It’s a complex situation, and the reseller’s policies can significantly impact your options. Here’s a breakdown of what you stand to lose or gain by transferring your Google Workspace management back to Google, with a focus on your specific situation.
What You Stand to Gain
- Direct relationship with Google: You will manage your account directly through the Google Admin console, which can provide more control and a single point of contact for support.
- Flexible licensing (potentially): With a direct Google account, you can often switch between a “Flexible Plan” and an “Annual/Fixed-Term Plan.” The Flexible Plan allows you to add or delete licenses at any time and only pay for the licenses you have that month. This is the key benefit for your situation, as it would allow you to immediately reduce your license count from 14 to 10.
- No reseller-specific policies: You won’t be subject to your reseller’s specific billing and management policies, such as the one requiring you to pay for all 14 licenses for a full month before you can remove any.
What You Stand to Lose
- Reseller-specific support and services: Resellers often provide additional services that you might lose, such as:
- Personalized or faster support than Google’s standard support.
- Assistance with setup, migration, or training.
- Customized billing or payment options.
- Bundled services or tools (e.g., cybersecurity, advanced analytics).
- Potential cost differences: While some resellers offer better pricing than Google’s direct rates, others might not. You’ll need to compare the cost of a direct Google subscription to what you’re currently paying.
- Billing changes: Your billing cycle and payment method will change. You’ll be billed directly by Google. If you’re on a fixed-term plan with your reseller and you transfer before the renewal date, you might not receive a refund for any prepaid period of service.
Addressing Your Specific Situation
Your reseller’s policy—that you must pay for all 14 licenses for one month before you can delete 4 accounts—is likely tied to the type of contract you have with them, most likely an Annual/Fixed-Term Plan. With this type of plan, you commit to a specific number of licenses for the entire term, and you can usually only reduce the number of licenses within a 30-day window around the renewal date.
Here’s how transferring to Google could help you:
- Transfer Process: You, as a super administrator for your Google Workspace account, can initiate the transfer process. You would need to sign in to your Google Admin console, find the “Subscriptions from resellers” section, and generate a transfer authorization.
- Billing Plan: When you transfer back to Google, you will be prompted to set up a new billing plan. Choosing the Flexible Plan would allow you to pay for only the licenses you use each month.
- Reducing Licenses: Once the transfer is complete and you are on the Flexible Plan with Google, you can immediately remove the 4 licenses you no longer need. This will reduce your monthly bill.
Important Considerations:
- Expiration Date: Your licenses expire on September 24th. This is a critical date. Initiating the transfer before this date is highly recommended. The transfer process can take some time, and you don’t want to be in a situation where your reseller’s contract has already renewed for another year with all 14 licenses.
- Data Preservation: The transfer of management typically does not affect your data (emails, files, etc.). Your users will be able to continue using Google services without interruption. However, it’s always a good practice to back up critical data if possible.
- Communication: While you can initiate the transfer yourself, it’s a good idea to inform your reseller. They may be able to provide guidance or offer alternative solutions. However, be prepared for them to hold firm on their contract terms.
In summary, given your desire to reduce your license count and the reseller’s restrictive policy, transferring management back to Google and switching to a Flexible Plan seems to be the most direct way to achieve your goal and avoid paying for unnecessary licenses.