Service providers

What is a Service Provider?

If you act as a distributor for books published by another company, you’re considered a Service Provider. Service Providers must enter into a Client Services Agreement with Google. The Client Services Agreement allows you to provide digital files and to implement settings for Google Books and Google Play on behalf of the publishers you represent. Each publisher also needs an agreement directly with Google.

Set up a Service Provider account

Important: We currently don’t accept applications for a Google Books Client Service Agreement.

1. Make sure you signed the Google Books Client Service Agreement. 
2. Email your account manager a complete list of your clients. 
   • Google tracks which clients participate in Google Books and Google Play, and helps Service Providers with messaging for their clients.
3. If your clients aren’t current participants in Google Books or Google Play, ask them to follow the sign-up steps described under "Steps for clients."

General account overview

Client Service Providers can access their client accounts in the Clients tab of the Google Play Books Partner Center. To access each account, click on the client’s name, or, at the top right, select their name from the drop-down menu. 

The Clients page includes a table that displays each client’s: 

• Number of live titles on Google Play
• Number of books that need action
• Payments access status
  • If you can access the client’s Payments profile, you can download client earnings reports.

Tip: If your client's name isn’t listed in your account, they need to fill out the Publisher Consent Form.

• Learn more about accounts in the Partner Center overview.
• Learn how to upload a single book.
• Learn how to use spreadsheets to change books settings in bulk.

Client's collection code

A collection code is a client-specific, 7-digit, alphanumeric code that helps Google identify which books belong in which client's account. If your client has multiple imprints under one account, each imprint has a separate collection code.

To find the collection code, follow the instructions below. 

1. Sign in to the Play Books Partner Center.
2. Click Clients  the client’s name.
3. On the left, click Book catalog.
4. Click Advanced Manage templates.
5. Find the 7-digit alphanumeric collection code next to the imprint name.

Set up Onix feeds

To set up ONIX feeds for your clients, follow the steps below. 

• Get the Client’s collection code.
• Submit a request from the New Feed Form.

Learn how to set up Onix feeds for your clients. 

Learn how to send your books to Google Play with automated content fetching.

Manage payments and reports

If you manage payments and reports on your client's behalf, make sure that your client requests:

• Service Provider access for you.
• Payments and reports access through the Publisher Consent Form.

After your client provides consent, you can add bank information for Play Books payments and pull sales reports.

Steps for clients

To have the publisher join the Google Play Books Partner Program, ask them to accept the Google eBooks Terms and Conditions in the Payments Center. 

To request that a Client Service Provider manage their account, the publisher must fill out the Publisher Consent Form.

Tip: If you want to revoke access to a partner already linked to your service provider account, contact us.