Contents
Key takeawaysWhat RISE includesEntry pathsHow RISE pricing is builtTerm, escalator, discountsWhat we have seenShould you move to RISEThe first renewalWhat SAP will sayTerms to ask forWhen to startWhat to do nextFAQRISE with SAP bundles S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, infrastructure, managed services and BTP credits under one contract. It shapes almost every SAP renewal from 2024 onward, and each of its four cost lines can be negotiated separately.
- One contract, four cost lines. RISE combines the ERP subscription, hyperscaler infrastructure, SAP managed services and BTP credits, and each line has its own benchmark.
- Size decides the path. GROW suits SMB companies under 1,000 FTE on the public edition, standard RISE covers most enterprises, and programs above 10,000 FUE are custom deals.
- User classification drives price. An advanced user counts as 1 FUE, while five core users or 30 self service users share one, so cleaning up roles cuts cost directly.
- Packaging changed in 2025. New private edition deals use SAP Cloud ERP Private, and the Base, Premium and Premium Plus names now appear mainly in older contracts.
- Cap what compounds. The standard escalator of 4 to 6 percent on the FUE line compounds every year, so ask for a price index cap across every line.
- Prepare the first renewal at signing. The transformation discount does not carry over, so lock BTP carry forward and hyperscaler portability now and open renewal talks 12 months ahead.
What does RISE with SAP include, and what is billed separately?
RISE with SAP puts the ERP subscription, the cloud infrastructure, SAP's managed operations and a small allowance of platform credits into one contract. SAP quotes a single annual fee, but each element is a separate commercial line that you can negotiate on its own.
The program sits at the center of SAP's commercial strategy through 2030. It touches most major SAP renewals, every ECC to S/4HANA migration conversation and most discussions about BTP credits.
What the RISE subscription covers
- S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. The RISE with SAP ERP software, licensed on Full User Equivalents (FUE). New contracts sell it as the SAP Cloud ERP Private package.
- Hyperscaler infrastructure. AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud, contracted by SAP on your behalf.
- SAP managed services. Operating system, database, monitoring, backup and disaster recovery, run by SAP.
- BTP allocation. A small pool of SAP Business Technology Platform credits for integration and extensions.
- SAP Business Network starter. Limited access to the Ariba supplier network.
What sits outside the subscription
- Digital access. Indirect use by third party systems is licensed under its own document based model, outside the core bundle. Our digital access guide explains how the documents are counted.
- SuccessFactors HCM. A separate contract.
- Concur travel and expense. A separate contract.
- Signavio process intelligence. The full suite is a separate contract, even though RISE packages carry a limited Signavio entitlement.
- BTP overrun. Any consumption above the bundled credit allocation.
How has the program changed since 2021?
SAP launched RISE in January 2021 and sold it as transformation as a service. The packaging has changed several times since, which matters when you compare an older contract with a new quote.
- January 2021. RISE with SAP launches around S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.
- 2023. GROW with SAP launches for smaller companies on the public cloud edition. In October 2023 SAP adds a Premium Plus package above its Base and Premium packages.
- 2025. SAP shifts new private edition deals to the SAP Cloud ERP Private package, withdraws Premium Plus and sells AI units as an add on. In many countries the Base edition closed to new customers after September 30, 2025.
- March 2026. SAP introduces foundational, advanced and max success plans for support. The foundational plan is included in every SAP cloud subscription.
The program now spans the full SAP customer base. If your current order form names Base, Premium or Premium Plus, list what that package included before you accept a like for like renewal quote.
RISE with SAP Negotiations: Pricing a One-Way Door
Which RISE entry path fits your organization?
Most enterprises belong on standard RISE with the private edition. GROW suits smaller companies that can run SAP's standard processes, and the largest programs are priced as custom deals. Company size, the depth of your ECC customization and how much room you need to negotiate decide the path.
When does GROW with SAP make sense?
