A partner type is the specific operating model a partner runs inside a partner category: how it engages with your product (integrates it, resells it, promotes it, services it), how it touches your customer, and what it earns for doing so (margin, commission, fees, or roadmap value). The category says what kind of value the partner adds; the type says exactly who does what, what changes hands, and on whose paper.
Type vs Category
The two levels answer different questions. A partner category groups partners by the kind of value they add: Product, Channel, Marketing, or Service. A partner type pins down the mechanics inside that group. "Channel partner" tells you the partner drives revenue; "reseller" tells you the partner buys at a discount, invoices the customer on its own paper, and keeps the margin. You design programs at the type level, not the category level.
The Seventeen Partner Types
Product (enhances the product through co-development, features, or data):
Channel (drives revenue by promoting, reselling, or distributing):
- Referral Partner
- Co-Seller (runs the co-selling motion)
- Reseller
- Distributor
- OEM
- VAR
- VAD
- Broker
Marketing (builds awareness, education, and lead generation):
Service (delivers or supports operational functions):
- Managed Service Partner (dedicated page coming)
- Fulfillment Partner
- Solution Partner
Why Types Drive Program Design
Economics, agreements, and enablement all differ per type. A referral partner hands you a name and earns a one-time commission; it needs a light agreement and almost no training. A reseller owns the customer invoice and carries quota; it needs margin structure, deal registration, and full sales enablement. Run both on the same contract and the same payout and one of them breaks. Classify each partner by type first, then build the agreement, the compensation, and the enablement that type actually requires.
Related Guides
- Partner Categories, Partner Types, Partner Business: The full classification framework
- Referral, Co-Seller, Reseller: How three channel types differ in agreements, margins, and enablement