How do I move my Microsoft 365 to a new provider?
The short answer: your email, files and accounts stay exactly where they are. Changing provider only changes who you buy licences from and who supports you. If you buy through an IT company, the licences can usually be transferred to the new one. If you buy direct from Microsoft by card, the new provider buys matching licences and you cancel the old ones at renewal.
Your data doesn't move
This is the bit most people worry about, so it's worth saying clearly. Your Microsoft 365 setup (Microsoft calls it a "tenant") holds your mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Changing provider doesn't touch it. Nobody's email is copied, nothing is reinstalled and nobody gets a new password.
What changes is the billing and who has admin access to help you.
Route 1: you buy through an IT company
Most IT companies sell Microsoft 365 as a Microsoft CSP (Cloud Solution Provider) partner. Microsoft supports transferring subscriptions from one CSP partner to another.
- The new provider sends you a relationship request (a link).
- You, as an admin, accept it in the Microsoft 365 admin centre.
- The new provider moves your subscriptions across.
Your licences keep the same term and renewal date. There's nothing to reinstall, and your staff won't notice.
Route 2: you buy direct from Microsoft
If you pay Microsoft directly by card, there's no transfer button. Instead:
- The new provider buys matching licences (the same plans and the same number).
- Each person is moved from the old licence to the new one. Because it's the same product, nothing is lost.
- You cancel the old direct subscriptions once everyone's moved.
The timing matters. Microsoft only lets you cancel a yearly subscription within 7 days of buying or renewing it. So the cleanest switch is planned for just before your renewal date, letting the old subscriptions end rather than paying for two sets. You can find the date under Billing > Your products. If you're on monthly licences, it's more flexible.
Check Teams before you switch
Microsoft now sells some plans with or without Teams. Depending on your current licences and where you buy, a like-for-like replacement might be the "no Teams" version plus a separate Teams licence. Before anything is bought, ask your new provider to confirm exactly which plans you're on now and which ones they'll supply, so Teams carries on working and the price is what you expect.
This is also a good moment to check you're on the right plans in the first place. See How do I check which Microsoft 365 licences I have? and How do I save money on Microsoft 365?
Give access safely, and take it back
Your new provider will need admin access. Don't hand over your Global Administrator password. A Microsoft partner should use GDAP (granular delegated admin privileges), which is:
- Time-limited: it expires and has to be renewed.
- Least privilege: they only get the admin roles they need for the job.
- Visible to you: you can see and remove it in the admin centre.
Then remove your old provider's access. Check for partner relationships in the admin centre (under Settings > Partner relationships), and look for any admin accounts they created. Old access that nobody's using is a security risk.
Ask for a written plan
Before you start, a good provider should give you a short plan in writing that covers:
- Which licences are being transferred or bought, and what they cost.
- When the old subscriptions will end, and how you avoid paying twice.
- What access they need, and what access the old provider loses.
- What, if anything, your staff will notice. The answer should usually be "nothing".
At The IT Person, we handle this for customers as part of setting up, so you don't have to do it yourself.
Common questions
Will my email go down while we switch?
No. Your mailboxes stay in the same Microsoft 365 setup throughout. Email keeps flowing the whole time.
Do I need my old provider's permission to leave?
Not Microsoft's permission. You approve the new relationship yourself. Check your contract with the old provider, though, for notice periods or minimum terms.
Can I move partway through a yearly term?
With a CSP transfer, yes: the term carries over to the new provider. If you buy direct, you can buy the new licences any time, but you'll pay for the old ones until they can be cancelled at renewal.
Want us to check yours?
Our free Microsoft 365 audit looks at your licences, security, email and backups, and tells you in plain English what to fix first. No card, no obligation.