Quick Answer: Choosing a wholesale VoIP partner determines your margins, customer satisfaction, and business viability. Use a weighted scorecard to evaluate candidates across: pricing and margin (40% weight), technical features and SLA (30%), compliance and support (20%), and partner enablement (10%). Top-tier partners (Gamma, Zen, BT Cloud Voice) score 80-90 points. Budget or international partners score 50-70 points. A 20-point difference directly impacts profitability (3-5% margin loss on bad partner choice over 3 years). Evaluate 3-4 partners before committing.
Weighted Evaluation Scorecard: Scoring Model for Resellers
Use this scorecard to objectively evaluate wholesale VoIP partners. Weight each criterion according to your business priorities.
| Evaluation Criteria | Sub-Criteria | Weight % | Scoring (1=Poor, 5=Excellent) | Notes for Resellers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing and Margin (40%) | Per-user/trunk wholesale cost (lower is better) | 15% | Tier 1: <£4/user or £8/trunk (5). Tier 2: £4-£6/user (4). Tier 3: £6-£8/user (3). Tier 4: >£8/user (1-2). | Compare against competitor quotes. Top partners offer £3-£5/user at scale. Per-minute rates matter too: seek <£0.008/min. |
| Per-call or per-minute charges (lower is better) | 10% | Tier 1: <£0.008/min (5). Tier 2: £0.008-£0.012/min (4). Tier 3: £0.012-£0.020/min (2). Tier 4: >£0.020/min (1). | International rates vary. Seek local UK rate <£0.006/min and international <£0.010/min on key routes (USA, EU). | |
| Volume-based discounts (scale incentive) | 8% | Tier 1: Discounts kick in at <100 users; 5% discount at 500 users (5). Tier 2: Discounts at 300+ users (4). Tier 3: Discounts at 1,000+ (2). None (1). | Negotiable with larger partners. Request discount schedule in writing. This directly improves margin as you grow. | |
| Contract terms and flexibility (flexibility is better) | 5% | Tier 1: Month-to-month, no commitment (5). Tier 2: 1-year with 30-day exit (4). Tier 3: 2-year contract, 90-day exit (2). Tier 4: 3-year lock-in (1). | Avoid long-term lock-in unless you’re confident. Month-to-month contracts let you switch if service degrades. | |
| Setup fees and hidden costs (transparent is better) | 2% | Tier 1: No setup fees (5). Tier 2: <£100 setup (4). Tier 3: £100-£500 setup (2). Tier 4: >£500 or hidden charges discovered later (1). | Verify no hidden per-user activation fees, porting fees, or setup charges. Request detailed pricing in writing before signing. | |
| Technical Features and SLA (30%) | 999/112 emergency call routing certified (compliance critical) | 10% | Tier 1: Ofcom-certified, documented SLA for emergency routing (5). Tier 2: Compliant but less detailed SLA (4). Tier 3: Compliant, no SLA commitment (2). Tier 4: Not certified (1). | Non-negotiable. Verify in writing that partner is Ofcom ECN licensed and 999 compliant. Ask for their emergency call SLA. |
| Overall uptime SLA (99.5% minimum required by Ofcom) | 8% | Tier 1: 99.9% SLA guaranteed (5). Tier 2: 99.5% guaranteed (4). Tier 3: No SLA or best-effort (1-2). | Request SLA in MSA (Master Services Agreement). Verify whether penalties/credits apply if SLA breached. Top partners publish uptime on status page. | |
| Feature richness (call recording, IVR, call hunting, etc.) | 8% | Tier 1: Full PBX-like features included (call recording, IVR, hunting, call transfer, voicemail, conferencing) (5). Tier 2: Core features, some add-ons (4). Tier 3: Minimal features, heavy add-on cost (2). None (1). | Feature richness lets you differentiate and upsell. Partners like Gamma and Zen include recording; some cut-rate partners charge extra. | |
