TL;DR:
- White label lets you rebrand another firm’s product or service.
- It speeds time to market, with lower build cost.
- Pick programs that fit your niche, support, and margins.
- Price with a simple model, then bundle services to stand out.
- Use the due-diligence checklist to avoid risky terms.
A white label reseller program lets you sell a product or service from another company under your brand. You control the go-to-market and client support, the provider runs the tech or manufacturing. Investopedia defines white label as products made by one company and sold under another brand’s name.
White label is different from private label. Private label is exclusive to one retailer. White label is generic across many brands, with minimal customization. Shopify explains these differences with clear examples and pros and cons.
White label is common in software and payments. Stripe describes white-label payment gateways that you can rebrand and plug into your app to accept payments worldwide.
Quick vocabulary
- Reseller. You sell and support under your brand.
- VAR. Value-added reseller, you add services like setup and training.
- OEM/embedded. Your brand on someone else’s tech that sits inside your product.
- Affiliate. You refer, vendor bills and supports, you get a fee.
Who should consider white label in 2025
Choose white label if you:
- Need speed to market without hiring a dev team.
- Want to expand your catalog across regions.
- Plan to focus on selling, onboarding, and L1 support.
- Can differentiate with bundling, training, and service quality.
Skip white label if you:
- Need deep product control or unique IP.
- Serve a regulated niche that demands vendor attestations you cannot get.
- Lack capacity for support, billing, and churn management.
Common program types and best fit
| Program type | Best for | Setup lift | Control | Typical differentiators |
| SaaS platforms (CRM, SEO, help desk) | Agencies, MSPs | Low | Low-medium | Bundles, onboarding, reporting |
| Payments, payfac-as-a-service | Marketplaces, B2B SaaS | Medium | Medium | Payouts, multi-currency, fees |
| Hosting, domains, email | Web studios, IT shops | Low | Low | Packaging, uptime SLAs, support |
| Security tools (backup, EDR) | MSPs, IT consultancies | Medium | Medium | Policy templates, monitoring |
| Ecommerce enablement | Creators, DTC enablers | Low | Low | Store setup, templates, ads |
| Data or content services | Niche publishers, martech | Medium | Medium | Curation, compliance, workflows |
How white label compares to private label and referral models
- White label vs private label. White label is shared product, faster, cheaper, less control. Private label is exclusive product, slower, higher cost, more control. Shopify outlines these tradeoffs.
- White label vs referral. In referral, the vendor bills and supports. In white label, you own billing and first-line support.
- White label vs building. Building gives control, but adds time, cost, and risk. Stripe notes that white-label payment gateways avoid heavy build and compliance overhead.
A simple framework to pick the right program
Use this five-step path.
1) Define your target customer and job to be done
Write one sentence. Example: “EU-based Shopify brands that need faster checkout and better fraud control.”
2) Decide the product lane
Pick one lane you can sell and support with confidence:
- Revenue-critical lanes: payments, fraud, subscriptions.
- Ops lanes: support desk, CRM, email, backup.
- Growth lanes: SEO, reviews, ads reporting.
3) Score vendors with the 80/20 matrix
Rate each vendor 1 to 5 on:
- Fit to ICP
- Onboarding speed
- Support handoff quality
- API and automation
- White label depth (branding, domain, emails)
- Compliance coverage by region
Shortlist two that score highest.
4) Model pricing and margin
Start with three easy-to-sell tiers.
Cost-plus
Price = Vendor cost + Your hours × Hourly rate + 20 to 40 percent buffer.
Value-based
Price = Estimated monthly value × 10 to 20 percent.
Use this when you impact revenue or risk.
Usage-based add-ons
Add metered fees where your vendor bills you by unit. Pass through with a small uplift and be clear in the contract.
5) Bundle services to win
Sell outcomes, not tools:
- Setup package, 2-week timeline.
- Onboarding, training videos, playbooks.
- Monthly insights report with actions.
- Quarterly business review tied to goals.
Contracts and terms to watch
Ask for these in the master reseller agreement:
- Branding rights. White label on app UI, emails, invoices, and a custom domain. Stripe’s white-label guidance highlights branded payments and communications.
- SLA and remedies. Uptime target, credits, notice windows.
- Support model. Who handles L1, L2, and after-hours.
- Data ownership. You own customer relationships and content.
- Price protection. Notice before cost increases.
- Termination. Export tools, rollover time, and help to migrate.
- Compliance. PCI DSS for payments, GDPR for EU, SOC 2 where needed.
Always have a qualified attorney review your templates.
Technical checklist before you sign
Use this quick pass in sandbox:
Branding
- Custom domain and email templates.
- Logo, color, and footer removal options.
APIs and automation
- Provision, de-provision, suspend, invoice, report.
- Webhooks for events you care about.
Billing
- One invoice from you to the client.
- Clear vendor billing cadence and taxes.
- Retry logic, dunning, and failed payment alerts.
Security
- SSO options, MFA, audit logs.
- Data residency choices if you sell in the EU.
Support
- Status page, incident history, response times.
- Named partner manager and escalation path.
Go-to-market in 30 days
Week 1
Pick the vendor, sign the MSA, and build your three tiers. Set a simple guarantee like “go live in 14 days.”
Week 2
Create a demo account with your branding. Record 3 short Loom videos for sales. Draft one page per tier with scope and out-of-scope.
Week 3
Pilot with two friendly clients at a discount. Gather proof points and quotes. Tighten onboarding steps.
Week 4
Announce to your list. Add a one-pager, case study, and a calculator to your site. Train your team with a 60-minute script and roleplay.
2025 trends to note
- More embedded payments. Platforms want branded checkout, multi-currency, and payouts without building a payfac stack. Stripe’s guide reflects this steady shift.
- Usage pricing is spreading. Expect meters on emails, API calls, and seats.
- AI in support and analytics. Many vendors ship AI-assisted features that you can resell as outcomes.
- Buyer proof. Case studies and ROI visuals beat feature lists.
Risk controls and compliance, globally
- Map data flows. List what you store versus what your vendor stores.
- For EU clients, document GDPR roles. You are a controller with a processor vendor in many setups.
- For payments, confirm PCI scope and what the vendor covers. Stripe notes compliance benefits of white-label gateways, which you can inherit when configured right.
- For APAC and LATAM, check tax rules on software and electronic services.
- Keep a security page, even if your vendor holds the certs.
Common mistakes
- Selling too many tools at once. Start with one lane.
- Copying vendor pricing without your service layer.
- Weak onboarding. Clients churn before value.
- No exit plan. You get stuck if terms change.
- Overpromising. Match SLAs to what the vendor delivers.
Quick due-diligence checklist
- Vendor has a live status page and public incident history.
- Two customer references you can call.
- Clear white-label features on UI, emails, and domain.
- API can create, suspend, and cancel accounts.
- Sandbox works and matches production.
- Data export exists in common formats.
- You can brand invoices and client emails.
- Compliance docs you can share on request.
- Pricing, fees, and increase notice in writing.
- Named partner manager and escalation path.
Why it matters
White label can unlock new revenue in weeks, not months. You avoid big build costs, keep focus on sales and service, and scale with less risk. The right program, price, and promise will set you up for durable growth in 2025.
Sources:
- Investopedia, What Is a White Label Product, and How Does It Work?, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/white-label-product.asp, accessed 2025-09-10
- Shopify, Private Label vs. White Label: How To Choose For Your Business, https://www.shopify.com/blog/private-label-vs-white-label, Apr 23, 2025
Stripe, White-label payment gateways explained, https://stripe.com/resources/more/white-label-payment-gateways, Jul 21, 2023