Merge pull request #274784 from bandersmsft/res-xchange-policy

MCM - Update articles for exchange policy indefinite

Author: JamesJBarnett

articles/cost-management-billing/reservations/exchange-and-refund-azure-reservations.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ ms.reviewer: primittal
 ms.service: cost-management-billing
 ms.subservice: reservations
 ms.topic: how-to
-ms.date: 2/22/2024
+ms.date: 05/08/2024
 ms.author: banders
 ---
 
@@ -19,13 +19,15 @@ However, you can't exchange dissimilar reservations. For example, you can't exch
 You can also exchange a reservation to purchase another reservation of a similar type in a different region. For example, you can exchange a reservation that's in West US 2 region for one that's in West Europe region.
 
 > [!NOTE]
-> Through a grace period, you will have the ability to exchange Azure compute reservations (Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances, Azure Dedicated Host reservations, and Azure App Services reservations) **until at least July 1, 2024**. In October 2022 it was announced that the ability to exchange Azure compute reservations would be deprecated on January 1, 2024. This policy’s start date remains January 1, 2024 but with this grace period **you now have until at least July 1, 2024 to exchange your Azure compute reservations**. Compute reservations purchased prior to the end of the grace period will reserve the right to exchange one more time after the grace period ends.​
+> Initially planned to end on January 1, 2024, the availability of Azure compute reservation exchanges for Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service has been extended **until further notice**.
 >
-> This grace period is designed to provide more time for you to determine your resource needs and plan accordingly. For more information about the exchange policy change, see [Changes to the Azure reservation exchange policy](reservation-exchange-policy-changes.md).​
+>Launched in October 2022, the [Azure savings plan for compute](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/offers/savings-plan-compute) aims at providing savings on consistent spend, across different compute services, regardless of region. With savings plan's automatic flexibility, we've updated our reservations exchange policy. While [instance size flexibility for VMs](../../virtual-machines/reserved-vm-instance-size-flexibility.md) remains post-grace period, exchanges of instance series or regions for Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service reservations will no longer be supported.
 >
-> [Azure savings plan for compute](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/offers/savings-plan-compute/) was launched in October 2022 to provide you with more flexibility and accommodate changes such as virtual machine series and regions. With savings plan providing flexibility automatically, we adjusted our reservations exchange policy. You can continue to use [instance size flexibility for VM sizes](../../virtual-machines/reserved-vm-instance-size-flexibility.md), but after the grace period we'll no longer support exchanging instance series or regions for Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances, Azure Dedicated Host reservations, and Azure App Services reservations.
+>You may continue [exchanging](exchange-and-refund-azure-reservations.md) your compute reservations for different instance series and regions until we notify you again, which will be **at least 6 months in advance**. In addition, any compute reservations purchased during this extended grace period will retain the right to **one more exchange after the grace period ends**. The extended grace period allows you to better assess your cost savings commitment needs and plan effectively. For more information, see [Changes to the Azure reservation exchange policy](reservation-exchange-policy-changes.md).
 >
-> You can [trade in](../savings-plan/reservation-trade-in.md) your Azure compute reservations for a savings plan or you can continue to use and purchase reservations for those predictable, stable workloads where the specific configuration need is known. For more information, see [Azure savings plan for compute and how it works with reservations](../savings-plan/decide-between-savings-plan-reservation.md).  
+>You may [trade-in](../savings-plan/reservation-trade-in.md) your Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service reservations that are used to cover dynamic/evolving workloads for a savings plan or may continue to use and purchase reservations for stable workloads where the specific configuration needs are known.
+>
+>For more information, see [Azure savings plan for compute and how it works with reservations](../savings-plan/decide-between-savings-plan-reservation.md).
 
 When you exchange a reservation, you can change your term from one-year to three-year. Or, you can change the term from three-year to one-year.
 