| API and integration capabilities (ease of system integration) | 4% | Tier 1: RESTful API, webhooks, third-party integrations (Salesforce, Teams, Slack native support) (5). Tier 2: Limited API, some integrations (3). Tier 3: SOAP or XML API, few integrations (2). None (1). | Modern resellers need API for billing system integration, customer portal, and third-party add-ons. Ask for API documentation before committing. | |
| Compliance and Support (20%) | GDPR and data protection compliance (UK/EU requirement) | 6% | Tier 1: ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR Data Processing Agreement (DPA) provided (5). Tier 2: ISO 27001, basic DPA (4). Tier 3: DPA provided, no certifications (2). None (1). | Mandatory for UK resellers. Request DPA and certifications before signing. Non-compliance puts customer liability on you. |
| Support availability and SLA (responsiveness to issues) | 7% | Tier 1: 24/7 support, <1 hour response, L2/L3 escalation team (5). Tier 2: 24/7 support, <4 hour response (4). Tier 3: Business hours only (2). Tier 4: No dedicated support (1). | Your customers’ issues become your support burden. Poor partner support = customer churn. Test support responsiveness during trial. | |
| Reseller enablement and training (partner readiness) | 4% | Tier 1: Dedicated reseller manager, training programmes, sales playbooks, pre-built marketing materials (5). Tier 2: Some reseller support, documentation (4). Tier 3: Minimal support, left to reseller (2). None (1). | Good partners invest in reseller success. This saves you time and money on sales/support prep. Ask about reseller academy or certification programmes. | |
| Compliance reporting and audits (for regulated verticals) | 3% | Tier 1: Regular audit reports, HIPAA/PCI-DSS certifications if applicable (5). Tier 2: Basic compliance reporting (3). Tier 3: No reporting or certs (1). | Important if targeting healthcare, finance, retail. Request their latest audit report and certifications upfront. | |
| Partner Enablement and Commercial Model (10%) | Co-selling and joint marketing (go-to-market support) | 4% | Tier 1: Partner provides co-marketing assets, joint webinars, lead sharing (5). Tier 2: Basic marketing support (3). Tier 3: No co-marketing (1). | Joint marketing reduces your customer acquisition cost. Seek partners willing to co-brand with you or provide sales leads. |
| Financial stability and roadmap (future-proofing your business) | 4% | Tier 1: Large, profitable vendor (BT, Gamma, Vodafone). Secure funding or public company (5). Tier 2: Mid-size, growing (3). Tier 3: Startup, unclear funding (1-2). | Partner failure = customer churn and business impact for you. Choose established vendors unless early-stage partner offers compelling margin offset. | |
| Roadmap visibility and product development (innovation) | 2% | Tier 1: Published product roadmap, quarterly updates, partner input solicited (5). Tier 2: Annual updates (3). Tier 3: No roadmap shared (1). | Understand where the partner is investing. Are they improving security, compliance, features? Or stagnant? |
Platform Comparison: Real Vendor Example Scoring
Illustrative scores for UK and international VoIP wholesale partners. Scores are estimates based on typical vendor positioning.
