SSL Partner Program FAQ

How does becoming a partner help my business?
How do I get started?
What kind of businesses are eligible for the partner program?
Which certificates are available for partners to resell?
What are the payment options and contract terms?
How do I get the biggest discount and maximize my margins?
Does VeriSign provide technical support for partners?
Does VeriSign offer sales and marketing support and training?
How easy is it to fulfill orders for SSL Certificates?

How does becoming a partner help my business?
VeriSign® SSL Certificates and Code Signing Certificates are an excellent upsell opportunity for any company that provides Web-related services: Web hosting companies, Internet service providers, registrars, application service providers, system integrators, and value-added resellers. As the leading Certificate Authority in the world, VeriSign offers the top 3 SSL Certificate brands for resell. Our marketing, sales, and technical experts as well as our leading technologies and global infrastructure can help you expand your sales and increase profits.

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How do I get started?
We help you hit the ground running. Simply complete the enrollment form and let us know how many SSL Certificates you wish to start with. You’ll receive a welcome kit and be contacted by an account manager to set up your account. When you are ready, sign-in to the Partner Center for access to training and resources to help you sell more.

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What kind of businesses are eligible for the partner program?
VeriSign welcomes partners of all sizes, operating worldwide to resell VeriSign SSL Certificates and Code Signing Certificates. To qualify as an SSL Partner, the following statements must be true for your organization:

• You are purchasing SSL Certificates for your customers (not for your own business).
• You expect to resell more than 5 certificates per year.

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Which certificates are available for partners to resell?
VeriSign SSL Partners have the option to resell the full range of VeriSign® SSL Certificates plus SSL Certificates from Thawte™ and GeoTrust®. In addition, VeriSign offers resell options for our Code Signing Certificates to secure applications and software and for the VeriSign Trust™ Seal, to help build trust for Web sites that do not collect sensitive information. Account managers are available to help you design a program to fit your business. Designated account managers for larger customers also provide on site and direct online sales training as well as go-to-market business planning.

When you resell VeriSign SSL Certificates, your customers have the option to install the VeriSign seal on their Web site, the most trusted security mark on the Internet. The new VeriSign Trust™ Seal, VeriSign Seal-in-Search™ technology, and daily Web site malware scanning work together with your premium SSL Certificate to help assure your customers that your site is safe from search to browse to buy. These new features will help drive traffic to trusted Web sites and reduce abandoned transactions in a single solution. Displaying the VeriSign Trust Seal on your own site increases traffic and conversions for you too!

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What are the payment options and contract terms?
Flexible contract and payment options let you choose the best business model. VeriSign recognizes that each partner has different business requirements and we designed our partner program with that in mind – you choose how to manage your relationship with us. Contract payment options include credit card, purchase order or monthly billing with negotiable payment terms.

Pay-As-You-Go offers maximum flexibility. You pay for each certificate as it is issued for a high level of flexibility with no upfront commitment or costs.

A Bulk Purchase contract allows you to combine certificate purchases for excellent volume pricing and discounted rates, starting with just 5 certificate packages.

As an Authorized Partner, you determine an annual commitment level and use your account credit on any SSL certificate product throughout the contract term, including multi-year and multi-license certificates.

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How do I get the biggest discount and maximize my margins?
Discounts are based on contract type and sell-through volume. Additional value-priced SSL Certificate brands are available from VeriSign to meet the security needs and budgets of all your customers. When you partner with VeriSign, you align your brand with the most trusted mark on the Internet. The more products you sell, the more money you can make.

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Does VeriSign provide technical support for partners?
VeriSign maintains a robust support knowledge base on the VeriSign.com Web site and a Partner Center portal with 24/7 access for online certificate lifecycle management. All partners have access to chat and online support. Phone and email support are tiered account services, availability is based on the volume of SSL Certificates sold per year.

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Does VeriSign offer sales and marketing support and training?
VeriSign understands what it takes to sell SSL Certificates to a wide range of customers. We are the leading Certificate Authority with the top 3 brands in the SSL market. All Partners have access to marketing collateral, templates and on-demand sales training through our Partner Center to accelerate sales. The ROI calculator helps you plan and develop your SSL sales strategy. For major accounts we do product training and sales training on site. Designated account managers for larger customers also provide on site and direct online sales training as well as go-to-market business planning.

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How easy is it to fulfill orders for SSL Certificates?
VeriSign's API allows Partners to automate the entire SSL ordering process to keep control of messaging and branding through the entire ordering process. By integrating with existing systems via the API, you can seamlessly tie into the VeriSign back-end, allowing your customers to purchase certificates directly from your site. Once developed, you can shift resources from managing support to sales and generating revenue. Partners with automated sales and renewals have documented a 40% increase in SSL Certificate sales, reductions of support calls by 90% and estimated ROI of 1000%+ in a single year. For low-volume Partners, the Partner Center offers a fully managed option for certificate issuance, billing, and renewals from one administrative log-in.

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