Overview

This guide walks you through the Azure billing settings in Ripple, including how billing amounts are calculated, available configuration options, and how to troubleshoot billing discrepancies.

How Azure Billing Amounts Are Calculated

Azure billing amounts in Ripple are recalculated based on the billing data retrieved via the Microsoft Partner API.

The calculation uses the list price rates for each service obtained from RateCard as a base. By default, the calculation excludes the free tier and credits.

If you wish to apply individual rates specific to your MSP — such as CSP Pricing or Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) — please note that this information cannot be retrieved via the API. As a result, the following files will need to be shared with Alphaus on a monthly basis:

Cloud-Reseller-Pricelist
Software-Subscriptions-CSP-Commercial-Price-List

Software, Credits, Marketplace, and Other Settings

In addition to standard Azure usage charges, Azure includes various other cost items such as software licences, Marketplace charges, SLA violation refunds, and discounts.

Ripple allows you to control whether each of these items is included or excluded from your invoices. You can also configure finer details such as hiding Azure Plan IDs from invoices, enabling invoice generation that fits your operational needs.

Adjusting Entries Auto-Apply Settings

Setting	Description
Partner Earned Credit discount	Controls the partner discount amount set per MSP
Software licences	Includes or excludes software licence line items
Marketplace	Includes or excludes Marketplace line items

Calculation Logic Settings

Setting	Description
Apply free tier	Whether to apply the free tier when calculating costs
Use ERP Pricing for software	Whether to use ERP Pricing for software charges
Use MSRP / New Commerce ERP's Suggested Retail Price	Whether to apply MSRP / New Commerce ERP's rates in the calculation

Troubleshooting Billing Discrepancies

If you notice a difference between Ripple's calculated amounts and Azure's amounts, the following are the most common causes.

Small Discrepancies

billing currency conversion logic: Ripple uses a specific calculation logic for foreign currency conversation — see Invoice Line Item Calculation Logic
Free tier reversal: By default, Ripple reverses the free tier back to list price during recalculation. To calculate with the free tier applied instead, go to Settings > Azure Settings and update this setting

Larger Discrepancies

CSP Pricing / MSRP not applied: By default, Ripple calculates amounts without applying CSP Pricing or MSRP. If you are comparing against amounts that include these rates, a discrepancy will occur. This can be configured in Settings > Azure Settings — please share the following files with the Alphaus support team to enable this:
- Cloud-Reseller-Pricelist
- Software-Subscriptions-CSP-Commercial-Price-List
Legacy subscription plan rates: If Azure is still using rates from an old subscription plan for certain services, a discrepancy may occur. Since September 2021, Azure has been progressively migrating to the new Azure plan. Ripple calculates usage charges based on the new Azure plan rates. If Azure has not yet completed the migration for certain services, those services may still be billed at legacy rates, resulting in a difference