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VIP Marketplace Linked Membership

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 the following types of organizations:

  • Commercial affiliates
  • Government agencies
  • Primary and secondary education institutions (for example, school districts and state schools)
  • Departments with separate budgets and license administration needs

Linked Membership benefits

The ideal Linked Membership candidate has a license investment across multiple VIP Marketplace agreements and has the potential to earn volume discounts in the near future. Organizations benefit from a Linked Membership when their aggregated license quantity reaches or exceeds 10, thus making them eligible for volume discounts. For more information about VIP Marketplace volume discounts, see the VIP Marketplace Program Guide.
Linked Membership is not designed for affiliated VIP Marketplace members unlikely to achieve volume discounts in the near term — even with aggregated purchases under a Linked Membership.

Eligible affiliates

Affiliates are entities directly or indirectly under common ownership or control. VIP Marketplace entities electing to participate must meet the following Linked Membership requirements. All affiliate entities must:

  • Have the same member type (Commercial, Education, or Government)
  • Have an existing VIP Marketplace agreement with the initial order processed

Here is how Adobe defines affiliates bases on the three member types:

Commercial

Affiliate means, for Member, any other entity that controls, is controlled by, or under common control with, Member. The term “control” means the direct or indirect power to direct the affairs of the other entity through voting power, economic or contractual interest, or otherwise.

Education

Education entities that have different campuses, departments or schools within the same university or school system and are under the same ownership or control. Nonprofit Members under an Education VIP Membership must each qualify as a nonprofit organization as defined by Adobe and must meet the Commercial definition of Affiliate above

Government

Any government agency subject to the same organizational, political, and regulatory schemes as the requesting government agency. Private “for profit” companies, nonprofit organizations, trade or industry associations, labor unions, and private organizations that conduct work on behalf of or with government agencies are not included.

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. The Linked Membership Admin will ensure all affiliates under the Linked Membership stay informed of membership status and continue to meet the Linked Membership affiliate requirements. If one of the linked organizations is no longer a qualified affiliate — as per the Adobe definitions — or no longer wishes to participate in the Linked Membership, it is the Linked Membership Admin’s responsibility to promptly remove the entity from the Linked Membership.

Linked Membership anniversary and volume discount levels

The Linked Membership has its own anniversary date, which is established on the date the Linked Membership 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 twelve months (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. Linked Membership benefits are realized when the Linked Membership qualifies for volume discounts, which may occur when the Linked Membership is created or on each annual Linked Membership anniversary date.

Managing Linked Membership for VIP Marketplace members

Creating 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. Ensure that Linked Membership makes sense for your organization and its affiliates. Your reseller can assist with this.
  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:
    1. The Linked Membership Admin generates an authorization code and provides the code to the VIP Marketplace member’s Admin.
    2. The VIP Marketplace member’s Admin enters the authorization code in the Admin Console to join the Linked Membership.
    3. Both parties receive a Linked Membership confirmation email.
  5. Linked affiliates may qualify for a volume discount level when the Linked Membership is created or on each annual Linked Membership anniversary date.