How Security Vendors Serving IT Resellers Can Get Referral Programs Reviewed

Security vendors that sell through managed service providers, value-added resellers and distributors can ask TechAmerica.ai to review their partner and referral programs. This article explains how to get a program reviewed, then walks through how channel programs in security usually work and what partners and their clients should understand about them.

Channel programs are less visible than consumer referral schemes, but they shape what millions of small and midsize organizations end up running. When an IT provider recommends a password manager, endpoint tool or backup service, a partner agreement often sits behind that choice.

TechAmerica.ai has no partnerships, sponsorships, affiliate approvals or reseller agreements with any security vendor. A review is editorial. It does not imply endorsement, and submission does not ensure coverage.

Getting a partner program reviewed: the short version

1. Make sure the program has a public overview page and that partners can see the governing agreement, or at least a detailed summary, before signing.
2. Prepare a short description of each partner type you support: MSP, reseller, distributor, referral agent, technology partner or affiliate.
3. Send the details through the TechAmerica.ai contact page with the vendor name and the words partner program submission in the subject line.
4. Answer editors' follow-up questions, which usually concern billing, margins, client data and termination.
5. Send updates whenever tiers, benefits or agreement terms change.

The sections below explain what editors look for at each stage and why those details matter to partners and their clients.

How security reaches customers through the channel

Managed service providers run IT for client organizations under ongoing contracts. They choose, deploy and operate security tools across many clients, often from a single multi-tenant console. Resellers sell licenses and may provide setup services. Distributors sit in between, aggregating vendor catalogs and billing for large numbers of smaller partners.

For a vendor, the channel offers reach that direct sales cannot match. A single MSP may bring dozens of client organizations, and that MSP's technicians become the product's day-to-day operators. Channel programs exist to recruit, train and reward those partners.

For clients, the channel means that a security decision is often made by a trusted outside provider rather than the business itself. That is efficient, but it also means clients may never see the commercial terms that shaped the recommendation. Our enterprise coverage regularly touches on how buying decisions move through these intermediaries.

Why vendors invest in the channel

Channel partners do more than sell. They handle deployment, first-line support and ongoing configuration, which are costly for a vendor to provide directly to thousands of small clients. In exchange for that work, partners expect predictable margins, training and a vendor that will not undercut them by selling directly to their clients at lower prices.

That bargain explains many standard clauses. Pricing floors protect partners from being undersold by other partners. Deal registration, where a partner records an opportunity with the vendor to secure better pricing or protection, rewards the partner who found the customer. Rules against soliciting cancellations protect the vendor's installed base.

What MSP clients experience

Clients of an MSP usually see a single invoice from their provider and may not know which vendors sit behind it. They may also not know whether the MSP chose a product because it is the best fit or because a program made it more profitable. Neither situation is necessarily a problem, but transparency improves trust on both sides.

Clients increasingly ask for more detail, especially after high-profile incidents where attackers reached many organizations through a shared IT provider. Questions about which tools protect their data, who has administrator access and how incidents are reported are reasonable, and partner programs that support clear answers serve everyone better.

Program types editors will ask you to separate

Managed service provider programs

MSP programs usually provide a multi-tenant management console, consumption or monthly billing, not-for-resale licenses for internal use and technical training. NordPass's MSP page, reviewed in October 2026, described consumption-based pricing in which partners pay for what clients use, a multi-tenant admin panel, free not-for-resale licenses, a 14-day client trial and distribution through several named channel distributors.

Reseller programs

Value-added resellers buy and resell licenses, often bundling them with services. Reseller agreements typically set pricing rules and support responsibilities. Keeper Security's partner page, viewed in October 2026, listed value-added resellers, MSPs, technology partners and affiliates as distinct partner types.

Referral agents

Some vendors pay agents or consultants a fee for introducing a customer without the agent reselling or managing anything. NordPass's partner inquiry form, viewed in October 2026, listed MSP, reseller, distributor and agent as company types. Referral agent arrangements are closest to consumer referral programs, and they raise the sharpest disclosure questions.

Technology and integration partners

Technology partners integrate their products with a vendor's platform. They are usually not paid per sale, but integration listings can influence purchasing, and some include co-marketing commitments.

Affiliates in a channel context

Affiliate tracks sometimes sit inside a broader partner program. Keeper's partner page grouped affiliates with resellers and MSPs, though affiliates simply earn commissions for promoting products to their audiences. When a vendor runs both, editors will want to know whether an MSP can also earn affiliate commissions on top of resale margins for the same client, and how that is disclosed.

Double compensation is not inherently wrong, but it compounds the incentive behind a recommendation. Clear rules on stacking, and a requirement that partners tell clients about all payments tied to a deal, address the concern directly.

The terms that define a channel program

Tiers and progression

Many security vendors organize partners into tiers that add benefits as partners grow. Keeper's MSP program page, reviewed in October 2026, described four tiers, from MSP-Authorized through Silver and Gold to Platinum, and said progression was driven by certifications and sales performance. Higher tiers added annual revenue targets, case studies, listings on a partner locator and marketing development funds.

Partners should know what is required to keep a tier, not only to reach it, and whether falling short of a target means losing pricing or benefits mid-contract.

