VIP Marketplace guide overview  > How VIP Marketplace works

Linked Membership overview

Linked Membership is an optional feature of VIP Marketplace. Affiliated organizations may aggregate purchases across linked VIPs to achieve a higher discount level, while still purchasing and managing licenses separately.

Linked Membership is designed for commercial affiliates, government agencies, and primary and secondary education institutions (for example, school districts and state schools), as well as departments with separate budgets and license administration needs. 

Linked Membership is available to organizations with an aggregated license quantity of 10 or more.

Linked Membership admin

The organizational VIP Marketplace admin that requests a Linked Membership (the Linked Membership Admin) accepts administrative responsibility for managing and maintaining the Linked Membership for all linked affiliates. 

Linked Membership anniversary date and volume discount levels 

The Linked Membership has its own anniversary date, established on the date it is created. It serves as the date to determine eligibility for volume discounts. The volume discount level for all Linked Membership affiliates is calculated automatically every year on the Linked Membership anniversary date.

The total license quantity determines qualification for volume discounts. The discount level for which the combined linked affiliates qualify will remain in effect until the next Linked Membership anniversary date, unless the Linked Membership Admin requests a mid-term update by contacting Adobe support.

Individual VIP Marketplace members

Each individual VIP Marketplace member keeps their existing anniversary date (calculated as 12 months after the date Adobe accepts your initial order) and continues to purchase and manage licenses and renewals on its own behalf. Upon joining a Linked Membership, each individual VIP forfeits the ability to qualify for volume discounts on their own accord. Linked Membership members also forfeit the ability to enroll in VIP Marketplace 3-year commit. 

Creating and managing a Linked Membership

To create a Linked Membership, a VIP Marketplace member’s reseller must initiate the Linked Membership and specify the Linked Membership Admin. This generates an invitation for the Linked Membership Admin to accept the Linked Membership Terms & Conditions from the Admin Console.

Adding and removing affiliates

To add an affiliate, the Linked Membership Admin creates an authorization code from the Admin Console. This authorization code is shared with a VIP Marketplace member who is not part of the Linked Membership. To join the Linked Membership as an affiliate, the VIP Marketplace member’s Admin enters the authorization code in the Admin Console. Both parties receive an email when the new affiliate joins the Linked Membership. Each affiliate requires a unique authorization code. 

The Linked Membership Admin can also remove an affiliate from the Admin Console. 

Terminating a Linked Membership

If an organization with a Linked Membership no longer wants to participate, or organizational changes require a discontinuation of the Linked Membership for all affiliates, the Linked Membership Admin can terminate the Linked Membership from the Admin Console. All parties receive an email if the Linked Membership is terminated. 

Linked Membership process

1. The reseller works with the VIP Marketplace member to ensure that Linked Membership makes sense for the member’s organization and its affiliates.
2. The reseller initiates the Linked Membership and identifies the Linked Membership Admin. 
3. The Linked Membership Admin reviews and accepts the Linked Membership Terms & Conditions in the Admin Console.
4. For each potential affiliate: 
   • The Linked Membership Admin generates an authorization code provides the code to the VIP Marketplace member’s Admin. 
   • The VIP Marketplace member’s Admin enters the authorization code in the Admin Console to join the Linked Membership. 
   • Both parties receive a Linked Membership confirmation email. 
   • Linked affiliates may qualify for a volume discount level when the Linked Membership is created or on each annual Linked Membership anniversary date. 

Migrating from VIP

VIP members with Linked Membership may migrate to VIP Marketplace and keep their Linked Membership intact, including their Linked Membership anniversary date. The Linked Membership admin must migrate first, before other affiliates can migrate. After the admin is migrated, the remaining individual affiliates may migrate at any time; they do not need to migrate simultaneously. All affiliates should migrate prior to the Linked Membership anniversary date to ensure that their contributions to the combined volume discount are reflected.

VIP members with both Linked Membership and 3-year commit must choose one or the other before migrating to VIP Marketplace. Direct partners should contact Adobe technical support if assistance is needed.

Additional information for customers is available at VIP Marketplace Linked Membership.