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ Azure has the following policies for cancellations, exchanges, and refunds.
 - The new reservation's lifetime commitment should equal or be greater than the returned reservation's remaining commitment. Example: for a three-year reservation that's 100 USD per month and exchanged after the 18th payment, the new reservation's lifetime commitment should be 1,800 USD or more (paid monthly or upfront).
 - The new reservation purchased as part of exchange has a new term starting from the time of exchange.
 - There's no penalty or annual limits for exchanges.
-- Through a grace period, you will have the ability to exchange Azure compute reservations (Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances, Azure Dedicated Host reservations, and Azure App Services reservations) **until at least July 1, 2024**. In October 2022, it was announced that the ability to exchange Azure compute reservations would be deprecated on January 1, 2024. This policy’s start date remains January 1, 2024 but with this grace period you now have until at least July 1, 2024 to exchange your Azure compute reservations. Compute reservations purchased prior to the end of the grace period will reserve the right to exchange one more time after the grace period ends. For more information about the exchange policy change, see  [Changes to the Azure reservation exchange policy](reservation-exchange-policy-changes.md).
+- As noted previously, through a grace period, you have the ability to exchange Azure compute reservations (Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances, Azure Dedicated Host reservations, and Azure App Services reservations) **until further notice**.
 
 **Refund policies**
 

articles/cost-management-billing/reservations/media/reservation-exchange-policy-changes/exchange-timeline-diagram.png

@@ -7,27 +7,27 @@ ms.reviewer: primittal
 ms.service: cost-management-billing
 ms.subservice: reservations
 ms.topic: conceptual
-ms.date: 11/17/2023
+ms.date: 05/08/2024
 ---
 
 # Changes to the Azure reservation exchange policy
 
-Through a grace period, you have the ability to exchange Azure compute reservations (Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances, Azure Dedicated Host reservations, and Azure App Services reservations) **until at least July 1, 2024**. In October 2022, it was announced that the ability to exchange Azure compute reservations would be deprecated on January 1, 2024. This policy’s start date remains January 1, 2024 but with this grace period **you now have until at least July 1, 2024 to exchange your Azure compute reservations**. Compute reservations purchased prior to the end of the grace period will reserve the right to exchange one more time after the grace period ends.
+Initially planned to end on January 1, 2024, the availability of Azure compute reservation exchanges for Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service is extended **until further notice**.
 
-This grace period is designed to provide more time for you to determine your resource needs and plan accordingly.
+The [Azure savings plan for compute](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/offers/savings-plan-compute) was launched in October 2022 and it aims at providing savings on consistent spend, across different compute services, regardless of region. With savings plan's automatic flexibility, we updated our reservations exchange policy. While [instance size flexibility for VMs](../../virtual-machines/reserved-vm-instance-size-flexibility.md) remains post-grace period, exchanges of instance series or regions for Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service reservations will no longer be supported.
 
-Azure savings plan for compute was launched in October 2022 to provide you with more flexibility and accommodate changes such as virtual machine series and regions. With savings plan providing flexibility automatically, we adjusted our reservations exchange policy.
+You can continue exchanging your compute reservations for different instance series and regions until we notify you again, **which will be at least six months in advance**. In addition, any compute reservations purchased during this extended grace period will retain the right to one more exchange after the grace period ends. The extended grace period allows you to better assess your cost savings commitment needs and plan effectively.
 
->[!NOTE]
->Exchanges are changing only for the reservations explicitly mentioned previously. If you have any other type of reservation, then the policy change doesn't affect you. For example, if you have a reservation for Azure VMware Solution, then the policy change doesn't affect it. However, after the grace period ends if you exchange a reservation for a type affected by the policy change, and the new reservation will be affected by the no-exchange policy.
+For more information, see [Azure savings plan for compute and how it works with reservations](../savings-plan/decide-between-savings-plan-reservation.md).
 
