> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hub.equipme.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hub.equipme.io/pro/getting-started/business-models.md).

# Business models and licenses

Business models with Equipme Pro: Hosted customers with a white-label portal, Standalone customers, partners, supplier operations, with a comparison table and Pro vs. Lite access.

Equipme Pro is the **service ERP** for providers. It connects you with three kinds of business partners: **Standalone customers** with their own equipme license, **other providers** (partners) and **Hosted customers**, whom you run as your own sub-tenants with a customer portal. You can combine the models.

## Two variants

|                       | **Pro with customer portals ("large license")**                                                                                                                        | **Pro in operational use**                                                                                                                    |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **What for?**         | You build **your own product offering**: your customers work in customer portals under your brand (white label), and you decide on portfolio, feature scope and terms. | You use Equipme Pro as a **back end and ERP** to work via the platform with customers who already use equipme: receive orders, deliver, bill. |
| **Customers**         | Hosted customers (sub-tenants) plus Standalone customers and partners                                                                                                  | Standalone customers and partners                                                                                                             |
| **Typical providers** | IT service providers, system integrators, leasing and rental providers with their own service offering                                                                 | Suppliers, resellers, distributors                                                                                                            |

The operational features (purchasing, warehouse, fulfillment, billing) are available equally in both variants. Which variant is enabled for your company is determined by your license. To switch, contact [support](/pro/help/support.md).

## The models at a glance

|                                                                         | **Hosted customers (customer portals)**                                             | **Standalone customers**                                | **Partners**                    | **Lite access**                                      |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **In short**                                                            | You run dedicated customer portals for your customers, under your brand if you like | Customers with their own equipme license order from you | You trade with other providers  | An invited supplier looks after exactly one customer |
| **Label in the customer list**                                          | "Direct customer"                                                                   | "End customer"                                          | "Partner" or "Partner customer" | –                                                    |
| **Who creates the customer?**                                           | You, or the customer registers via your portal address                              | The customer themselves at equipme                      | Connection via Partner Connect  | The customer invites you                             |
| **Branding, terms and conditions, privacy, legal notice in the portal** | Yours (white label)                                                                 | The customer's                                          | –                               | –                                                    |
| **"Open customer portal"**                                              | ✓                                                                                   | –                                                       | –                               | –                                                    |
| **Control the customer's modules and order authorization**              | ✓ fully                                                                             | only "Automatically confirm orders"                     | –                               | only "Automatically confirm orders"                  |
| **Release offers**                                                      | per customer                                                                        | per customer                                            | via Partner Connect             | for the inviting customer                            |
| **Menu in Equipme Pro**                                                 | full                                                                                | full                                                    | full                            | only "Sales" → "Customers"                           |

The trial period only concerns you: anyone who registers as a provider with full Pro access starts with a free trial period (see [Registration and sign-in](/pro/getting-started/sign-in-and-registration.md)).

## Hosted customers: your own product with white label

Hosted customers are the core of the "large license". With them you build **your own product offering**. Every customer gets their own customer portal as a sub-tenant of your company. You decide:

* **the look:** logo, favicon, app title, primary color, toolbar color gradient and button colors,
* **the legal texts:** links to your terms and conditions, your privacy notice and your legal notice,
* **the portal address:** your own domain through which new customers can register themselves,
* **the content:** support note, approval notes, custom menu links,
* **the feature scope per customer:** order authorization, automatic order confirmation, HR sync, internal inventory, supplier management, billing module, automation module and reports.

To your customers, the portal looks like your own product. Everything else is covered under [Customer portal (white label)](/pro/customers/customer-portal.md) and [Customer details](/pro/customers/customer-details.md).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Your own portal address:** equipme sets up a dedicated domain for your customer portal, through which customers can register themselves. To get one, contact [support](/pro/help/support.md). Without your own portal address, you create new customers directly in Equipme Pro.
{% endhint %}

**What your customer sees:** Hosted customers are permanently connected to you as their provider. They order your offers in the marketplace, see the status of their orders in real time and get branding, terms and conditions, privacy notice and legal notice from you. Details are in the customer guide under "Operating models: Hosted and Standalone".

## Standalone customers: supplier for customers with their own license

Standalone customers use equipme with **their own license**. They build their own service portfolio and source services from several suppliers. You are one of them.

* The customer connects with you, e.g. by finding you in the partner directory and requesting a partnership, or by sending you their **invitation ID**, which you enter under "Sales" → "Customers" → **"Enter invitation ID"**. See [Create and invite customers](/pro/customers/create-and-invite-customers.md#connecting-standalone-customers).
* You provide offers to them, receive their orders in the [Order Inbox](/pro/sales/order-reception.md), deliver and bill.
* You **cannot** open their portal or change their settings. You only control whether their orders are confirmed automatically on your side.

## Partners: trading between providers

With [Partner Connect](/pro/portfolio/partner-connect.md) you connect with other providers:

* **As a reseller:** You source offers from a partner (e.g. a distributor) and offer them to your own customers.
* **As a supplier:** A partner passes your offers on to their customers. These customers appear on your side as **"Partner customer"**, with a note about which partner they come through.

In the customer list, connected partners appear with the type **"Partner"**.

## Operational supplier business

Regardless of the business model, and as the main purpose in the operational variant, you use Equipme Pro as a **back end and ERP**: receive and confirm orders, procure and store goods, deliver, activate services and bill. These features are available to you with full Pro access for all kinds of customers.

## Full Pro access and Lite access

|                                                     | **Full Pro access**                                              | **Lite access**                                                                                                                       |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **How is it created?**                              | Registration as a provider via the Equipme Pro registration page | A Standalone customer invites a supplier that doesn't use equipme yet by email; the supplier registers via the link in the invitation |
| **Customers**                                       | any number, all kinds                                            | exactly the customer who sent the invitation                                                                                          |
| **Menu**                                            | all areas (depending on role)                                    | only **"Sales" → "Customers"**                                                                                                        |
| **Create customers, customer portals, white label** | ✓                                                                | –                                                                                                                                     |
| **Header menu "Add"**                               | ✓                                                                | –                                                                                                                                     |
| **Invite team members during registration**         | ✓                                                                | –                                                                                                                                     |
| **Trial period**                                    | ✓ (at the start)                                                 | –                                                                                                                                     |

With Lite access you look after the inviting customer through their customer details: you maintain offers for them and see their orders and active services. For customer portals, your own branding and the complete ERP feature scope you need full Pro access. To get it, contact [support](/pro/help/support.md).

## Frequently asked questions

**Can I look after Hosted and Standalone customers at the same time?**

Yes. The customer list shows all customers with their type. What you may control per customer depends on the type.

**Can a Standalone customer become my Hosted customer?**

That is a change of the customer's license and isn't possible in Equipme Pro itself. Contact [support](/pro/help/support.md).

**I received an invitation from a customer, but I already use Equipme Pro.**

Then you don't need to register again. Enter the invitation ID under "Sales" → "Customers" → "Enter invitation ID".

**Why do I only see the "Customers" menu item?**

Your company uses Lite access. For the full feature scope, contact [support](/pro/help/support.md).


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