Telecom agent vs master agent vs sub-agent

A telecom agent sells services from suppliers and is paid a commission. A master agent is a company that holds agreements with many suppliers and signs other agents up under them. A sub-agent is an agent who sells under a master agent’s agreements instead of holding them directly. Terms vary between companies, so treat these as the usual meanings, not rules.

Supplier

The company that provides the service, such as a carrier or a cloud phone provider. The client’s service contract is normally with the supplier.

Agent

An independent seller with a sales agreement that lets them place orders with a supplier and earn a commission. “Agent” is also used as a general term for anyone who sells this way.

Master agent

A company with agreements across many suppliers. It usually offers contracts, quoting help, order support and commission statements to the agents who sell under it.

Sub-agent

An agent who sells under a master agent’s agreements. The sub-agent signs with the master agent, not with each supplier.

Technology advisor

A title for someone who advises clients on technology purchases. It does not say which contract they sit under.

• Contracts. The client signs with the supplier for the service. The agent or sub-agent signs a separate agreement for the right to sell it and be paid.
• Commissions. The supplier pays a commission on the account. In a layered arrangement, it is paid to the master agent first, and the master agent passes on the agreed share to the sub-agent.
• Records. Who registered the deal, and when, usually decides disputes between sellers. Ask where those records live.
• Changes. A supplier can reduce or reverse a commission after the fact. How that appears to you depends on the program.

Titles follow the agreement, not the sales pitch. A company that signs directly with suppliers and signs other sellers up under itself is acting as a master agent. A seller who sells under someone else’s agreements is acting as a sub-agent. A seller who holds the supplier agreement directly is an agent. Many people just call themselves agents, and the word is often used for all three.

For most independent sellers, the practical decision is not which title to take. It is which program to join, and what that program does for you.

• Who is my agreement with, and who is the client’s contract with?
• Who works the quote and the order, and what do I do myself?
• How is a deal recorded, and what happens when two sellers claim the same client?
• Does each commission line show its account, order and billing period?
• What happens to my commissions if the supplier reverses one, or if I leave?
• What does it cost to join, and what do I pay for tools?

Oqitor is a partner program and platform for MSPs, IT consultants, telecom agents and technology advisors. It is free to join. Commissions follow the supplier’s payments on each account, on the schedule in your partner agreement, and Oqitor does not sell to end customers under its own brand. Read how joining works or what changes for telecom agents.