Why Partners Leave Rebate Money on the Table
Most IT partners capture only a fraction of the rebates they earn. Here are the seven quiet places the money leaks - and the partner-side fix for each.
Practical writing for technology partners: what changed in each vendor's program and what it means for your payouts, how to capture more rebate and MDF, and the channel strategy behind it - from the partner's perspective.
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Most IT partners capture only a fraction of the rebates they earn. Here are the seven quiet places the money leaks - and the partner-side fix for each.
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During FY26 Microsoft rebuilt CSP incentives into three levers, then applied the new rules retroactively and re-ran the numbers. Paid is not always final.
Certifications are the currency vendors use to gate your rebates. Cisco's terms forfeit an accelerator the moment eligibility is lost. Dell moves tiers only at its annual audit. Here is what each program documents, and where the terms leave partners guessing.
In the Lenovo 360 structure, some rebate elements are flat and earned from the first dollar, while a narrower set scales with quarterly target attainment. Only the second group is sensitive to timing.
A channel rebate is earned money you do the work for, then collect later - and that delay is exactly why partners lose it. Here's how the mechanics really work.
Dell's announced August 2026 refresh points toward product-based rebates. Dell's published FY27 requirements do not yet reflect it. Here is what is documented today.
Cisco scrapped VIP and the metal tiers, replacing them with one CPI rebate scored per portfolio - and the H2FY26 Accelerators run out on July 25, 2026.
Book a 30-minute demo on your own vendors, or start with a rebate audit.