How to become an authorized distributor: qualification, credit, stocking and RMA requirements
Updated
OEM channel admission requirements for authorized distributors: qualification packets, credit and Letters of Credit, inventory reporting, and local RMA capability.
Becoming an authorized distributor requires submitting the OEM qualification packet, clearing trade credit or Letter of Credit underwriting, maintaining segment inventory with regular POS/stock reporting, and staffing local RMA and warranty flow-down. Under the PartnerEmpower Americas Distribution Agreement, Motorola Solutions grants a non-exclusive right to buy at specified discounts for resale to authorized Resellers in the territory, while barring direct sales to End-Users, brokers, catalogue sellers, or telemarketers.
Use this guide when you are preparing an OEM or wholesale distributor application packet for IT, networking, industrial, or security hardware. Work the qualification, credit, stocking and RMA sections below against the brand’s current program documents, then keep the written responses with your company file. Start supplier research in the distributor directory and compare evidence labels with official vs source-supported relationships.
Assemble the qualification packet and channel appointment
To qualify under the PartnerEmpower Americas Distribution Agreement Section 3.3, Distributor shall submit a Distributor application, credit application, tax exempt certificate, education profile, and product marketing plan.
Subsequent to initial submittal and prior to a renewal term, Distributor shall provide Motorola Solutions with semi-annual updates to its product marketing plan.
The initial term of the Distribution Agreement is 12 months from execution, with automatic 12-month renewals, except that Motorola Solutions may request Distributor to update Section 3 qualification information to qualify for a renewal term.
Distributor shall have sufficient staffing and capabilities to promote and sell Products to Resellers through its qualified sales force and maintain a dedicated Motorola Solutions marketing person.
Customer support services such as help desk, product configuration, diagnostics installation support and technical support are required from Distributor as defined in the Program Elements.
Distributor shall attend and complete certification training for all Product platforms and Products to be resold, and is responsible for all expenses it incurs for Product training.
Distributor shall advise Motorola Solutions in writing at least 30 days prior to the effective date of a Change of Control or a change in main place of business outside the Territory.
A Change of Control is deemed to occur upon beneficial ownership of more than 50% of combined voting power or the first purchase of 50% or more of Distributor's common stock pursuant to a tender or exchange offer.
Any assignment of obligations under the Distribution Agreement to an Affiliate or third party requires prior notice received by the other Party 90 days in advance of taking effect.
MikroTik organizes the sale of products and services through an international network of 400+ companies selling its products across 120+ countries around the world.
To become a distributor of MikroTik products, an applicant must have an interview with a MikroTik Sales representative, discuss goals and sales policies, have a MikroTik certified technical support specialist with at least an MTCNA level certificate, place regular orders, ensure adequate turnaround, and have quarterly calls.
As part of its Know-Your-Customer extended policy, MikroTik has a contract on AML/KYC risk assessment with Accuity, an international data analytics company whose services are used by banks worldwide.
ADI Global Distribution US sells to licensed installers and dealers only (not direct to end users), verifies company information within 1-2 business days before allowing online or mobile app orders, and does not require a minimum annual spend to become or remain a customer.
Under Rockwell Automation publication PN-SP010B-EN-E (July 2019), each local Allen-Bradley distributor is authorized in a specific geographic territory.
Browse published channel records in the distributor directory and use how to verify a distributor before treating any listing as order-ready.
Clear credit underwriting, trade references and Letters of Credit
ADI Global Distribution US extends credit based on an Equifax report and references (with audited financials potentially required for larger credit lines), offers Net 30 as standard credit terms for most new customers upon qualification, and requires customers without a credit line to pay in full upon receiving their order.
On ADI Global Distribution US's 2025 credit application forms (US_SHORT_FORM_APPLICATION_2025.pdf and USLongForm2025.pdf), the page 2 title of the short form is for a low limit under $25,000 and the long form is for a high limit greater than $25,000, while neither states which file to use at exactly $25,000.
On ADI Global Distribution US's credit application PDFs, page 1 states a processing goal of three business days, Section D on page 3 requires at least three trade references for credit-terms applications, the long form adds guarantor banking (Section C2) and a guarantee (Section I, signed on page 6), and denied applicants may request a written statement of reasons within 60 days (sent by ADI within 30 days).
Motorola Solutions reserves the right to revoke any credit extended to Distributor if payment is in arrears on an undisputed invoice for more than 30 days after notice, and discrepancies must be reported in writing within 20 days of receipt of Products or the invoice, whichever occurs later.
In the Brazil Participation Agreement, ScanSource Brasil must transmit official tax receipts for Withholding Tax within 10 business days of payment, and if not received within 60 days of the invoice date, Motorola Ltda. may invoice ScanSource Brasil for such Withholding Tax.
