Two providers can both offer Display & Video 360 and still sell very different relationships. One may mainly provide the commercial route, platform seat and technical support. Another may plan, build and optimize campaigns for you.
The labels are not standardized. “Reseller,” “sales partner,” “agency partner,” “managed service” and “platform partner” can overlap. The contract, account structure and operating responsibilities matter more than the name on the proposal.
Quick answer: A DV360 reseller usually focuses on platform access, billing, onboarding and technical support. A DV360 agency partner usually adds strategy, campaign execution, optimization and reporting. Some providers offer both. Compare the exact user roles, advertiser ownership, fee layers, service scope, data access and exit terms before choosing.
DV360 reseller vs agency partner at a glance
Area | Reseller-led model | Agency-led model | What to verify
|
|---|---|---|---|
Primary job | Provide a commercial route to DV360, billing and platform support | Plan and operate campaigns, often with access included | What the proposal includes and excludes |
Campaign control | The buyer often trades directly | The agency often trades for the buyer | Who can create, edit, approve and pause campaigns |
Support | Onboarding, troubleshooting, training and escalation | Strategy, trafficking, optimization, reporting and troubleshooting | Support hours, response targets and named contacts |
Fees | Platform or access fee, support fee and possible minimums | Management fee plus platform, data, verification and creative costs | A worked invoice using your expected media budget |
Account structure | Advertiser may sit under the provider's partner environment | Advertiser may sit under the agency's partner environment | Partner, advertiser and user hierarchy |
Measurement | The buyer may own implementation and analysis | The agency may configure and operate measurement | Ownership of Floodlight, CM360, GA4 and raw exports |
Best fit | Experienced teams that want direct platform operation | Teams that need strategy and day-to-day execution | Whether your internal team has the required capacity |
Important: Google presents Display & Video 360 as an enterprise campaign-management platform and maintains a partner ecosystem. It does not make every provider's commercial package identical. Treat “reseller” and “agency partner” as starting labels, then verify the actual contract and access model.
What a DV360 reseller usually provides
A reseller-led relationship is usually designed for a buyer that wants to operate DV360 internally. The provider supplies the commercial and technical route to the platform, then supports onboarding, billing, permissions, troubleshooting and escalation.
That can suit an independent agency with experienced traders or a brand with an internal programmatic team. The buyer keeps day-to-day campaign decisions while the reseller handles platform administration and support.
A reseller package may include:
DV360 advertiser setup and user provisioning
Billing, credit and invoicing administration
Platform onboarding and team training
Technical troubleshooting and Google escalation
Optional campaign audits or specialist support
The main risk is buying “access” without defining control. Ask whether your team receives direct user access, which role it receives and whether it can export data. Our guide to DV360 access options explains the account questions to settle before signing.
What a DV360 agency partner usually provides
An agency-led relationship is usually designed for a buyer that wants campaign outcomes and operating support, not only a platform seat. The agency may provide access inside its partner structure, but its main job is planning and execution.
A managed agency package can include:
Media strategy and audience planning
Campaign setup, trafficking and creative QA
Bid, budget, frequency and inventory optimization
Marketplace and publisher deal support
Measurement design, reporting and analysis
Incident response when campaigns underdeliver or creatives are rejected
The main risk is paying for a broad service without knowing who performs the work. Request the named team, review cadence, reporting sample and escalation path. Use this DV360 campaign management comparison to separate access from active campaign operation.
The hybrid model: Access plus flexible operating support
Many providers do not fit neatly into one column. A hybrid partner can provide the account and technical infrastructure while sharing campaign work with the buyer.
For example, an agency may build campaigns internally while the partner reviews setup, resolves platform issues and provides cover during high-volume periods. A brand may keep strategy and approvals while the partner handles trafficking and optimization.
Hybrid support can be useful when a team is building internal capability. It can also create gaps if responsibilities are vague. Put every recurring task into a responsibility matrix: strategy, setup, QA, launch approval, optimization, reporting, billing and incident response.
Access and control: The account hierarchy matters
“You will have DV360 access” is not enough. Ask for a simple diagram showing the partner, advertiser and user levels. Then confirm the permissions attached to each user.
At minimum, verify:
Who controls the partner relationship and advertiser setup
Whether your staff receive named DV360 users
Which users can create, edit, approve, pause and export
Who owns audiences, creatives, deals and Floodlight activities
Whether your team can see platform spend and fee reporting
What happens to campaigns and data when the contract ends
Google describes DV360 as a platform built to give buyers visibility and control across campaign management. Your partner model should preserve the level of visibility your team needs. Review the current Ad Geeks DV360 service for an example of managed and self-service routes.
Support: Technical help is not campaign management
Support can mean very different things. Technical support may cover access issues, bugs, billing, permissions and platform escalation. Campaign support may cover strategy, setup, pacing, optimization, creative QA and reporting.
Ask each provider to classify its support in writing:
Support type | Typical work | Key question |
|---|---|---|
Platform administration | Users, permissions, billing and advertiser setup | Who can make account-level changes? |
Technical support | Troubleshooting, tickets and escalation | What response target applies? |
Trading support | Setup reviews, pacing and optimization advice | Is advice included or billed separately? |
Managed service | Strategy, execution, optimization and reporting | Who is accountable for daily delivery? |
If you need full execution, compare the exact scope against a DV360 managed service. A reseller can offer excellent support without owning campaign performance.
