in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Your tenant ID.
- The time and duration of impact as your users experienced it. Memories fade faster than you think.
- The number and locations of affected users and the services affected.
- A written request from an email address on your organisation's own domain.
Source: Microsoft Learn, How to check Microsoft 365 service health, and the partner guidance above.
A few expectations worth setting
- Microsoft assesses each request. Submitting one does not mean a credit will be granted.
- Microsoft's guidance says credit relates to the specific services affected and is prorated. It is a credit on the service, not a prize.
- Status posts say whether a tenant might be affected. The final incident post and post-incident review give the confirmed details.
- Your own agreement governs. If the matter is significant to your business, take professional advice.
The form is short. The deadline is real. The credit, if any, is Microsoft's call.
More on the Microsoft 365 outage
- Microsoft 365 outage: what Microsoft has confirmed, and an IT manager checklist
- How to complain to Microsoft about the Outlook outage
- Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude connectors during the outage
- Email continuity options for SMEs
Getting help in Singapore
If you are unsure how your Microsoft 365 licences are purchased, ask whoever invoices you for them. For continuity planning and backup hardware, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Microsoft's service credit terms? In the Service Level Agreement for Microsoft Online Services on Microsoft's licensing website.
Who submits the request if we buy through a provider? Microsoft's partner guidance says only CSP direct and indirect providers can request the credit for services sold through CSP.
What is the time limit? Microsoft's partner guidance says within one month from the end of the billing month in which the incident occurred, for services other than Azure.
Is a credit guaranteed? No. Microsoft assesses each request under the agreement.
This article is general information compiled from the Microsoft sources linked above as at 13 November 2026. It is not legal, contractual or professional advice, and it is not a statement by or on behalf of Microsoft. Refer to Microsoft's documents and your own agreement.
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