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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A Large Account Reseller (LAR) is a reseller or distributor that a software vendor has authorized to sell licenses to customers through a specified licensing channel. The term is most established in Microsoft volume licensing, and there it describes a partner’s permitted role under a particular agreement or program. It does not simply mean any reseller that serves large companies.
What makes a reseller a large account reseller
The defining feature is authorization, not customer size. A LAR is a partner the vendor has permitted to distribute licenses, and that permission applies to a named licensing role. A reseller that sells software to a large enterprise without this vendor authorization is not a LAR in the Microsoft sense, and a small reseller holding the right authorization can be one.
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Because the status is tied to a program, the same company may hold different roles under different agreements, countries, or time periods. Read the term as a question you have to answer for a specific contract, not as a permanent label on a company.
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The term appears in three Microsoft-related sources with different dates and purposes. They should not be read as a single current definition.
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Microsoft Select Master Agreement (1996 text)
A historical Microsoft Select Master Agreement, reproduced in a Government of Puerto Rico document and dated 1996, defines a LAR as “any distributor or reseller which Microsoft or one of its affiliates permits to distribute Licenses to Enrolling Customers.” This is the clearest contractual definition in the available sources. It describes a vendor permission, and it names the customer group as enrolling customers under that agreement.
Microsoft Open License program guide (2001–2002)
A Microsoft Open License glossary from the 2001–2002 period describes an authorized reseller or distributor permitted to distribute agreements to customers. It is useful for seeing how the role was described in that program era. Its wording belongs to that historical context and should not be treated as a current, universal definition.
Current Microsoft License Mobility guidance (accessed 7 October 2026)
Microsoft’s current License Mobility documentation refers to the “Large Account Reseller or other partner that sold you the Microsoft licenses” as channel-partner information relevant to license verification. Here the term works as a label for whichever partner sold the licenses, not as a formal designation that every reader can look up. The same guidance asks for the agreement type, the agreement or authorization number, and the applicable enrollment or license number.
| Source | Date or context | What it says about LAR | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Select Master Agreement (reproduced in a Government of Puerto Rico document) | Dated 1996 | A distributor or reseller that Microsoft or an affiliate permits to distribute licenses to enrolling customers | Historical contract definition |
| Microsoft Open License program glossary | 2001–2002 | An authorized reseller or distributor permitted to distribute agreements | Program-era wording |
| Microsoft License Mobility guidance | Accessed 7 October 2026 | The LAR or other partner that sold the customer its licenses, listed as verification information | Current channel-partner label and verification details |
What a large account reseller typically does
A LAR’s role depends on the contract. A public-sector software value-added reseller solicitation and statement of work issued by the Arizona Department of Administration, State Procurement Office, shows the kinds of services a buyer may contract for:
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- License purchasing and management
- Maintenance and support
- Cost negotiation
- Basic installation assistance
- License tracking
That document also says a reseller may buy directly from a publisher or through a distributor, and should honor existing volume or enterprise license agreements. These items describe what a buyer can specify in a procurement contract. They are not a guarantee that every LAR offers each service, so the written scope of your own agreement decides what you receive.
Where you will see the term in procurement
The term also appears in corporate supplier processes. Exelon’s supplier guidance, accessed 7 October 2026, lists LAR-provided software within its IT Software procurement category. A company that buys software through a LAR will therefore often see the term in supplier registration or purchasing categories, not only in Microsoft documentation.
A historical example: Wipro in Saudi Arabia (2010)
In an announcement dated 22 August 2010, Wipro Arabia Limited reported that it had been accorded Microsoft Large Account Reseller partner status in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Durga Prasad, General Manager and Head of Business Operations at Wipro Arabia Limited, said: “We are excited about Wipro being selected as the LAR partner for Microsoft. Through this partnership, we will now be able to increase our competitiveness in providing customer-centric solutions on Microsoft platform to our customers in the Kingdom.” This is a company statement about a single country and a 2010 partnership. It is not independent evidence of customer outcomes, and it does not show whether the same status applies today.
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How to check whether a reseller holds LAR authority
Because authorization is specific to a country and program, verify it for your own purchase rather than relying on a label. A practical sequence:
- Ask for the partner’s authorization for your country and licensing program. Do not accept a general claim of LAR status. The available sources do not establish whether Microsoft grants a formal LAR designation in every market today, so ask the vendor or partner to confirm the exact role.
- Collect the agreement details. Microsoft’s current verification guidance asks for the agreement type, the agreement or authorization number, and the enrollment or license number. Keep these on file before you buy.
- Confirm who sold the licenses. The LAR or other partner that sold the licenses is the channel-partner information that verification relies on, so it should appear in your records.
- Compare the written scope. Check whether the contract covers license administration, tracking, maintenance, support, and installation help, and whether any of those items are excluded.
- Get reporting and pricing terms in writing. Quoted commercial terms and reporting obligations belong in the procurement contract. Do not assume they are included by default.
What the term does not mean
- It is not a measure of company size or account value.
- It is not a guarantee of lower prices or better service. The sources describe authorization and contract scope, not performance or pricing outcomes.
- It is not a general legal or industry-wide category. Its clearest definitions come from Microsoft licensing documents, and the wording differs by program and date.
In practice, treat LAR as a question about authority: who is permitted to sell this licensing channel, in this country, under this agreement, and what the contract obliges them to do. Answer that question with written documents, and the label itself carries little weight.
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