Canvas USA® Trade Partner Program
A trade account with Canvas USA® gives your business direct access to an American manufacturer of marine canvas, shade, cushions and enclosures, and to the hardware, coatings and care products we supply alongside them.
The program is structured in four tiers. Every approved partner receives trade pricing, a trade portal and tax-exempt purchasing with a valid certificate on file. Higher tiers add a dedicated account contact, a reserved position in our production schedule, project pricing, a volume rebate, co-op marketing support and net payment terms.
This page sets out who the program is for, what each tier provides, the programs available to partners, how partners buy, and how to apply. Pricing schedules are not published; they are confirmed in writing when an account is approved.
Program at a glance
- Manufacturer
- Canvas USA®, established 1981
- Coverage
- Nationwide, with drop-ship to your customer
- Structure
- Four tiers, set by annual purchasing
- Pricing
- Trade schedule confirmed in writing at approval
- Purchasing
- Trade portal, trade desk, purchase orders
- Tax
- Exempt purchasing with a certificate on file
- Warranty
- Canvas USA® Limited Warranty, passed through
Why buy from the manufacturer
Most of what a trade partner sells or installs from Canvas USA® is cut and sewn on our own production floor. That has four practical consequences for your business.
Production you can call
Covers, tops, cushions and enclosures are built by our own people. When a customer needs a change, a repair or a match to an earlier job, the people who built it are the people your account contact puts you through to.
One account for the whole project
Canvas, shade, cushions, hardware, coatings and care products on one order and one invoice, to one standard of work. A marina refit or a pool deck does not have to be sourced from six suppliers.
Your customer stays yours
We manufacture. You sell, install and own the customer relationship. Drop-shipments carry your paperwork, and the partner locator refers customers in your area to you.
A warranty you do not have to carry
Everything you sell carries the Canvas USA® Limited Warranty exactly as it would at retail. Material claims are handled by us with the mill, on your customer's behalf.
Who the program is for
The program is open to businesses that resell, specify, install or maintain what we manufacture and supply. The categories below are the most common. They are not a closed list, and tier is set by purchasing, not by category.
- Marine dealersBoat sales and service departments fitting out customer vessels.
- Boat builders and OEMsProduction covers, tops and cushions specified to your hull.
- Marinas and boatyardsRepeat replacement work for the boats in your slips and yard.
- Mobile canvas installersIndependent installers who fit at the dock. Our production behind your name.
- Independent canvas and upholstery shopsOverflow production, materials and hardware at trade pricing.
- Dealer markets and regional distributorsTerritory programs for businesses that supply the trade themselves.
- Independent retail and marine supplyStock our lines and our materials on your shelf.
- Builders and general contractorsAwnings, shade and enclosures written into the build.
- Pool and outdoor living contractorsCabanas, shade and cushions to finish the space you built.
- Interior designers and decoratorsCustom outdoor cushions and shade to your specification.
- Property managers and associationsOne standard and one supplier across every unit and season.
- Hospitality: resorts, clubs and restaurantsGuest-facing shade and seating built to last the season.
- Yacht management and charter fleetsFleet programs for vessels that cannot wait on a shop.
- Government, municipal and marine parksPurchase-order buying, documentation and a single point of contact.
- RV, trailer and powersports dealersCovers and enclosures for what you sell beside the boats.
Partner tiers
The program has four tiers. Every approved partner starts at Tier 1. Tiers are set by annual purchasing across the account, are reviewed as volume grows, and are confirmed in writing when they change. Each tier includes everything provided at the tiers below it.
