A regional reseller looks like the fastest way into a new market. They already know the hotels, speak the language, understand local tax and payment rules, and can start selling next month. That is often true. It is also why the agreement matters so much: a reseller who underperforms with exclusive rights can lock you out of a region for years.

This list sets out the questions a hotel tech vendor should answer, with the reseller and internally, before signing. It draws on published reseller terms and channel research rather than theory. If you are still deciding whether to go direct or through partners at all, start with direct sales versus channel partners in hospitality.

Why the reseller question is regional

How much technology buying runs through partners varies sharply by region. In its January 2026 analysis, Omdia (which now includes Canalys) forecasts that partners will account for 78.1% of the total addressable IT market in Latin America in 2026, 72.2% in EMEA and 68.6% in Asia Pacific, against 61.1% in North America. Those are figures for all IT spend, not hotel software, but they show why a model that works direct in the US may need a partner in São Paulo or Dubai. Our post on regional differences in hotel tech covers the buyer side of the same gap.

The 12 questions

1. Is the appointment exclusive, and what does the reseller have to do to keep it?

Exclusivity is the most expensive thing you can give away. SiteMinder's published reseller terms appoint resellers as "authorised, non-exclusive" for a defined territory, and state that SiteMinder may itself, or through others, sell in the territory and elsewhere. If you do grant exclusivity, tie it to targets and make it lapse automatically when they are missed.

2. What exactly is the territory and the segment?

Define the territory by country or region and, where relevant, by segment. A reseller strong with independent hotels in one country may have no access to the regional chains or management companies there. Keep the right to sell direct to groups that span several territories, and see how to set sales territories for the internal side of the same decision.

3. What is the minimum commitment, and when is it reviewed?

A reseller without a minimum is a listing, not a channel. SiteMinder's terms show one way to structure it: the reseller pays the greater of accrued fees or a minimum fee, which can be calculated from a minimum property count. After the first nine months, SiteMinder reviews progress, and if the reseller has not reached 60% of the first-year minimum fee it may terminate on 20 business days' notice, after a good-faith meeting. Copy the principle even if the numbers differ: a minimum, an early checkpoint and a clear consequence.

4. Who sets the end price, and how does the money flow?

There are two common models. In a buy-resell model, the reseller pays you and invoices the hotel. SiteMinder's terms say the reseller independently sets end-user prices, must pay SiteMinder regardless of whether the hotel pays, and pays invoices within 30 days. In a referral model, you invoice the hotel and pay the partner a commission. Decide which one you want before discussing percentages, and check the result against your own pricing model so a reseller discount does not undercut your direct price list.

5. Whose brand does the hotel see?

Some programmes keep the vendor brand visible; others hide it. SiteMinder requires co-branding as "[Reseller product] powered by SiteMinder" and that SiteMinder is clearly identified as the developer and provider. MiniHotel's reseller programme takes the opposite approach for its white-label offer: "Your domain, your logo, your colors. Your clients will never know we exist." Neither is wrong, but a white-label deal means the reseller, not you, builds the brand in that region.

6. Who owns the customer if the agreement ends?

This is the question vendors most often leave vague. Write down who holds each hotel's contract, who has the data and what happens to live properties if the reseller agreement ends: do they move to you, stay with the reseller on existing terms, or have a transition period? SiteMinder's terms include a mutual non-solicit: SiteMinder does not actively solicit the reseller's end users to buy direct, and the reseller does not actively solicit existing SiteMinder customers.

7. Who provides first-line support, and to what standard?

Local-language support is often the main reason to use a reseller. Decide whether the reseller provides first-line support, what response times apply and how issues escalate to your team. SiteMinder's terms allow for "Reseller Provided Support" as an option set in the order. If the reseller supports, require trained, certified staff and access to their ticket data so you can see what hotels are struggling with.

8. Who runs onboarding and implementation?

A poor implementation in a new region damages your reputation faster than a lost deal. Agree who configures properties, who trains staff and how you check quality. Give the reseller your onboarding playbook and measure their customers' activation the same way you measure your own, using the signals in a customer health score.

9. Who answers security and data protection questions?

Hotel groups increasingly send security questionnaires, and these slow deals everywhere. G2's 2026 Buyer Behavior Report found IT security review is the single biggest source of delay, cited by 39% of buyers overall and 50% of enterprise buyers. Decide who completes questionnaires, who is the data processor and how personal data flows between hotel, reseller and you. Our guide to answering a hotel security questionnaire covers the content.

10. Does the reseller also sell competing products?

Many resellers carry a portfolio. Omdia's research notes that partners now typically operate at least three business models, such as resale, managed services and professional services, and that customers work with 6.3 partners on average. Ask which other hotel products they sell, whether any overlap with yours and how they decide what to recommend. A non-compete may be unrealistic; transparency is not.

11. What reporting and forecasts will you receive?

You cannot manage a region you cannot see. Require a monthly pipeline report, a list of live properties and early warning of churn risk. SiteMinder's terms oblige resellers to provide forecasts on request. Agree the format before signing, and feed it into the same pipeline leading indicators you use for your direct team.

12. How long is the term, and how do either of you exit?

Look at renewal, notice and termination together. SiteMinder's order terms renew automatically for 12-month periods unless either party gives notice of non-renewal at least six months before expiry, and either party may terminate immediately for a material breach not remedied within ten business days. Shorter initial terms with renewal tied to performance are easier to live with in a region you do not yet understand.

A quick scorecard before you sign

A reseller agreement is a reach decision inside the wider GTM system, covered in our hotel tech GTM strategy guide, and it works best alongside a clear plan for entering a new country.

If you are weighing a reseller because direct growth has stalled, check where the funnel is leaking first. The free GTM leak audit shows whether the problem is reach, conversion or retention before you hand a region to someone else.

Frequently Asked Questions