-You can continue to use instance size flexibility for VM sizes, but Microsoft is ending exchanges for regions and instance series for these Azure compute reservations.
+>[!NOTE]
+> Exchanges are changing only for Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service reservations. The policy change does not affect any other types of reservations. For example, if you have a reservation for Azure VMware Solution, then the policy change doesn't affect it. Any Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service reservation acquired after the grace period ends (either through a new reservation purchase or reservation exchange), will have a no-exchange policy.
 
-The current cancellation policy for reserved instances isn't changing. The total canceled commitment can't exceed USD 50,000 in a 12-month rolling window for a billing profile or single enrollment.
+The reserved instance cancellation policy isn't changing - the total canceled commitment can't exceed 50,000 USD in a 12-month rolling window for a billing profile or single enrollment.
 
-A compute reservation exchange for another compute reservation exchange is similar to, but not the same as a reservation [trade-in](../savings-plan/reservation-trade-in.md) for a savings plan. The difference is that you can always trade in your Azure reserved instances for compute for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
+A compute reservation exchange converts existing reservations to new compute reservations. A reservation [trade-in](../savings-plan/reservation-trade-in.md) converts existing reservations to a new savings plan. While exchanges You can always trade in your Azure reserved instances for compute for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
 
-You can continue to use and purchase reservations for those predictable, stable workloads where you know the specific configuration and need or want more savings.
+You can [trade-in](../savings-plan/reservation-trade-in.md) your Azure Virtual Machine, Azure Dedicated Host and Azure App Service reservations that are used to cover dynamic/evolving workloads for a savings plan. Or, you can continue to use and purchase reservations for stable workloads where the specific configuration needs are known.
 
 Learn more about [Azure savings plan for compute](../savings-plan/index.yml) and how it works with reservations.
 
@@ -39,33 +39,23 @@ The following examples describe scenarios that might represent your situation wi
 
 ### Scenario 1
 
-You purchase a one-year compute reservation sometime between the month of October 2022 and the end of June 2024. Before July 2024, you can exchange it **as many times as you like** under the grace period. **Starting July 2024**, you can exchange the compute reservation one more time through the end of its term. However, if the reservation is exchanged after the end of June 2024, the reservation is no longer exchangeable because exchanges are processed as a cancellation, refund, and a new purchase.
-
-You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
+You purchase a one-year compute reservation sometime between the month of October 2022 and the end of grace period. Before the end of grace period, you can exchange it as many times as you like. After the grace period, you can exchange the compute reservation one more time through the end of its term. However, if the reservation is exchanged after the grace period, the reservation is no longer exchangeable because exchanges are processed as a cancellation, refund, and a new purchase. You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
 
 ### Scenario 2
 
-You purchase a three-year compute reservation before July 2024. You exchange the compute reservation on or after July 1, 2024. Because an exchange is processed as a cancellation, refund, and new purchase, the reservation is no longer exchangeable.
-
-You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
+You purchase a three-year compute reservation during grace period. Before the end of grace period, you can exchange it as many times as you like. You exchange the compute reservation after the grace period. Because an exchange is processed as a cancellation, refund, and new purchase, the reservation is no longer exchangeable. You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
 
 ### Scenario 3
 
-You purchase a one-year compute reservation on or after July 1, 2024. It can’t be exchanged
-
-You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
+You purchase a one-year compute reservation after the grace period. It can’t be exchanged. You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
 
 ### Scenario 4
 
-You purchase a three-year compute reservation after on or after July 1, 2024. It can’t be exchanged.
-
-You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
+You purchase a three-year compute reservation after the grace period. It can’t be exchanged. You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins
 
 ### Scenario 5
 
-You purchase a three-year compute reservation of 10 quantities before July 2024. You exchange 2 quantities of the compute reservation on or after July 1, 2024. You can still exchange the leftover 8 quantities on the original reservation after July 1, 2024.
-
-You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
+You purchase a three-year compute reservation of 10 quantities before the grace period. You exchange 2 quantities of the compute reservation after the grace period. You can still exchange eight leftover quantities on the original reservation after the grace period. You can always trade in the reservation for a savings plan. There's no time limit for trade-ins.
 
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