How to become an LS Retail Indirect Reseller
All Partners selling LS Retail Software Products as an embedded cloud solution (LS Express, LS Nav, and LS First) are required to have an active Indirect Reseller account in the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider program (“CSP”) that is linked to LS Retail’s Indirect Provider account. The Indirect Reseller account allows LS Retail Partners to manage their customers’ subscriptions and qualifies them for enrolment into Microsoft’s incentives programs.
The process of setting up and linking an Indirect Reseller account with LS Retail depends on how/if the Partner is already set up in Microsoft CSP. Please read through this document carefully and review Microsoft’s documentation before beginning the process. LS Retail’s Partner Operations Team (pops@lsretail.com) is happy to help with any issues that may arise.
1. Things to consider before setting up the account
The process of setting up an Indirect Reseller account differs between Partners depending on their existing status with Microsoft and LS Retail. To avoid delays in the process, please bear the following in mind:
- Partners who are new to Microsoft will need to Join the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) before setting up an Indirect Reseller account.
- To enroll in CSP as an Indirect Reseller, Partners will need a CSP account with Microsoft associated to an MPN ID.
- Partners who are already enrolled in CSP as Direct Resellers and plan to continue selling directly to customers not using LS Retail Software need to set up a separate Indirect Reseller CSP account associated with separate MPN ID.
- Partners who are already enrolled in CSP as Direct Resellers and will no longer sell directly to customers can transition their account to Indirect Reseller without creating a new tenet.
- Partners must wait 24 hours before enrolling as an Indirect Reseller after creating a new MPN ID.
- LS Retail will only share relationship request URLs with Partners with an LS Retail Partner Agreement, authorizing them to sell LS Retail solutions in CSP.
- Certain rights and permissions with Microsoft are required to proceed with each step of the process, these include: global admin rights on MPN, global admin rights on CSP, and an individual authorized to sign on behalf of your organization.
- To create the CSP account (step #2 of the Instructions) you will need to have the following ready before clicking the link: global administrator credentials for your work account, log-in details for the Partner Membership Center site, and your organization’s legal business name, primary contact, and support details.
2. Instructions
The following steps are needed to set up a new Indirect Reseller account with Microsoft:
- If you need a new MPN ID, log into partners.microsoft.com and create either a new organization or a new location under your organization depending on your MPN hierarchy. In most cases this would be a new location, but it depends on your organization’s set-up with Microsoft. Note that MPN IDs can only be created by individuals with global admin rights in Partner Membership Center/Partner Dashboard.
- To create a new CSP account and associate it with the MPN ID, fill in the form to apply to become an Indirect Reseller here. This process must be done by a person authorized to act on behalf of your organization. You will receive a confirmation email once the account is ready, but it can take between 2-12 days for Microsoft to process.
- Once the Indirect Reseller account is ready, you will need to accept an invitation from LS Retail and authorize LS Retail to be your Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider. Please send an email to pops@lsretail.com with the MPN ID for the Indirect Reseller account to request an Invitation link/URL.
- Copy the link from LS Retail into a browser (we recommend that you use in-private browsing and clear your cache) and accept the invitation. Please note, this must be done by someone with global admin rights on the Indirect Reseller account in CSP.
Transitioning a Direct Reseller account to an Indirect Reseller account can be done from the Partner Center dashboard. Instructions can be found here. Once the Indirect Reseller account is ready, begin at step 3 above to associate it with LS Retail’s Indirect Provider account. Note that once Direct Reseller account has been transitioned it cannot be changed back.
3. Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will accepting the reseller-relationship affect existing relationships in CSP?
A: No. Indirect Resellers can be associated with multiple Indirect Providers.
Q: We already have a Direct Bill Partner account in CSP. Why do we need a separate Indirect Reseller account?
A: Only Indirect Reseller accounts can accept the reseller-relationship link. Information on how to set one up can be found on the How to become an Indirect Reseller with LS Retail page on the Portal.
Q: Do Indirect Resellers earn incentives from Microsoft for CSP sales?
A: Yes. Indirect Resellers are eligible to earn global rates, local accelerators, global strategic accelerators and customer adds. More information is available from the CSP Indirect Reseller Incentive Resources on Partner Center
4. Additional Resources
We strongly encourage our Partners to carefully review all related LS Retail and Microsoft documentation before beginning the process of enrolling as an Indirect Reseller.
Microsoft links
LS Retail links (Portal login required)