How the reseller sits in a VIP deal
Under the Value Incentive Plan, you rarely buy from Adobe directly. A reseller places the order, holds the relationship, and earns a margin on the transaction, which means there are two parties pricing your deal, not one.
That structure is not a problem in itself, but it does mean part of what you pay is the reseller's cut. Knowing this lets you treat the reseller as a negotiable layer rather than a fixed cost of doing business with Adobe.
Where the margin hides
Reseller margin is bundled into the unit price you see, so it rarely appears as a separate line. The discount Adobe extends and the margin the reseller keeps both sit inside one number, and that opacity works against you.
Ask for the deal to be unpicked. Understanding the discount coming from Adobe separately from the reseller's margin shows you which lever to pull, and a margin you can see is a margin you can negotiate down.
Use competition between resellers
Because several resellers can quote the same Adobe products, you can put the transaction out to more than one. Competition on the margin layer is often the quickest VIP saving available, and it costs only the effort to ask.
Make clear you are comparing quotes. A reseller that knows it is in a competitive process will trim its margin to win the deal, and that reduction lands directly in your price without touching the Adobe discount at all.
Read next
Reseller margin connects to how VIP renewals are run and checked.
Facing an Adobe renewal, audit, or runaway bill?
Adobe Negotiation Experts is an independent buyer side advisor. We sit on your side of the table to cut Adobe cost and reset your terms. Book a Negotiation Review and we will tell you where the leverage is.
Book a Negotiation Review See how we workIn a VIP deal you are paying Adobe and a reseller at once. See the margin, ask for it to be unpicked, and let resellers compete, and you cut a layer of cost that buyers who never look simply hand over.