The U.S. International Trade Administration (Trade.gov) identifies five primary methods of payment for international transactions: cash-in-advance, letters of credit, documentary collections, open account (where payment in international sales is typically due in 30, 60 or 90 days after goods are shipped and delivered), and consignment.
According to Trade.gov, a Letter of Credit is a contractual commitment by the foreign buyer's bank to pay once the exporter ships the goods and presents required documentation, recommended in higher-risk situations, when the importer's credit is unacceptable or unavailable, or when dealing with a new trade relationship.
Under ICC UCP 600, Articles 1, 4 and 5 (for documentary credits that expressly incorporate it), banks examine stipulated documents separately from the sale contract and the goods inspection.
Use the ADI credit application form checklist to assemble the short-form or long-form packet before you submit banking and trade references.
Stock inventory, report POS, and keep EDI records
Distributor shall order and maintain at all times sufficient inventory of Products in any authorized Technology Segment to support anticipated market demand, sales efforts, and forecasts.
Distributor shall furnish Motorola Solutions with weekly (or other specified intervals) inventory reports, sales-out reports, and required Reseller information in a prescribed format.
Distributor shall furnish purchase forecasts at prescribed intervals and, upon reasonable prior written notice, allow Motorola Solutions to conduct a physical inventory in any stocking location.
Distributor may only sell Products (other than Open Products) to authorized Program Members and undertakes not to purchase Products from third parties outside the Territory.
A Purchase Order must specify calendar shipment date, delivery and billing location, Product model number and description, part number, quantity, unit List Price, authorized discount, and resale/tax ID number.
Distributor submits Purchase Orders via EDI or approved electronic ordering, Motorola Solutions acknowledges receipt within 5 business days, and requested shipping dates cannot be later than 6 months from the Order date.
A complete and chronological record of all electronically transmitted EDI data exchanged in a trade transaction/Order must be stored unaltered and securely by each Party for a minimum of seven years following completion of the transaction.
Under the OEM Distributor Addendum, Standard OEM Products are eligible for stock rotation and qualify for Co-op Funds or rebate calculations, whereas Custom OEM Products are not subject to return and are not eligible for Co-op Funds or rebate calculations.
In SEC Exhibit 10.59 (Zebra PartnerConnect Program Amendment), commercial terms denoted by [*****] are excluded as confidential information under Item 601(b) of Regulation S-K because public disclosure would likely cause competitive harm.
Any proposed use of Motorola Solutions Trademarks by Distributor that has not been approved within 10 business days by Motorola Solutions shall be deemed not approved.
Scroll horizontally to see all table columns on smaller screens.
| Obligation | Contractual control |
|---|---|
| Inventory depth | Keep continuous stock across appointed technology segments matched to demand and sales forecasts. |
| POS & stock reporting | Deliver weekly or scheduled inventory, sales-out, and reseller reports in the OEM-prescribed format. |
| Forecasts and physical audits | Submit periodic purchase forecasts and permit on-site warehouse counts upon prior written notice. |
| EDI archive window | Archive chronological electronic order records unedited for at least 7 years post-transaction. |
Build local RMA, warranty flow-down and repair capacity
Product warranties are extended only to the original End User (not to Distributor or any Reseller), while an out-of-box Product failure is eligible for duplicate Product exchange or credit.
Under the Zebra PartnerConnect Program Amendment, ScanSource must flow down Zebra's standard T&Cs to Resellers; Resellers must include those T&Cs in binding End User contracts and indemnify Zebra for unauthorized warranty representations.
An OEM Distributor must employ dedicated resources for pre-sales configuration, order and delivery management, and post-sales technical support, and maintain dead-on-arrival with advanced exchange, Symbol RMA coordination, demo equipment, and on-site configuration (private labeling, software/firmware loading, kitting, bulk packing).
Under MikroTik's Warranty and RMA procedure, end users who purchased a device from an official distributor must contact the seller regarding warranty terms, whereas distributors use the RMA system at their distributor account for devices purchased from MikroTik directly.
Under Ubiquiti Inc.'s Limited Product Warranty (updated October 9, 2020), Ubiquiti offers product warranties to end users only on products purchased from an authorized Ubiquiti distributor or reseller or official Ubiquiti webstore accompanied by an RMA, with a Warranty Period of two years after delivery for direct Webstore purchases and one year after shipment to the authorized distributor or reseller.
Under Ubiquiti Inc.'s Limited Product Warranty, warranty coverage does not apply if a product is not received by Ubiquiti within 90 days of RMA issuance, and returned products must arrive freight prepaid with an RMA number and valid proof of purchase or they will not be processed and will be subject to disposal.
Under Zebra Knowledge Center Article ID 000020116, a purchase order must be received within 30 days of a repair quote or the unit is returned unrepaired, target Turn Around Time (TAT) for warranty and T&M repairs is 10 business days at Zebra (excluding public holidays or transit time), and defective units must be sent within 30 days of RMA issuance to avoid system auto-cancellation.
