This guide covers all approved customer billing arrangements. Before committing to any arrangement with a customer, confirm it is listed here. If a prospect asks for something not covered, do not attempt to create a custom arrangement — guide them toward the available option that best fits their need.
Pricing defaults (apply to all options unless a contract overrides):
• Kit pricing defaults to current system pricing
• Shipping pricing defaults to current system pricing
• Students always pay for expedited shipping out of pocket at time of order, regardless of billing arrangement
• Non-standard pricing that overrides system pricing must be approved by sales leadership before being quoted
Credit application requirement:
• A completed credit application is required for all new customers before any billing arrangement other than direct student credit card can be set up. There are a few exceptions to this requirement including government entities or if a school intends to prepay.
• Otherwise, this applies broadly across all options — if in doubt, a credit application should be on file
• See the Credit Application KB article for the document
Minimum order quantities:
• There are no minimum order quantity or enrollment size requirements at this time across any option
Quick Reference Guide
Use this table for a fast overview. See the detailed sections below for full parameters and guidance.
| # | Option | Who Pays SI | PO Required? | Special Set-up? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Direct Student Credit Card | Student | No | No |
| 2 | Bulk Purchase (PO or CC) | Bookstore/School | Yes or CC | No |
| 3 | Prepaid Vouchers | Bookstore/School | Yes or CC | No |
| 4 | Blanket Purchase Order | Bookstore/School | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Inclusive Access (Vital Source/Kortext/Redshelf) | Platform (billed monthly on redemptions) | No | Yes |
| 6A | Summary Invoice - Drop Ship/Course Fee | Bookstore/School | No | Yes |
| 6B | Summary Invoice - No Voucher | Bookstore/School | No | Yes |
| 7 | Subsidy/Cost Sharing - LEGACY ONLY | Shared by student and Bookstore/School | No | Yes |
Students order kits directly on the SI ecommerce site and pay by credit card at checkout. No institutional billing involved.
Best for: Individual students; courses with no institutional billing arrangement.
Parameters
• No PO required
• No special setup required
• Student pays full kit price plus shipping at checkout
Sales Guidance
• ✅ Can offer standard system pricing; direct students to the ecommerce site
• ✅ Can provide a purchasing link or integrated through LMS
• ❌ Cannot offer discounted pricing without sales leadership approval
• ❌ Cannot offer deferred or invoiced billing to a student
The bookstore or school purchases kits in bulk upfront. Kits ship to the institution or bookstore, which distributes to students.
Best for: Bookstores stocking inventory; schools purchasing kits for departmental distribution.
Parameters
• Payment (PO or credit card) required before fulfillment
• All bookstore orders require a PO sent to [email protected]
• Kits ship to the institution — not drop shipped to individual students
• No minimum order quantity or volume discount thresholds at this time — however, any request for special system setup in connection with a bulk purchase should be evaluated for whether a minimum makes sense before committing
Sales Guidance
• ✅ Can offer standard or contract pricing; bulk ship-to-institution
• ❌ Cannot fulfill without a PO or payment on file
• ❌ Cannot drop ship to students under this arrangement (see Options 6A/6B)
The bookstore or school purchases voucher codes upfront. Codes are distributed to students, who redeem them on the SI ecommerce site. SI ships directly to students upon redemption.
Best for: Schools or bookstores that want to pre-fund student access without holding physical inventory.
Parameters
• Full payment (PO or credit card) required before codes are issued
• Codes are single-use and expire within 1 year of issuance
Sales Guidance
• ✅ Can offer prepaid vouchers on standard or contract pricing
• ❌ Cannot issue codes before payment or a valid PO is received
SI issues voucher codes or kit access in advance based on an estimated enrollment. The school or bookstore is billed after the semester based on actual enrollment or orders received — not on codes issued upfront.
Best for: Established accounts with predictable enrollment volumes; courses where enrollment may fluctuate.
