VIP Marketplace guide overview  > Selling through VIP Marketplace

Becoming a VIP Marketplace reseller 

An organization that would like to become a reseller in VIP Marketplace needs to contact a VIP Marketplace direct partner.

Resellers: In addition to following the steps and requirements of your direct partner’s reseller onboarding process, you will also be required to agree to Adobe’s terms, which will be presented to you by your direct partner.

Note that in some cases, a reseller may be both a direct partner and a distributor authorized reseller. A common scenario is when a reseller is a direct partner for sales to commercial customers and a distributor authorized reseller for sales to education and/or government customers.

Key differences between VIP and VIP Marketplace for resellers that do not purchase directly from Adobe

If you are currently an Adobe authorized reseller selling through the Value Incentive Plan (VIP) program, here are the key differences you will encounter in the VIP Marketplace program:

• Your contract will be with your VIP Marketplace direct partner, not with Adobe. Adobe will consider you a distributor authorized reseller. To resell licenses through VIP today, you must be an Adobe authorized reseller and accept contact terms directly with Adobe.
• Any authorization requirements for reselling to government and/or education customers will be managed by your direct partner.
• All ordering support and communications will come from your direct partner.
• The details of how you create customers, place orders, check order status, and manage your account will differ based on your direct partner’s marketplace platform.
• You will not use the Adobe Reseller Console (which is used only for VIP) or the Adobe Licensing Website (LWS) to manage your customers’ VIP Marketplace licenses. In VIP Marketplace, you will log into your direct partner’s marketplace platform.

Additional details about the VIP Marketplace program for distributor authorized resellers

• A reseller account must be created before you can resell licenses through VIP Marketplace.
• A reseller may purchase through more than one marketplace, but you must create a separate reseller account for each direct partner’s marketplace. Setting up a reseller account with one marketplace does not mean that a reseller is automatically set up with other direct partners.
• A distributor authorized reseller cannot contact Adobe for support-related questions. Distributor authorized resellers should contact their direct partner(s) for marketplace support.
• In VIP Marketplace, resellers no longer use the Adobe Reseller Console, which is used only for VIP, or the Adobe Licensing Website (LWS). Resellers log into the marketplace platform provided by a direct partner. Also VIP Marketplace member information will not appear in the Adobe Reseller Console since the Adobe Reseller Console is not used in VIP Marketplace. The distributor authorized reseller will use the direct partner’s marketplace platform to manage their VIP Marketplace customers.
• In VIP Marketplace, Adobe does not communicate directly with distributor authorized resellers. The Adobe reseller terms are agreed to by the distributor authorized reseller through the direct partner's marketplace.
• In the VIP Marketplace program, if a customer wants to change to a different reseller, the customer can do so upon request. A change of reseller request is usually made by the new reseller contacting their direct partner.
• In the VIP Marketplace program, if a distributor authorized reseller wants to change to a different distributor’s marketplace, then the distributor authorized reseller can do so upon request. To initiate a reseller-initiated change of distributor request, the distributor authorized reseller will need to work with their new distributor to submit the request to the Adobe support team. Distributor authorized resellers will also need to work with their new distributor to become a distributor authorized reseller under the new distributor.

Note: To be a reseller in the VIP Marketplace program, you do not have to be an authorized APC reseller.

Government and education authorization for VIP Marketplace distributor-authorized resellers

Authorization to resell to commercial customers is managed through your distributor’s onboarding process. If you would like to resell to government and/or education customers, an additional onboarding and authorization process is required. This process is managed directly with Adobe. To apply for government and/or education authorization from Adobe, do the following:

1. Apply for APC Certified Reseller status.
   • Go to the APC partner portal and follow the links for “Learn more” > “Enroll Now in the Partner Program” for your region.
     • You will need to apply for and be approved as a Registered Reseller. Note that this step alone does not authorize you to resell VIP Marketplace in any market segment through any distributor’s marketplace.
   • Follow the link in your welcome email to uplevel to Certified Reseller.
     • This process may take several days to complete.
     • You will receive an email notification if your uplevel request is approved.
2. If required for your region and market segment, apply for the required specialization. Currently, the following regions and market segments have additional specialization requirements for indirect resellers to transact government or education:

*The Government specialization is currently required in Brazil only. Coming soon in the rest of Latin America. In Brazil, the government specialization is also required to resell to education customers in the public sector. 

If your specialization application is approved, your distributor will now be able to validate that you are authorized to resell to government or education customers. You will have to renew this authorization with Adobe annually. Follow the instructions included in your renewal emails from Adobe. 

Note for existing APC resellers: If you currently hold an APC government and/or education specialization and you receive a renewal email, follow this renewal process instead of the process for a new reseller described above.