| Vendor | Pricing & Margin (40%) | Tech & SLA (30%) | Compliance & Support (20%) | Partner Enablement (10%) | Total Score (100) | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma (Reseller-Focused Tier 1) | 36/40 (per-user £3.50-£4.50, volume discounts, month-to-month) | 28/30 (99.9% SLA, full features, strong API, ISO 27001) | 19/20 (24/7 support, DPA provided, reseller academy) | 9/10 (co-marketing, published roadmap, strategic partner focus) | 92/100 | Top-tier choice. Premium pricing justified by support and features. Best for SME resellers. |
| Zen Internet (UK Tier 1) | 35/40 (per-user £4-£5, scale discounts 300+, 1-year contract) | 27/30 (99.5% SLA, core features, limited API, ISO 27001) | 18/20 (24/7 support, DPA, moderate reseller support) | 8/10 (some co-marketing, moderate roadmap transparency) | 88/100 | Strong choice. Good balance of price and support. Solid for established resellers. |
| BT Cloud Voice (Enterprise Tier 1) | 32/40 (higher per-user cost £5-£7 but scale discounts good, 2-year contract) | 29/30 (99.9% SLA, premium features, strong API, ISO 27001, SOC 2) | 19/20 (24/7 support, DPA, enterprise focus, audit reports) | 9/10 (co-marketing, roadmap, enterprise partnership focus) | 89/100 | Best for enterprise resellers. Premium features and support justify cost. Less SME-friendly pricing. |
| Vodafone (Large Carrier, Operator Connect Partner) | 33/40 (per-user £4-£6, large volume discounts, 2-year standard) | 28/30 (99.9% SLA, full features, strong API, ISO 27001) | 17/20 (enterprise support, DPA, less reseller-focused) | 7/10 (limited co-marketing, less reseller enablement) | 85/100 | Good technical choice. Large vendor stability. But enterprise-focused; less SME support. |
| Asterisk / FreePBX (Open-Source DIY) | 20/40 (software free, but hosting cost £300-£500/month high; complexity high) | 15/30 (SLA your responsibility; features require coding; no formal compliance) | 5/20 (community support, no commercial SLA, compliance your responsibility) | 2/10 (no partner support, roadmap community-driven) | 42/100 | Not recommended for resellers. High operational burden. Better for in-house deployments or MSPs with IT expertise. |
| International Budget Operator (Non-UK, High-Volume Discount) | 38/40 (very cheap per-user £2-£3, but hidden costs; long contract; no discount schedule clarity) | 18/30 (99.5% SLA on paper, basic features, limited API, no ISO cert) | 8/20 (sparse support, no DPA, compliance unknown) | 3/10 (zero reseller support, no roadmap) | 67/100 | Avoid unless desperate for margin. High risk of SLA failure, compliance issues, and hidden costs. Customer churn likely. |
| Regional Tier 2 Operator (Mid-Size, Growing) | 32/40 (per-user £4-£5, modest discounts, year-to-year) | 23/30 (99.5% SLA, moderate features, API basic, ISO 27001) | 14/20 (business hours support, DPA available, minimal reseller support) | 5/10 (no co-marketing, limited roadmap) | 74/100 | Secondary choice. Good option if Tier 1 overpriced or unavailable. Acceptable trade-off of support for cost savings. |
Commercial Model Comparison: Revenue Share vs Wholesale vs White-Label
Three common partnership models. Choose based on your growth stage and ambition.
| Commercial Model | Mechanics | Wholesale Cost to Reseller | Resale Price Authority | Reseller Margin % | Best For | Key Trade-Offs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Share (Partner Takes %, You Take %) | Partner invoices customer. Partner takes 60-70%. Reseller takes 30-40% of revenue. Partner handles billing and support escalation. | Implicit (variable based on customer spend) | Partner controls customer price. Reseller cannot customise. | 30-40% | Hands-off resellers. Minimal operational burden. Focus on sales only. | Limited pricing flexibility. Customer relationship with partner, not reseller. Hard to differentiate. Churn risk if partner relationship sours. |
| Wholesale (Reseller Invoices Customer, Reseller Buys from Partner) | Reseller buys capacity wholesale. Invoices customer. Reseller owns customer relationship and billing. | Fixed per-user or per-minute wholesale rate (e.g., £4/user/month) | Reseller sets customer price. Full control. Pricing flexibility to compete or upsell. | 25-35% (assuming £10/user retail, £6.50 wholesale = £3.50 margin) | Growing resellers with customer base 50-500+. Want to own customer relationship and control margins. | Operational overhead (customer onboarding, support, billing). Partner support is L2+ escalation only. Reseller must staff support team. |
| White-Label (Reseller Rebrands Partner Platform) | Partner provides entire platform (customer portal, billing, support infrastructure). Reseller rebrands and adds sales/customer management layer. | Fee-based or margin share. Typically £1-£3/user/month platform fee to reseller. | Reseller sets price. Full control under reseller brand. | 35-50% (if £10/user retail, £4/user wholesale, £6/user margin after partner fee) | Established resellers 200+ customers, wanting premium positioning and brand control. | Higher wholesale fee. Heavy operational involvement (customer support, billing, compliance management). Partner white-label agreement complexity. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many wholesale partners should I evaluate before deciding?