GROW targets SMB customers, typically under 1,000 FTE. It runs S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition rather than the private edition, so you adopt SAP's standard processes and give up core modifications.
Pricing is simpler and leaves less to negotiate, and SAP holds its discount discipline tighter. Our RISE and GROW comparison sets the two offers side by side.
When is standard RISE the right path?
Standard RISE covers the enterprise mid market and large customers on the private edition. This is the negotiation most enterprises face: multi year terms, FUE pricing, the package and support choice, and infrastructure sizing all apply.
How are the largest RISE deals different?
Programs above roughly 10,000 FUE are priced as custom deals and negotiated end to end. They usually carry a broader BTP allocation and a paid support plan above the foundational level. The advanced success plan adds enhanced service levels, and the max plan adds dedicated SAP success managers on top.
| Path | Target segment | Edition | Discount discipline | Typical FUE band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GROW with SAP | SMB under 1,000 FTE | Public Cloud Edition | Tight | 200 to 1,000 |
| Standard RISE | Mid market to large | Private Edition | Negotiable | 1,000 to 10,000 |
| Large RISE programs | Largest enterprises | Private Edition with a higher success plan | Custom | 10,000 plus |
| Custom RISE | Strategic accounts | Custom scope | Negotiated end to end | Variable |
What SAP Will Not Quote in a RISE Deal
RISE pricing benchmarks you can hold against SAP's first proposal. Free to read.
Get the white paper →How is SAP RISE pricing built?
SAP RISE pricing is the sum of four cost lines: the FUE software subscription, the package and support plan, the hyperscaler infrastructure and the BTP credit allocation. The list price is a starting figure that almost no enterprise pays, and each line has its own benchmark and its own room for discount.
How does the FUE metric work?
Full User Equivalents convert S/4HANA user types into one billing unit. Under SAP's ratios, one advanced user counts as 1 FUE, five core users count as 1 FUE, and 30 self service users count as 1 FUE. A developer counts as 2 FUE.
SAP assigns each user a type from the authorizations the user holds. A warehouse clerk with an oversized role can therefore be billed as an advanced user, which is why the role review matters as much as the unit rate. Our FUE calculation guide walks through that review.
| User group | Users | SAP user type | Ratio | FUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and procurement specialists | 600 | Advanced | 1 FUE per user | 600 |
| Plant, warehouse and service staff | 1,800 | Core | 5 users per FUE | 360 |
| Employees using self service only | 1,600 | Self service | 30 users per FUE | 53.3 |
| Total | 4,000 | 1,013.3, contracted as 1,014 |
A first quote 22 to 38 percent above that count would ask for roughly 1,240 to 1,400 FUE. Moving 200 of the advanced users who only approve and display documents to the core type cuts another 160 FUE, because those 200 users then count as 40.
What does the package and support plan change?
The package sets the FUE rate, because it decides which extra services come with the ERP. Contracts signed before 2025 used Base, Premium or Premium Plus; new deals use SAP Cloud ERP Private. Support is a separate choice between the foundational, advanced and max success plans.
How is the hyperscaler line structured?
SAP contracts the hyperscaler directly and resells the capacity inside the RISE fee, so you see one line on the invoice and hold no contract with AWS, Azure or Google Cloud for these systems. Negotiate portability and discount pass through clauses at signing, because neither is in SAP's standard paper.
SAP sizes the infrastructure from the number of systems you run and the SAP HANA memory each one needs. Ask for the sizing assumptions in writing so you can challenge an oversized production or disaster recovery tier.
Is the bundled BTP allocation enough?
For most enterprises it is not. SAP's 2024 packaging material set the bundled CPEA credits in the Premium packages at 1 percent of net annual contract value, with a floor of €10,000 and a ceiling of €20,000 a year. That covers pilots and light integration work.
Most enterprises therefore carry a separate BTP commitment on top of RISE. Our SAP BTP knowledge hub explains how BTP credits are consumed and priced.
Which contract terms decide what RISE costs over time?