Parameters
• Blanket PO must be on file before codes are distributed
• Enrollment forecast is provided by the school or bookstore at setup
• The school or bookstore manages code distribution on their end; internally, the Bookstores team creates and sends the codes to the school — typically within 48 hours of the PO being received
• Billing is based on actual orders/redemptions — there is no penalty or adjustment process if final enrollment comes in higher or lower than the advance quantity
• There is no standard reconciliation window at this time
Sales Guidance
• ✅ Can offer to accounts with a signed blanket PO on file
• ✅ Billing reflects actual usage — customers will not be held to the forecast quantity
• ❌ Cannot issue codes before a blanket PO is received
• ❌ Cannot guarantee pricing lock without a formal contract
• ❌ Cannot commit to a specific reconciliation timeline or overage process — escalate to Steve Martin (Finance) if asked
Used for inclusive access, total access, or equitable access courses. The school adopts the kit through the platform. SI loads codes based on enrollment forecast. Students access kits through the platform. SI is billed monthly based on redemptions.
Best for: Courses running inclusive/total/equitable access programs through an active platform agreement.
Note: VitalSource and Kortext have different processes. Redshelf operates similarly to VitalSource. See details below. For full VitalSource setup documentation, refer to the VitalSource KB article.
Parameters
• Course adoption must be confirmed through VitalSource before any codes are loaded — no adoption, no codes
• If VitalSource is mentioned during adoption, do not quote a final price — pricing is subject to VitalSource mark-ups and will be confirmed after product setup in VitalSource Manage
• No PO required from the school; VitalSource manages the financial relationship
• Codes are loaded manually with a 10–15% buffer above enrollment estimate — aim to load approximately 30 days before the semester start date
• SI is billed monthly by VitalSource for all codes sold or redeemed, minus any returns or dropped students — no additional enrollment reporting is needed from the bookstore or instructor
• Before each new semester, Sales Support reviews all class starts marked as VitalSource in CRM and loads codes based on enrollment numbers on file
Required information to collect at adoption
1. Product number / ISBN
1. School or distributor name in VitalSource
2. Enrollment estimate
Once collected, send to the bookstores team to complete product setup in VitalSource Manage.
Pricing structure in VitalSource
• Digital List Price (bookstore or VitalSource store sales): (SI Retail Price x 1.3) + Shipping & Handling
• Custom Price (inclusive access or direct-to-school): (SI Retail Price x 1.15 + Shipping & Handling
CRM: Mark the opportunity's Primary Order Method as Voucher/Redemption Code and set Codes Distributed By to VitalSource.
Parameters
• Kortext operates primarily with Follett Bookstores
• Currently, Kortext has been initiating contact with SI directly when a new adoption comes through — there is no formal inbound sales process documented yet
• If a customer or bookstore raises Kortext as a requested option, treat it similarly to VitalSource: collect the product number/ISBN, school/distributor name, and enrollment estimate, then escalate internally to confirm setup
• A formal Kortext process is pending documentation — do not commit to specific timelines or steps beyond what is outlined above
Note for sales: If a customer asks about Kortext, do not decline — let them know it is supported and that you will coordinate the setup details internally. Loop in bookstores team to confirm next steps until a full process is documented.
All Platforms — Sales Guidance
• ✅ Can offer inclusive access setup through VitalSource, Kortext, or Redshelf for eligible courses
• ✅ Monthly billing based on net redemptions — no PO required
• ❌ Cannot load codes without a confirmed platform adoption
• ❌ Cannot quote a final price for VitalSource orders before product setup is complete in VitalSource Manage
• ❌ Cannot guarantee specific code quantities without a confirmed enrollment figure
• ❌ Cannot bypass the platform adoption workflow to fulfill direct to the school
Can a school participate without going through their bookstore? Yes, though it is not common.
In both sub-types below, the school or bookstore is billed periodically for all orders placed.
Required before any summary invoice arrangement can go live:
1. Supervisor approval + Billing Exception Request — Discuss with your supervisor first. If approved, submit the Billing Exception Request form. Accounting and senior management will review and reply with a decision. A credit application must be on file for every approval.