Minimum: 3. Ideally: 4-5. Evaluate Tier 1 (high-feature, premium price), Tier 2 (mid-market balance), and Tier 3 (budget option). Score each. Interview their support teams. Request trial deployments. Decision timeline: 6-8 weeks.
What is more important: price or features?
Features first, price second. Bad features/support = customer churn and support burden. Good features/support = happy customers, lower churn, easier upselling. Willingness to pay premium (£5-£7/user) for Tier 1 partner (99.9% SLA, 24/7 support, ISO 27001) is ROI-positive. Saving £1/user with bad partner costs you 5-10% customer churn and £2-£3 support cost per customer.
Can I negotiate terms with a Tier 1 partner?
Yes. All pricing and contracts are negotiable. Request 15% volume discount at 500+ users, month-to-month contract, waiver of setup fees, co-marketing commitment. Top partners (Gamma, Zen) are receptive. Make case: “We will grow your customer base by X and commit for Y years if terms align.”
What is the risk of switching wholesale partners later?
High. Switching requires customer migration (number porting, SBC reconfiguration, billing system change). Customers resist change. Expect 10-20% churn during migration. This is why choosing right partner on day 1 is critical. Avoid switching unless absolutely necessary (partner goes out of business, SLA failure, price spike).
Should I sign a long-term contract with a new partner?
No. Start with 6-12 months. Get to know their support quality and reliability. Only lock into 2-3 year terms after you have confidence. Month-to-month is best if available.
How do I evaluate support quality before committing?
Request references (other resellers using the partner). Call them. Ask about response time, escalation, incident resolution. Do a test support ticket during trial. Document response time and quality. Good support teams respond <4 hours for P1 issues, <24 hours for P2. Poor teams: >24 hours or unresponsive.
Sources
Cavell Consulting Wholesale VoIP Partner Analysis
CRN Channel Web UK Reseller and Partner News
Ofcom Licensed ECN Operators and Standards
Channel E2E Reseller Partner Evaluation
UC Today VoIP Partner and Platform Reviews
Partner Playbook: Vendor Selection and Contract Negotiation Timeline
| Phase | Timeline | Activity | Deliverable | Decision Gate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Week 1-2 | Research partners. Identify 5-6 candidates (mix of Tier 1, 2, and 3). Request initial pricing and feature overview. | Shortlist of 5 vendors. RFQ sent to each. | At least 4 RFQ responses received? |
| Evaluation | Week 3-4 | Score vendors on scorecard. Request references. Call existing resellers. Compare pricing and terms. | Scored comparison matrix. Reference call notes. | Consensus on top 3 finalists? |
| Trials & Validation | Week 5-6 | Request trial deployments (if available) or detailed technical demos. Test support quality via pilot ticket. Validate API and integrations. | Trial results. Demo notes. Support response time documented. | Technical fit confirmed for top 2? |
| Commercial Negotiation | Week 7-8 | Negotiate contract terms, pricing, volume discounts, co-marketing commitment, exit clauses. Get legal review if major contract. | Final pricing quote. Draft MSA. | Terms acceptable to leadership and legal? |
| Contract Finalisation | Week 9 | Execute MSA, DPA, reseller addendum. Obtain all compliance docs (ISO cert, audit reports, SLA guarantees). | Fully executed MSA. Compliance documentation filed. | Ready to go live with partner? |
| Go-Live | Week 10+ | Onboard first pilot customers. Validate SIP trunks, emergency calling, billing integration. Plan rollout to customer base. | Pilot deployment successful. Rollout plan documented. | Ready to scale customer acquisitions? |
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