Co-terming Autodesk Contracts: Aligning Renewal Dates for Simplicity

Co-terming Autodesk Contracts

Managing multiple Autodesk subscriptions can feel chaotic. One contract renews in March, another in July, a few in December – each one a separate negotiation and round of paperwork.

Co-terming is the strategy that simplifies this chaos by aligning renewal dates. Instead of handling several mini-renewals throughout the year, co-terming allows you to manage one renewal date, one quote, and one negotiation event.

For a wider guide, read Autodesk Renewal & Price Increase Management.

Co-terming Autodesk Subscriptions: A Unified Renewal Strategy

What Is Co-terming?

Co-terming means adjusting different contracts so they all renew on the same date. In practice, it means if you have five Autodesk subscriptions with staggered end dates, you modify their terms so they share a single renewal anniversary. This way, all your licenses renew together.

The result is simplicity: one consolidated renewal quote instead of five, and one negotiation for all your licenses at once.

For example, say you have renewals in June, September, and December. Without co-terming, that’s three separate renewal events. By co-terming (aligning all to December), you turn it into just one renewal to plan and negotiate each year. This is especially useful for companies that have accumulated Autodesk products at different times or through acquisitions, resulting in a patchwork of end dates.

Pro Tip: Co-terming turns five small negotiations into one major leverage point. Vendors take a single large renewal much more seriously than many small ones.

Why Co-term Your Autodesk Renewals

Here’s why it matters:

• Negotiation Leverage: One large renewal gives you far more bargaining power — Autodesk will fight harder to keep a six-figure contract than several smaller ones.
• Administrative Ease: Fewer renewal dates to juggle means a lower risk of missing one (and accidentally letting a subscription lapse).
• Pricing Consistency: When all subscriptions renew together, you can apply the same discount and terms across every license. No more patchwork pricing – any deal you negotiate covers the entire portfolio.

Together, these benefits mean co-terming not only simplifies management but also amplifies your purchasing power. Every contract you consolidate into a single renewal strengthens your seat at the negotiation table with Autodesk.

When to Co-term

Timing is everything. Co-terming works best when you plan it for the right moment. Consider co-terming under these scenarios:

• Several contracts expiring soon: If multiple subscriptions end within the next year, align them so they renew together instead of one by one.
• Before a big negotiation: If you’re heading into a major renewal or enterprise agreement talk, having all contracts expire together gives you maximum leverage.
• When centralizing management: If you’re consolidating procurement or IT control, aligning all renewals is crucial for taking control and avoiding piecemeal renewals by different teams.
• Strategic Alignment Dates: Some companies aim to match Autodesk renewals with their own fiscal year-end. If your fiscal year ends in June, aligning all Autodesk contracts to renew around July 1 can simplify budgeting and internal approvals. Others choose to align with Autodesk’s fiscal calendar – Autodesk’s fiscal year typically ends January 31. Autodesk’s sales teams are often extra eager to close deals in their Q4, so a renewal on Jan 31 might get you a better deal.

Pro Tip: If you’re planning to renegotiate contract terms or pricing with Autodesk, co-term first. Controlling the renewal calendar by aligning dates puts you in the driver’s seat when serious negotiations start. It ensures Autodesk can’t push you to “do it later” because all your contracts will line up, ready to discuss.

How to Co-term

So, how do you actually co-term your contracts? The mechanics are straightforward, but you’ll want to pay attention to the details:

Prorating and Syncing Dates: Autodesk (or your reseller) can adjust subscription lengths to sync up end dates. This usually means issuing a one-time prorated contract for some subscriptions. For instance, if one license currently ends in June and you want it to align with another that ends in December, Autodesk can offer a 6-month extension (or a 6-month short-term renewal) for that license, so it now also ends in December. After that, both will renew on the same schedule.

Read our guide on how to prepare, Preparing for Your Autodesk Renewal: Internal Audit & Planning Steps.

To illustrate, here’s an example of co-terming two contracts:

In this scenario, the AutoCAD contract gets a 6-month prorated addition, bringing it to December 15, 2025. Now both AutoCAD and Revit will renew together on that date.

Custom Term Lengths: Sometimes Autodesk will offer a custom term (shorter or longer than a year) within a single cycle to bridge gaps. After that, you return to standard 12-month renewals, now all aligned.