Term length, the annual escalator and the way discounts stack decide the total cost across the contract. A good year one price can still produce an expensive term if the escalator and the renewal base are left open.
Which term length should you take?
- Three years. The standard entry term, with a lighter discount and an earlier reset.
- Five years. A deeper discount, but the escalator compounds for longer.
- Seven years. Rare, and SAP resists it more each year. The discount is deeper when SAP does offer it.
How much does the escalator add?
SAP's standard escalator runs 4 to 6 percent a year on the FUE line. We ask for a cap tied to a published consumer price index, applied to every RISE line, including infrastructure and managed services.
| Year | 5 percent escalator | Escalator capped at 3 percent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| 2 | $5,250,000 | $5,150,000 |
| 3 | $5,512,500 | $5,304,500 |
| 4 | $5,788,125 | $5,463,635 |
| 5 | $6,077,531 | $5,627,544 |
| Total | $27,628,156 | $26,545,679 |
The cap saves about $1,080,000 over the term. The larger effect comes later, because SAP opens the renewal from the year five price.
How do RISE discounts stack?
The total RISE discount builds from volume, term length, package choice and how fast you migrate. The typical enterprise range is 30 to 45 percent off list, and larger deployments stack higher.
SAP's current RISE offer also mentions cloud credits to offset paying for old and new systems during migration, and fixed discounts on future SaaS subscriptions. Get the amount of each written into the order form.
Why a single RISE invoice does not save you money
SAP account teams pitch the bundle as simpler and cheaper because everything sits on one invoice. We disagree. In the RISE contracts we have modeled, that invoice hides four cost lines that can each be negotiated, and bundling removes your ability to benchmark any of them.
In roughly three out of four engagements, the bundled BTP allocation and the hyperscaler line were the least scrutinized and the most overpriced. Take the bundle apart and run the FUE count, the package, the infrastructure and BTP as four separate negotiations that end in one signature.
What have we seen in recent RISE negotiations?
Across roughly 30 to 40 SAP RISE engagements we benchmarked in 2024 and 2025, SAP's first quote set the FUE count 22 to 38 percent above the number customers could support once they rebuilt it from clean transaction logs. Three other patterns came up again and again.
- BTP credits fell short. The bundled credits covered 20 to 40 percent of real integration demand, and the rest was billed as overage at undiscounted rates.
- Portability was missing. In roughly four out of five contracts, the first draft had no hyperscaler portability, which left SAP as the only possible operator.
- Late renewals cost more. When the first renewal opened inside 6 months of the end date, pricing landed 15 to 25 points worse than the original transformation discount.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| SAP RISE engagements in the sample | 34 |
| Median reduction in the FUE count we secured | 29 percent |
| Median discount from SAP's first quote | 41 percent |
RISE will be the SAP contract for the next decade. Every renewal, every audit and every BTP credit conversation will run through it, so treat it like infrastructure rather than a software purchase.
How should you decide whether to move to RISE?
Four questions decide whether RISE fits: how urgent your ECC deadline is, whether you want to keep your own hyperscaler relationship, how heavily you have customized ECC, and how much you integrate through BTP. Answer them before SAP's first proposal arrives.
How urgent is the ECC deadline?
SAP ends mainstream maintenance for ECC in 2027, with extended maintenance running to 2030. SAP confirmed that timeline in its 2020 maintenance announcement. Customers on ECC need a clear path off the platform, and our ECC 2027 guide covers the bridge options.
SAP has also added a transition option covering 2031 to 2033, sold only through RISE. It needs systems of at least 2 TB, moved to SAP ERP private edition on SAP HANA by December 31, 2030, and the max success plan. Customers who sign in 2026 face a standard 20 percent uplift when they switch to it in 2031.
Does your hyperscaler relationship matter?
Customers with mature AWS, Azure or Google Cloud environments often want to keep that relationship. RISE places SAP between you and the hyperscaler as the operator, and portability clauses can be negotiated but are not standard.
