GUIDE · FOR SMALL MSPs
Pax8 billing reconciliation for small MSPs: three ways to do it
Reconciliation means comparing the seats you pay your distributor for with the seats you bill each client. When the two drift apart, you pay wholesale for licenses nobody is charged for. One MSP owner on r/msp described finding about €5,000 underbilled over three to four months after a manual check. (thread)
The three options
| Option | Cost | Setup | Fits when | Breaks when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet you maintain | Free, plus your time each month | None | Under about 10 clients and one or two SKUs | A rename, a mid-month seat change or a second SKU is easy to miss by eye |
| Subscription sync tool | Recurring monthly fee | Connect your distributor and PSA, map every SKU | You want it automatic and your PSA is supported | Mapping errors surface slowly, and the fee runs every month whether or not it finds anything |
| One-time check (SeatDiff) | Free scan; $49 once for the full report | Upload two files, no PSA connection | You invoice by hand and want a second look before invoices go out | It is a manual monthly upload, not an automatic sync, and it does not edit your invoices |
How to choose
- Few clients and a stable seat count: a spreadsheet is enough. Put the check on the calendar before invoices go out.
- Many clients, a supported PSA and appetite for setup: a subscription sync tool earns its fee.
- You send invoices by hand and have no PSA to connect: a one-time check before each billing run costs the least to try.
Try the one-time check without paying
Upload this month's Pax8 or Microsoft bill and the invoices you are about to send. The free scan shows how many lines don't match and the dollar total. Files stay in your browser.
The full report names the client and SKU on each mismatched line and gives a corrected quantity CSV: $49 once, nothing renews.