Key Cautions when Co-terming:

• Maintain Your Discounts: Make sure any added months are priced at your current discount rate (not full list price). Double-check the numbers – don’t assume the proration automatically favors you.
• Avoid Double Paying: Be clear on how they handle overlapping coverage. Ideally, you extend forward to the new date without losing any time you’ve already paid for. If, for some reason, a contract is being renewed early to align (meaning you’re moving its date up), make sure you get credit for the unused months or that those months are added on after the new term. You shouldn’t pay twice for the same period of coverage.

Negotiation Angle

Co-terming isn’t just a back-office cleanup task; it’s a negotiation tactic.

When you consolidate contracts, you’re doing Autodesk (and their reseller) a favor too – it simplifies their sales process. Use that to your advantage:

• Leverage Simplicity for Discounts: Let Autodesk know you’re consolidating all renewals, and expect better pricing or terms in return.
• Avoid Paying Twice: If co-terming requires renewing some licenses a bit early (so you cover a few extra months), negotiate that into the deal. Ask for those overlap months to be discounted or credited. After all, you’re agreeing to streamline things, so Autodesk should meet you halfway on the cost.
• Hint at the Future: If a multi-year enterprise deal might be in your future, mention it. Co-terming is a step toward that bigger partnership, and Autodesk may offer concessions now if it senses a larger deal on the horizon.

Potential Pitfalls

While co-terming has clear benefits, you want to execute it carefully to avoid any downsides. Watch out for these potential pitfalls:

• Overlapping Coverage Costs: If you align dates incorrectly, you could pay twice for the same period. For example, renewing one contract early to match another could result in overlapping paid months. Prevent this by ensuring any early renewal period is properly credited or not charged.
• Losing Legacy Benefits: Some contracts have special pricing or terms (grandfathered discounts, price caps, etc.). When you consolidate, ensure those perks carry over to the new contract. Autodesk might not automatically include them, so you must insist they’re honored.
• Bad Timing Choices: Don’t choose a renewal date when your team isn’t around or budgets are frozen (like late December holidays or during internal spending freezes). Pick a time when the right people are available and budgets can be approved smoothly.
• Internal Readiness: Consolidating renewals means one large invoice instead of several smaller ones. Prepare your finance team so the lump sum isn’t a surprise. Also, loop in all internal stakeholders (IT, procurement, department heads) so everyone knows about the new single renewal date and can plan accordingly.

FAQ: Co-terming Autodesk Contracts

Q: Does Autodesk charge a fee to co-term?
A: No. Autodesk doesn’t charge any extra fee just to align contracts; you only pay for any prorated extension or adjustment period.

Q: Can we co-term subscriptions through different resellers?
A: Not directly. To co-term across different resellers, you’ll usually need to consolidate under one reseller so you can get a single combined renewal quote.

Q: Can separate Autodesk accounts (subsidiaries) be co-termed together?
A: Yes. Even if licenses are under different accounts or business units, Autodesk can help coordinate a unified renewal date for all of them.

Five Actionable Steps to Co-term Your Autodesk Renewals

Ready to put co-terming into action? Here’s a handy checklist to guide you through aligning your Autodesk contracts:

• List All Renewals: Gather a list of all your Autodesk subscriptions and their end dates. You can’t co-term what you don’t track, so compile all that info in one place.
• Choose a Target Alignment Date: Decide on the date you want all contracts to renew going forward. This could be your company’s fiscal year-end or Autodesk’s Q4 end (Jan 31) – whichever gives you the clearest budget and leverage advantage.
• Ask for a Prorated Quote: Provide Autodesk (or your reseller) with your contract list and target date, and request a prorated quote to ensure everything aligns. Make sure it details the adjustments for each license and uses your current discounts, with no unexpected fees.
• Negotiate a Unified Discount: With one big renewal, you have more clout – so demand a better discount. Don’t accept a quote that’s just a sum of parts. Insist on a unified discount for all licenses, ideally at least as good as your best current rate (or better, given the larger volume).
• Lock In Future Simplicity: After co-terming, keep that single renewal date on your radar. Start preparing a few months in advance of it, each cycle, so you can negotiate proactively.

By following these steps, you’ll transform Autodesk renewals from a constant, scattered chore into a single, strategic event on your calendar.

Co-terming turns Autodesk renewals from a constant chore into a single, powerful negotiation event. The more aligned your contracts, the stronger your position when Autodesk’s next quote lands.

Read about our Autodesk Audit Defense Service.

Do you want to know more about our Autodesk Advisory Services?

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Company

Message *

Submit