2. Systems team setup for 6b— Once approved, submit a setup request to [email protected]. Allow at least 2 weeks for setup — do not commit to a go-live date until setup is confirmed.
For full process details, see the Billing Exception Request KB article.
6A: Drop Ship / Course Fee
Kits are shipped directly to individual students based on excel files of addresses provided by school or through orders submitted via API. The school or bookstore is billed via summary invoice covering all orders shipped in the period, including shipping charges. Also used for course fee arrangements where kit cost is bundled into fees collected by the school.
Best for: Schools billing kit costs through course fees; institutions that want to handle student billing internally; accounts where students should not see a payment screen.
Parameters
• Supervisor approval and Billing Exception Request required before setup (see above)
• Orders must be submitted used the order import file template found here
• PO or established billing account must be on file
• There is no checkout process for students.
• Billing cycle is typically monthly but can be set to semester — the rep specifies timing in the Billing Exception Request form
• No minimum volume or account type required at this time
Sales Guidance
• ✅ Can offer to any account, pending supervisor and Accounting approval
• ✅ Billing cycle (monthly or semester) can be specified in the exception request form
• ❌ Cannot commit to this arrangement without supervisor approval and a submitted Billing Exception Request
6B: Summary Invoice — No Voucher Code
Identical billing structure to 6A, but students are directed to the ecommerce site without entering any code. Instead, each account is given a unique purchasing URL tied to a specific product — students can only purchase that product through their URL. No codes are distributed.
Best for: Accounts prioritizing simplicity; situations where a voucher code adds unnecessary friction for students.
Parameters
• Supervisor approval and Billing Exception Request required before setup (see above)
• Systems team ecommerce setup required — submit to [email protected]
• PO or billing account must be on file
• Students are not charged at checkout
• Billing cycle (monthly or semester) specified in the exception request form
• No minimum volume or account type required at this time
• Each account receives a unique URL scoped to a single product — students cannot browse or order outside of that product
Sales Guidance
• ✅ Can offer to any account, pending supervisor and Accounting approval
• ✅ Billing cycle (monthly or semester) can be specified in the exception request form
• ✅ Students are automatically limited to the correct product via the unique URL — this can be positioned as a simplicity advantage
• ❌ Cannot commit to this arrangement without supervisor approval and a submitted Billing Exception Request
• ❌ Cannot commit to a go-live date until Systems team setup is confirmed (allow at least 2 weeks)
Do not offer this arrangement to any new customer or new course adoption.
Existing customers with this arrangement in place may continue under their current terms. If an existing customer raises questions about their subsidy arrangement, escalate to Steve Martin (Finance) before making any commitments.
How it worked (reference only): Students paid a pre-set portion of the kit price and/or shipping at checkout. The school or bookstore was billed monthly for the remaining portion. Both the student and institution portions had to be defined and configured in the ecommerce system before go-live.
Why it was discontinued: This model introduced complexity in both ecommerce setup and billing reconciliation. Options 6A and 6B are the preferred alternatives for institutions that want to absorb kit costs on behalf of students.
Existing subsidy accounts are grandfathered and may continue under their current terms indefinitely.
Escalation & Process Guidelines
If a prospect asks for an arrangement not covered in this guide
Do not attempt to create a custom arrangement. Review the options in this guide and present the one that best fits their need. If no option is a reasonable fit, escalate to your supervisor.
Escalate to sales leadership when:
• A customer requests pricing below standard system pricing — non-standard pricing requires sales leadership approval before being quoted
• A Blanket PO is requested from a new or unvetted account with no credit application on file
Escalate to Steve Martin (Finance) when:
• Billing or invoicing questions arise that fall outside the options in this guide
• An existing subsidy/cost-sharing customer has questions about changes to their arrangement — do not make any commitments before checking in
Coordinate with the Systems team before committing when:
• Any arrangement requiring ecommerce setup is involved (Options 6B) — get supervisor approval, submit the Billing Exception Request form, then submit a setup request to [email protected] before giving the customer a go-live date
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