When an instructor or bookstore sends a request to adopt a product through Vital Source, the rep should request the following information from the school:

1. The product number/ISBN for the course
2. The school/distributor name in Vital Source
3. Enrollment estimate

Once this information is received, send to [email protected] to complete product setup in Vital Source Manage. 

In order for a product to be adopted by a school for distribution through Vital Source, the product must be set up in Vital Source first. 

There are 4 key pieces of the product setup in Vital Source. 

1. Product Metadata - Imported into Manage using a data import template. Information includes product number (ISBN), description, publication date, etc.
2. Pricing - Two tiered pricing is available through Vital Source.
   1. Digital List Price - Pricing when products are sold through a school bookstore or Vital Source store. Calculated as (SI Retail Price x 1.3) + Shipping & Handling).
   2. Custom Price - Pricing when products are being using in Inclusive Access or other direct to school option. Calculated as (SI Retail Price x 1.15) + Shipping & Handling).
3. Distributor - The school or bookstore must be granted distribution rights within Manage along with their custom price in order to adopt.
4. Codes - Voucher codes are needed with a 10–15% buffer above enrollment estimate. This buffer accounts for late adds and schedule changes. If codes run short mid-semester, contact [email protected] immediately to load additional codes — do not wait for the next scheduled review.

Vital Source delivers content through major learning management systems, including Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace (D2L), and Moodle. Students access their materials directly within the LMS on Day 1 without needing to visit a separate site.

If a school's IT team raises questions about LMS integration or single sign-on (SSO) setup, direct them to success.vitalsource.com or the Publisher Team contact above.

Vital Source Inclusive Access uses a student opt-out model: all enrolled students receive access by default and are billed through their student account or financial aid. Students may opt out if they prefer to source materials elsewhere.

When a student opts out or drops the course, Vital Source removes them from the billing count. This is handled automatically — no action is required from the school, bookstore, or SI rep.

Vital Source bills Science Interactive monthly for all codes sold in their system minus any returned codes. For inclusive access, Vital Source bills Science Interactive monthly for enrollment in the course minus any dropped students.There is no additional requirement from a bookstore or instructor to send enrollment information or reporting. 

Mark the 'Primary Order Method' on your opportunity as Voucher/Redemption Code and designate Vital Source as the option for 'Codes Distributed By.' This ensures codes will be loaded in the right system prior to your class start and confirms that no purchase order should be expected.

Before the start of each new semester, sales support will review all class starts marked with "Vital Source" as the distribution method and load voucher codes in quantities that exceed the enrollment numbers reviewed in the CRM.

Reps should use CRM tasks to flag any enrollment changes or course cancellations as early as possible so that code quantities can be adjusted before the semester review.

• Akademos stores follow standard Vital Source setup. Use the Akademos-specific contact for adoptions.
• Barnes & Noble stores use a dedicated operations contact ([email protected]) and may have additional lead time requirements.
• For any other bookstore not listed above, confirm with Bookstores whether they are an active Vital Source distributor before promising availability to the school.