If you hold an AWS EDP or an Azure MACC, ask both SAP and the hyperscaler whether RISE spend will count toward it. If it will not, model the shortfall you may still owe on that commitment.
How heavy is your customization burden?
Heavily customized ECC systems need a large conversion effort to reach S/4HANA, and that work is not in the RISE fee. The systems integrator contract is separate and can run into the millions. Our comparison of RISE and on premises S/4HANA shows how the conversion cost plays out under each model.
How large is your BTP integration footprint?
Customers who run many interfaces or extensions on BTP carry the most overrun risk. Plan the BTP commitment alongside the RISE contract, and get the overrun rate quoted before signing. At the first true up you will have no alternative to SAP's price.
What happens to RISE pricing at the first renewal?
At the first renewal the transformation discount disappears and SAP's discount discipline firms up. Renewal pricing typically lands at list minus a much smaller discount, and the escalated final year price becomes the new starting point.
Say your first term was signed at 40 percent off list. A renewal 15 to 25 points worse lands at 15 to 25 percent off, so you pay 75 to 85 percent of list instead of 60 percent. That is an increase of 25 to 42 percent before a single user is added.
How does the FUE mix shift over the term?
The user mix changes across five years. Core users with functional roles grow, and self service users grow faster. Renewal is the moment to resize the FUE mix against actual usage, because the conversion assumptions still reflect the users you had at signing.
What happens to unused BTP credits?
By default, unused BTP credits expire at the end of each contract year. Ask for carry forward of at least one year beyond the original commitment window, written into the order form itself.
What will the SAP account team say, and how should you answer?
Expect the same handful of arguments in most RISE negotiations. Each has a factual reply that keeps the discussion on your numbers.
| What SAP says | What to say back |
|---|---|
| "RISE is priced as one subscription, so we cannot break it down." | "Our finance committee will not approve it without the FUE, infrastructure, managed service and BTP components shown separately." |
| "The FUE count comes from your current SAP usage." | "Show us the role mapping behind each user type. We rebuilt the count from transaction logs and ours is lower." |
| "Hyperscaler portability is not part of our standard contract." | "We know. It is a condition of signature for us, so tell us what wording your legal team can accept." |
| "This discount only holds if you sign this quarter." | "We will sign when the four cost lines are agreed. If the quarter matters to you, close the open items faster." |
| "The included BTP credits cover typical integration needs." | "Our interface plan needs more. Quote the overrun rate now, at the same discount as the rest of the deal." |
Which RISE terms should you ask for before signing?
Ten terms recur in every well run RISE negotiation. Ask for all of them in the first round, while SAP still wants the signature.
- FUE count from actual users. Base the FUE shape on your real user mix, because every excess FUE carries the escalator for the whole term.
- Package and support plan per workload. Pick the package and success plan you will use, since idle bundled services are paid for at full rate.
- Escalator cap. Cap the renewal escalator at a published price index across every RISE line, so infrastructure and managed services cannot rise faster than the software.
- BTP carry forward. Keep unused credits for at least one year past the commitment window, so a slow first year does not forfeit budget.
- Hyperscaler portability. Write the right to change hyperscaler or operator into the contract, which gives you an exit path SAP cannot reprice.
- Discount pass through. Add a bring your own discount clause so existing hyperscaler discounts reach the infrastructure line.
- Digital access in the same cycle. Quote digital access alongside RISE, while you still have the whole deal to trade against.
- SuccessFactors and Concur. Confirm both are scoped in separate contracts and that their discounts stack with the RISE discount.
- Exit for sustained SLA breach. Add a termination right for repeated material SLA failures, because service credits alone rarely cover the business impact.
- BTP overrun rate. Get overrun priced at non retail rates before signing, as it is hardest to negotiate once you depend on it.
When should you open the RISE negotiation?
