The Channel Mechanism That Makes Marketplace Work for Partners
Channel Partner Private Offers (CPPO) is one of the most powerful and least understood features of AWS Marketplace. It lets your channel partners — resellers, VARs, distributors, and managed service providers — create private offers for your product on your behalf, add their own margin, and close deals through the marketplace transaction infrastructure.
How CPPO Works
CPPO creates a three-party transaction flow:
- ISV authorizes a channel partner and sets a wholesale price
- Channel Partner creates a private offer to the end customer with their markup added
- Customer accepts the offer through their AWS account and pays the partner price
- AWS disburses the wholesale price to the ISV and the margin to the channel partner
The customer sees the channel partner as the seller. AWS handles the billing mechanics. The ISV receives their wholesale price without managing the customer relationship directly.
Why CPPO Matters for ISVs
- Activate your channel in marketplace: Partners who manage customer relationships can now close marketplace deals independently
- Scale without direct involvement: Every CPPO deal a partner closes requires no direct ISV sales involvement at close
- Committed spend eligibility preserved: CPPO purchases count toward EDP, giving partners a compelling procurement story
- Margin transparency: You set the wholesale floor. Partners set their markup. No ambiguity.
Setting Up CPPO
- Have an active, transactable listing on AWS Marketplace
- Authorize specific channel partners through the AMMP console
- Set wholesale pricing for each authorized partner (can vary by partner)
- Partners create private offers from their own AWS Marketplace seller account
Best Practices
- Start with your top 3-5 channel partners, not the entire partner ecosystem
- Set clear wholesale pricing guidelines — avoid margin conflicts
- Create a CPPO playbook for partners with step-by-step instructions
- Track CPPO deals separately from direct marketplace deals in your CRM
- Run quarterly reviews with top CPPO partners to optimize the motion
CPPO vs. Direct Private Offers
Use direct private offers when your sales team manages the customer relationship. Use CPPO when a channel partner owns the relationship and you want them to close through marketplace.
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Book a Working Session →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the topics covered in this guide.
What is AWS CPPO?
CPPO, or Channel Partner Private Offers, is an AWS Marketplace feature that lets authorized channel partners create private offers for your product on your behalf. The partner adds their margin, the ISV sets the wholesale price, and AWS handles billing and disbursement.
How does CPPO differ from a standard private offer?
Standard private offers are created directly by the ISV for the end customer. CPPO adds a third party: the channel partner creates the offer, sets the customer price including their margin, and manages the customer relationship while the ISV receives their wholesale price.
Do CPPO purchases count toward AWS EDP?
Yes. CPPO purchases on AWS Marketplace count toward the customer's Enterprise Discount Program commitments, giving partners a compelling procurement story when selling to enterprise buyers with committed AWS spend.
How many partners should I start with for CPPO?
Best practice is to start with your top 3 to 5 channel partners rather than the entire partner ecosystem. This lets you refine the process, set clear wholesale pricing guidelines, and build a CPPO playbook before scaling.
Keep building your marketplace motion
More AWS Marketplace guides for ISVs building their channel motion.
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