Cloud Commits and Drawdown

Understand what an enterprise cloud commit is, how a marketplace purchase can retire (draw down) that committed cloud spend, and how the rules differ across AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Overview

An enterprise cloud commit is a contractual agreement between a cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and a customer. The customer commits to a certain level of cloud spend or usage over a set period — in exchange, the provider gives them discounted pricing and other benefits.

When a customer buys a product through that cloud’s marketplace, some or all of the purchase can count against (“draw down”) that commitment instead of being billed as new spend. Each cloud has different rules for how much draws down and where the product must be hosted. Use this page to understand how commits work and to set accurate expectations with customers before they buy.

Commit Programs

Each cloud has its own committed-spend program that a marketplace purchase can retire. Depending on the cloud provider, the program goes by a different name:

How Enterprise Cloud Commits Work

A commit typically involves a minimum spend or usage commitment over a specified period (for example, one or three years), often with payment upfront, monthly, or a combination. In return, the customer receives:

• Tiered discounts based on the level of commitment.
• Predictable budgeting — costs for committed usage are known in advance.
• Resource assurance for critical workloads.
• Support for long-term planning as part of a broader cloud strategy.

Each provider structures its program a little differently:

• AWS Enterprise Discount Program (EDP) — Customers commit to a minimum level of AWS spend over a one- or three-year term. When they meet or exceed their committed spend, they receive discounted pricing on eligible services. EDPs can be applied to purchases made through AWS Marketplace.
• Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) — Customers commit to spending a specific amount on Azure over a defined period. Eligible Marketplace purchases count toward the MACC; purchases paid with Azure prepayment (formerly monetary commitment) under an Enterprise Agreement don’t, and prepayment can’t pay publisher software license fees.
• Google Cloud commitments — Customers commit to a minimum level of Google Cloud spend over a term in their Google Cloud agreement. Purchases of Google Cloud Marketplace services deployed on Google Cloud can count toward that Minimum Commitment, up to 25% of it. Committed Use Discounts (CUDs) are a separate, resource-level discount, not what Marketplace purchases draw down.

How Commits Apply to Marketplace Transactions

When a customer buys software on a cloud marketplace, their enterprise commit determines how that purchase is billed.

• With an enterprise commit — The customer can draw down (retire) their commit when they purchase software on the marketplace. The purchase counts toward their committed spend, and they benefit from the discounted rates tied to their agreement.
• Without an enterprise commit — The customer pays standard rates. Any additional subscription or usage is simply added to their monthly cloud provider bill, and the purchase does not draw down any commit.

How Much Draws Down

The share of a purchase that retires commit varies by cloud.

What Gates Drawdown Per Cloud

This is the part that trips people up: AWS, Azure and GCP each retire commit only for products that run on their own cloud.

If a Product Is Hosted Outside AWS or Azure

For a product hosted fully on GCP:

1. AWS drawdown — not possible today. The customer can still buy through AWS Marketplace, but it won’t burn EDP/PPA commit. This would only change if a version of the product is hosted fully on AWS.
2. Azure drawdown — not possible today. The customer can still list and sell on Azure, but it won’t burn MACC. Azure only grants “benefit eligible” status to Azure-hosted offers; GCP-hosted products don’t qualify.
3. GCP drawdown — the best (and effectively only) fit. Because the product runs on Google Cloud, purchases through a private offer or MCPO can count toward the customer’s Google Cloud commitment, up to Google’s 25% cap.

What This Means for Sellers

As a seller (ISV), the buyer’s commit status does not change how or whether you get paid.

• The seller is always paid in cash by each cloud provider at the point of disbursement, whether or not the buyer has an enterprise commit.
• Buyers with a commit may see discounted rates and can retire their commit against your product; buyers without one pay standard rates and cannot retire any commit.

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Does GCP require the product to be hosted on GCP to draw down commitment?

Yes. Google excludes Marketplace services that are not running on Google Cloud, and professional services, from commitment drawdown.

Can a product hosted on GCP draw down an AWS or Azure commitment?

No. Both AWS and Azure only retire commit when the product is hosted on their own cloud.

Is the 25% drawdown cap official?

For GCP, yes: Google’s Marketplace commit policy caps drawdown at 25% of the customer’s Minimum Commitment. For AWS, ~25% is a typical negotiated term cited by partner sources, not a published figure — confirm it in the customer’s agreement.

What does Azure require beyond hosting?

The purchase must also go through the Azure portal path to qualify for MACC benefit eligibility.

If you have further questions about enterprise cloud commits and transactions on cloud marketplaces, reach out to support@suger.io for guidance.