A Reseller is a partner who purchases your product or service, typically at a discounted rate, and resells it to end customers, often adding value through complementary services such as implementation, support, customization, or regional expertise.
Key characteristics of a Reseller often include:
- Discounted Purchasing Model: Resellers buy products or licenses at a negotiated discount and generate profit by reselling at a standard or market-adjusted price.
- Value-Added Services: Many resellers provide integration, customization, training, or local support services to enhance the overall customer experience.
- Customer Relationship Ownership: Resellers often manage the full customer relationship, from initial sales engagement through renewal or expansion discussions.
- Regional or Vertical Specialization: Some resellers focus on specific geographic markets, industries, or niche customer segments where they offer localized expertise.
- Partner Enablement Needs: Resellers typically require deep product training, marketing resources, sales support, and ongoing collaboration to drive sustained growth.
Resellers earn the margin between the discounted price they pay the vendor and the price their customer pays. Many also charge for services such as implementation, training, and support, which add to their revenue beyond the resale margin.
Resellers are critical in B2B SaaS, technology, hardware, and services ecosystems where scalability, localized delivery, and customer intimacy are essential. A strong network of resellers helps vendors grow more efficiently while delivering high-touch customer experiences tailored to specific markets.
What is the difference between a reseller and a distributor?
A distributor buys in volume and sells to resellers, rarely to end customers. A reseller sells to the end customer.
What is the difference between a reseller and a referral partner?
A referral partner introduces leads and earns a commission or fee, while the vendor sells to the customer and owns the relationship. A reseller sells, invoices, and owns the customer relationship. See referral partner.
What is the difference between a reseller and a value-added reseller (VAR)?
A VAR is a reseller that adds its own services or integration around your product. Every VAR is a reseller, but not every reseller is a VAR. See value-added reseller.
Kiflo runs reseller programs with deal registration, co-sell, and commission tracking, so resellers can see their deals and what they have earned. See Kiflo's reseller management software.