Open the RISE conversation at least 12 months before the date you want the contract to take effect. The cost lines interact, and each one needs time to settle before the commercial round.
| Time before start date | What to do |
|---|---|
| 12 months | Rebuild the FUE count from transaction logs, list current packages and BTP use, and pick the entry path. |
| 9 months | Request the order form broken out by cost line, plus SAP's infrastructure sizing assumptions. |
| 6 months | Send SAP the contract terms above, including portability and the escalator cap. Renewals opened after this point priced worse in our sample. |
| 3 months | Agree the FUE count, the package and the BTP overrun rate. Close digital access in the same round. |
| 1 month | Check the final order form against every agreed term before signature. |
Our white paper, What SAP Will Not Quote in a RISE Deal, adds RISE pricing benchmarks you can hold against SAP's first proposal.
What to do next
- Pick the entry path. GROW, standard RISE or a custom program, based on size and customization.
- Rebuild the FUE count. Run the conversion against your actual user mix and challenge SAP's starting assumption.
- Size the package and support plan. Match both to each workload class.
- Secure hyperscaler portability. Get the clause agreed before signing, together with discount pass through.
- Settle BTP. Lock carry forward of unused credits and get the overrun quoted at non retail rates.
- Bring digital access in. Quote it alongside RISE in the same negotiation cycle.
- Get a second view. Ask our SAP advisory practice to review SAP's proposal against current benchmarks.
- Model the full term. Run the SAP RISE TCO calculator against your own systems and user counts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RISE with SAP program?
RISE with SAP is SAP's subscription program for moving ERP to the cloud. It combines S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, hyperscaler infrastructure, SAP managed services and a small BTP allocation under one contract. It is a program rather than a single product, and SAP now presents it as a guided transformation journey with Cloud ERP Private as the ERP package.
What is the difference between GROW and RISE?
GROW targets SMB customers under 1,000 FTE on S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition. Standard RISE targets mid market and large customers on Private Edition, which allows deeper customization and leaves more to negotiate. A company that expects to modify core processes will usually outgrow GROW.
What is RISE Premium?
RISE with SAP Premium was one of three packages, alongside Base and Premium Plus, that set which extra tools came with the private edition subscription. In 2025 SAP moved new deals to the SAP Cloud ERP Private package and withdrew Premium Plus. Customers who want enhanced service levels or dedicated SAP success managers now buy the advanced or max success plan.
How is RISE priced?
RISE is priced per FUE for the software, at a rate set by the package, plus the hyperscaler infrastructure, SAP's managed services and the BTP allocation. Enterprise discounts typically land 30 to 45 points off published list. Support above the foundational level is a separate success plan, so check which plan the quote assumes before comparing offers.
Can we bring our own AWS or Azure discount?
Not by default. The standard RISE contract has no hyperscaler discount pass through. Negotiate a bring your own discount clause before signing, especially if you hold an AWS EDP or an Azure MACC, and confirm in writing whether RISE spend will count toward that commitment.
Are the bundled BTP credits enough for our integration needs?
Usually not. The bundled credits cover pilots and a few interfaces. Estimate annual consumption from your interface inventory, including Integration Suite message volumes and any SAP Build apps, compare it with the allocation, and price the gap as a separate BTP commitment before you sign.
What happens at the first RISE renewal?
The discount SAP gave for the migration is not repeated, so the renewal quote usually lands well above what you pay today. Open talks at least 12 months before the anniversary, rebuild the FUE count from current usage first, and ask for the renewal quote broken out by line so you can see which part moved.
Is RISE the only path off ECC?
No. On premises S/4HANA remains available, and RISE is the path SAP recommends. The on premises route carries different licensing costs but a similar transformation effort and timeline. Some customers also bridge ECC with extended maintenance to 2030 or with third party support while they decide.
When should we open the RISE negotiation?
At least 12 months before the desired effective date. That leaves time to rebuild the FUE count from transaction logs, which can take several weeks, before SAP's proposal sets expectations inside your own company. It also leaves room to settle each cost line in its own round.