Fees: Compare the final invoice, not one headline rate
Neither model is automatically cheaper. A reseller may charge a platform or access fee while the buyer funds its own trading team. An agency may charge a management fee but include work the buyer would otherwise hire internally.
Request a worked example for the same media budget and include:
Platform or technology fee
Access, licensing or partner fee
Managed-service or consulting fee
Data, verification and ad-serving costs
Creative production or adaptation
Currency conversion, tax and billing adjustments
Minimum commitments, deposits and notice periods
Ask whether fees are fixed, percentage-based, CPM-based or blended. Then calculate the effective cost at low, expected and high spend. The DV360 pricing and access cost guide provides a fuller invoice framework.
Data, measurement and reporting ownership
Campaign control is incomplete without measurement control. Confirm who owns and administers Floodlight, Campaign Manager 360 connections, GA4 links, audience lists, deal IDs and reporting exports.
An agency may build a strong measurement framework, but the buyer should know which assets can move. A reseller may provide broad access, but the buyer may still need internal resources to configure and interpret measurement.
Request a sample report and a raw export. Check whether the provider separates media spend, platform fees, data costs and service fees. Review relevant programmatic case studies for evidence that reporting connects to real campaign objectives.
Exit terms and portability
The exit plan should be agreed before launch. If the advertiser sits inside the provider's partner environment, moving the relationship may require a new advertiser setup or a structured handover.
Confirm in writing:
Notice period and termination fees
Access to historical reports and change logs
Export of campaigns, creatives, audiences and deals
Ownership of tags, Floodlight activities and linked products
Support during handover to another provider
How billing is closed and credits are reconciled
A pre-launch DV360 account checklist makes these dependencies visible before they become switching costs.
Share your markets, budget range, internal trading capacity and required level of control. We will map a managed, self-service or hybrid route.
Which model fits your team?
Choose a reseller-led model when:
Your team already knows how to operate DV360
You want direct day-to-day campaign control
You mainly need access, billing, training and technical support
You can staff trafficking, QA, optimization and reporting internally
Choose an agency-led model when:
You need strategy and campaign execution
Your team lacks programmatic trading capacity
You want one accountable team for setup, optimization and reporting
You need specialist help across markets, formats or measurement
Choose a hybrid model when:
You want to keep selected tasks in-house
Your internal team is still building platform expertise
You need flexible cover during launches or high-volume periods
You can document responsibilities clearly
If you are comparing named providers, use the current DV360 agency buyer scorecard alongside this model comparison.
15 questions to ask before signing
Are you providing platform access, managed service or both?
Which legal entity holds the DV360 partner relationship?
Where will our advertiser account sit?
Which user roles will our team receive?
Can we see platform spend and export raw reporting?
Who plans, builds, approves and optimizes campaigns?
Who handles creative QA and policy issues?
What technical support is included?
What response and escalation targets apply?
How are platform, access, management and third-party fees shown?
Are there minimums, deposits or long-term commitments?
Who owns Floodlight, CM360 links, audiences and deal IDs?
Can the operating model change later?
What can we export if we leave?
What does the handover process cost and how long does it take?
How the Ad Geeks model fits
Ad Geeks offers managed and self-service DV360 routes, with support around onboarding, campaign operation, optimization and reporting. A hybrid structure can divide work between the buyer and the Ad Geeks team.
The right setup depends on your internal expertise, required user access, billing structure, markets and campaign scope. Exact fees, permissions and advertiser structure should be documented in the proposal for each engagement.
This model is relevant to brands and independent agencies that want flexibility between direct trading and external campaign support. It should still be compared against alternative proposals using the same account, fee, data and exit questions above.
Red flags in a DV360 proposal
“Full access” appears without a role or account diagram
All costs are combined into one CPM with no worked invoice
The provider will not name the people operating the account
Technical support is presented as daily campaign management
Floodlight, audiences and data ownership are undefined
The contract has no clear export or handover process
Performance guarantees appear without assumptions or measurement rules
Frequently asked questions
Is a DV360 reseller the same as a Google Marketing Platform partner?
Not necessarily. The terms describe different aspects of a relationship and are not used consistently across providers. Verify the provider's current Google partner status in the official directory, then review the commercial contract and actual service scope.
Can a DV360 reseller manage campaigns?
Yes, some resellers also offer managed service. Others focus on access, billing and technical support. Ask who owns strategy, setup, optimization and reporting before comparing prices.
Can an agency partner provide self-service access?
Sometimes. An agency may support managed, self-service or hybrid operation inside its partner environment. Confirm your exact user role and whether your team can operate campaigns directly.
Which model gives more control?
A reseller-led or self-service model often gives the buyer more daily trading control. However, control depends on permissions, advertiser structure, data access and exit rights, not the provider label alone.
Which model is cheaper?
Neither model is always cheaper. Compare the final invoice and the internal labor required. A lower access fee can still be expensive if the buyer must staff strategy, trafficking, QA, optimization and reporting.
Can we switch from managed service to self-service later?
Some partners support that change. Put the future operating model, user roles, training, handover steps and any fee change into the contract before launch.
What should we verify about data ownership?
Confirm access to campaign history, reports, audiences, creatives, deals, Floodlight configuration and linked products. Also ask which assets can be exported or transferred when the relationship ends.
We can review your access, support and control requirements and recommend a practical DV360 operating model.