Under Zebra Knowledge Center Article ID 000016920 (April 2, 2026), registering for the Zebra Support Center does not provide automatic access to the Repair Order Portal, a six-digit verification code sent from autoreply@zebra.com must be entered within 10 minutes, and associating a new account with a company for full access to the Support Center and Repair Portal takes 1-2 business days.
Under Rockwell Automation publication PN-SP010B-EN-E (July 2019), Rockwell Automation's warranty is limited to products purchased directly from Rockwell Automation or an authorized distributor, and Rockwell Automation does not accept warranty returns processed through unauthorized resellers, and does not knowingly accept repair orders from unauthorized resellers or other independent repair organizations.
Either Party may terminate the Distribution Agreement without cause upon at least 30 days prior written notice, or upon 30 days written notice if a material breach is not cured within 20 business days.
For brand-specific receiving checks, compare the Zebra authorized distributor verification guide, the Rockwell Automation distributor verification guide, and the Ubiquiti authorized distributor verification guide.
Confirm federal and telecom compliance gates when they apply
In U.S. Federal Government sales, Distributor is prohibited from selling directly to Federal Governmental Entities, and Motorola Solutions may provide a GSA Letter of Supply (LoS) on a case-by-case basis to Resellers only, not for direct Federal sales by Distributor.
Under FAR 52.204-25 (Nov 2021), covered telecommunications and video surveillance equipment includes Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company.
Under FAR 52.204-25(d)(2), a Federal contractor identifying covered telecommunications equipment during contract performance shall report supplier name, brand/model and other (d)(2)(i) details within 1 business day of identification or notification; within 10 business days of submitting that report, submit any further available information about mitigation actions undertaken or recommended and describe prevention efforts.
Under 47 CFR § 2.903, equipment on the FCC Covered List (pursuant to § 1.50002) is prohibited from obtaining an FCC equipment authorization, where an affiliate is defined by an equity interest of 10 percent or more and a subsidiary is defined by de facto control or ownership/control of more than 50 percent of outstanding voting stock.
In our distributor directory, we list 446 published distributors.
In our channel records, a brand-confirmed relationship comes from a direct brand statement, a source-supported relationship comes from the brand's own published directory or announcement, and other company claims remain attributed to their source.
Read how directory evidence is labeled on Quality & Project Documentation before treating a listing as brand-confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
What documents belong in an OEM distributor qualification packet under the PartnerEmpower Americas Distribution Agreement?
Section 3.3 requires five initial filings—a distributor application, credit application, tax-exempt certificate, education profile, and product marketing plan—followed by semi-annual marketing-plan updates before renewal.
Which ADI US credit form applies under or over a $25,000 limit?
ADI Global Distribution US uses its 2025 short form (US_SHORT_FORM_APPLICATION_2025.pdf) for credit limits below $25,000 and its long form (USLongForm2025.pdf) for limits above $25,000; contact ADI Credit directly if requesting exactly $25,000.
How long must EDI order records be retained under the PartnerEmpower Americas Distribution Agreement?
Both parties must keep a complete, unaltered chronological archive of all EDI trade transactions for at least seven years after each order completes.
What RMA windows apply on Ubiquiti and Zebra repair portals?
Ubiquiti requires freight-prepaid returns with valid proof of purchase to arrive within 90 days of RMA issuance. Zebra requires defective hardware to ship within 30 days of RMA creation (or the ticket auto-cancels) and targets a 10-business-day repair turnaround.
Prepare your distributor application brief with our team
Send your channel admission or sourcing brief to our team. Include the target OEM or wholesale program, requested territory or product segments, credit-limit range, and whether you need stocking, RMA, or federal compliance checks.
Sources
U.S. SEC EDGAR — PartnerConnect EVM Base Distribution Agreement
U.S. SEC EDGAR — Zebra PartnerConnect Program Amendment to Distribution Agreement
MikroTik — Becoming a distributor
MikroTik — Warranty and RMA Procedure
Ubiquiti Inc. — Limited Product Warranty
Zebra Knowledge Center — Terms & Conditions for Requesting Repair
Zebra Knowledge Center — Site Guide: How to Register for a Zebra Support Center Account
ADI Global Distribution US — Becoming a Customer FAQ
ADI Global Distribution US — Credit FAQs
DistributorIndex — ADI credit application form checklist
Rockwell Automation — Authorized Allen-Bradley Distributors / Smart Sourcing of Allen-Bradley Products
U.S. International Trade Administration (Trade.gov) — Methods of Payment
U.S. International Trade Administration (Trade.gov) — Letters of Credit
DistributorIndex — How to verify a distributor
U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulation — Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment
U.S. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — Prohibition on authorization of equipment on the Covered List
DistributorIndex — Distributor directory
DistributorIndex — Verification Policy