Pricing, margins and minimums

Some vendors publish discount levels, while many share them only after an application. Agreements may also set pricing floors. 1Password's published partner agreement, reviewed in October 2026, stated that partners could set their own prices but could not sell below a minimum price established by 1Password, and that 1Password made no commitment about partner profits.

Billing and payment risk

Billing terms decide who carries the risk when a client pays late. The same 1Password agreement required partners to pay invoices within 30 days even if their own customer had not paid them, and described monthly billing in arrears for MSPs. Terms like these are standard in the channel, but newer partners sometimes underestimate their cash flow impact.

Customer protections and conduct

Partner agreements commonly require partners to present the vendor's terms to customers at the point of sale, to describe the product accurately and to avoid encouraging customers to cancel. The 1Password agreement included each of those obligations, along with brand-use rules, annual audit rights with notice and termination without cause on 30 days' written notice.

Territory and exclusivity

Some programs assign territories or grant exclusivity for certain customer segments, while others let any partner sell anywhere. Exclusivity can protect a partner's investment, but it can also limit a client's ability to shop around. Agreements should state clearly whether territories exist and how conflicts between partners are resolved.

Marketing funds and incentives

Marketing development funds, sales incentives often called spiffs, co-branded materials and event support are common. Readers should understand that these incentives can influence which products a partner recommends, which is why disclosure matters.

Client data, responsibility and disclosure

An MSP managing a security tool often has administrative access to client environments, including password vaults, endpoint data or backup copies. Partner programs should be clear about how that access is granted, logged and revoked, and what happens to client data if the partner relationship ends.

The Federal Trade Commission's guide for businesses on protecting personal information advises organizations to put security expectations in writing in contracts with service providers and to require those providers to report security incidents. Vendors and MSPs that make it easy for clients to do that are acting in line with regulators' expectations.

1Password's agreement also required partners to tell customers that 1Password provides the service and may process their data. That kind of transparency helps clients understand who holds their information and whose privacy policy applies.

Disclosing incentives to clients

When an MSP or consultant recommends a product and receives a margin, referral fee or incentive, the client is entitled to understand that relationship. FTC endorsement principles focus on consumer advertising, but the logic applies: a paid recommendation should not be presented as a neutral one. Good partner programs encourage partners to be open with clients about their commercial relationships.

Security of the partner relationship itself

Channel relationships create their own security exposure. An MSP's management console can reach every client it serves, so a compromise of the partner can become a compromise of many organizations at once. Vendors should describe the protections they require or provide for partner accounts, such as mandatory multi-factor authentication, role-based access, delegated administration and audit logs.

Keeper's MSP page, reviewed in October 2026, listed role-based controls, delegated administration, multi-factor authentication, audit logs and reporting to security information and event management tools among its multi-tenant features. Those controls are relevant not only to partners but to the clients whose data passes through partner consoles.

Vendors should also explain how they vet partners. Some require certifications or training before a partner can manage client environments, while others rely mainly on contract terms. Either approach can work, but clients deserve to know what screening, if any, stands between a new partner and administrative access.

What editors check during a review

Editors compare the submission with the vendor's public program pages and any published agreement. When agreement terms are not public, we may ask the vendor to share a summary that can be described accurately, and we will say in coverage that full terms are available only to applicants.

We pay particular attention to the following:

• Whether entry requirements and tier criteria are clearly stated
• How billing works, including who carries the risk of client non-payment
• Whether minimum pricing, territory or exclusivity rules apply
• Termination rights and transition support for clients if a partner leaves
• Client data access, logging and offboarding
• Obligations to present vendor terms and privacy information to clients
• Rules on incentives and how partners are expected to disclose them
• Training, certification and support commitments

We may decline a program when terms are opaque, when the program appears designed to discourage clients from leaving, when there are unresolved security concerns about the product or when the program offers little that is distinctive. We do not sell placement.

Red flags for partners and clients

Partners evaluating a security vendor's program, and clients whose provider participates in one, should watch for these warning signs:

• Agreements that can be changed by the vendor without notice and apply to existing deals
• Tier requirements that are not written down
• Termination clauses that leave clients without a clear way to retrieve their data
• Incentives that reward partners for blocking competitive evaluations
• Recruitment pitches promising easy, steady income from referrals alone
• Vendors that cannot explain how partner access to client environments is controlled

Clients can also ask their provider directly which security vendors it partners with and whether it receives incentives. A provider confident in its choices should be comfortable answering.

Questions clients can put to a provider

• Which security vendors do you partner with, and at what tier?
• Do you receive margins, rebates or incentives on the tools you recommend to us?
• Who on your team has administrator access to our security tools, and how is it logged?
• How would we retrieve our data if we ended our contract with you?

These questions are not accusations. They are the same due diligence the FTC encourages businesses to apply to any service provider that handles their data.

Keeping a review current

Channel programs change frequently, often at the start of a vendor's fiscal year or after an acquisition. When tiers, benefits, billing or agreement versions change, send the new details with an effective date. 1Password, for example, publishes dated versions of its partner agreement, which makes changes easy to trace, and we encourage other vendors to do the same.

Editors will revisit existing coverage after an update and correct or remove it if it no longer reflects the program. Readers following attacks that travel through IT service providers can find related reporting in our security section.