| Provision | AuthorizedTier 1 | PreferredTier 2 | PremierTier 3 | StrategicTier 4 - Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade pricing on everything we manufacture and supply | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Trade portal: your pricing, orders, invoices and documents | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Tax-exempt purchasing with a valid certificate on file | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Trade Swatch Program: sample kits at no charge | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Dedicated account contact | — | Included | Included | Included |
| Priority Production: a reserved position in our schedule | — | Included | Included | Included |
| Listing in the Canvas USA® partner locator | — | Included | Included | Included |
| Fleet and project pricing on multi-unit orders | — | — | Included | Included |
| Quarterly volume rebate | — | — | Included | Included |
| Co-op marketing and branded point-of-sale material | — | — | Included | Included |
| Net payment terms after a qualifying period | — | — | Included | Included |
| Early access to new lines, colors and materials | — | — | — | Included |
| Territory and distribution agreements | — | — | — | Included |
Pricing schedules, rebate rates, payment terms and tier thresholds are set on the account and confirmed in writing at approval. They are not published. Trade pricing and tax-exempt status are approved separately: a valid resale or exemption certificate must be on file before tax is removed from an order.
Partner programs
The following programs are available to trade partners. Availability by tier is shown in the table above. Where a program involves a rate, a term or a threshold, that figure is set on the partner's account and confirmed in writing.
Founding Partner
Accounts approved during the program's first year hold their tier for twelve months from the date of approval, regardless of volume in that period. The intent is to let a new partner grow into a tier rather than qualify for it first.
Priority Production
Trade orders at qualifying tiers hold a reserved position in the production schedule. In peak season, when retail demand for covers and tops is at its highest, partner orders are already in the queue.
Trade Swatch Program
Sample kits of our fabrics, vinyls, meshes and colors supplied at no charge to approved partners, and refreshed when the range changes, so that you sell from the material itself.
Quarterly Volume Rebate
At qualifying tiers, a percentage of the quarter's net purchases is returned to the partner as a credit. The rate is set in the partner's pricing schedule at approval and reviewed with the tier.
Co-op Marketing and Partner Locator
Branded point-of-sale material, co-op support for partner-run marketing, and a listing in the Canvas USA® partner locator, which refers customers in your area to you.
Net Payment Terms
After a qualifying period on the account, purchases at qualifying tiers may be made on net terms rather than at the time of order. Terms are set on the account and confirmed in writing.
Fleet and Project Pricing
Multi-unit work, such as a marina's slips, a resort's pool deck, a builder's development or a dealer's season, is quoted and priced as a single project rather than as individual retail orders.
How partners buy
Approved partners can order through the trade portal, through the trade desk, or by purchase order. Orders can be shipped to your business, drop-shipped to your customer, or, in our service areas, installed by our own crews.
Trade portal
Log in and the website shows your pricing. Quotations, orders, invoices, documents and tracking are in one place, available at any hour. Previous orders can be reordered directly.
Trade desk
Call 1.888.341.1234 and ask for the trade desk, or contact your account representative directly. Measurements can be taken over the phone, photographs sent by text, and quotations returned the same business day.
Purchase orders
We accept purchase orders and, at qualifying tiers, net terms. Government and institutional buyers receive the documentation their procurement process requires.
Delivery and installation
Ship to your business, drop-ship to your customer under your paperwork, or, within our service areas, have our own crews install what we built. The choice is made per order.
How an order moves
Every trade order follows the same five stages. Orders at qualifying tiers hold a reserved position at the production stage.
Account management
At Tier 2 and above, each partner is assigned a dedicated account contact who knows what you order, how you order it and what your customers expect. Tier 1 partners are served by the trade desk. All partners have access to the trade portal, where pricing, order history, invoices, statements and documents are available at any time.
Tiers are reviewed as purchasing grows. When a partner qualifies for a higher tier, the change and the revised pricing schedule are confirmed in writing before they take effect. Nothing on the account changes without notice.
Documentation and compliance
Three documents are required before an account can be approved:
- A current business license, state design license or contractor license
- A W-9, federal ID form or official EIN document
- A resale certificate or sales tax exemption certificate
The resale or exemption certificate governs tax-exempt purchasing and must be on file before an order that relies on it. Trade approval and tax exemption are two separate decisions. Expired certificates are flagged to the partner before they affect an order.
Partner resources and support
Partners sell and install our product with the same information our own staff use. The following are available to approved partners.
Resources
- Product specifications and measuring guides for everything we manufacture
- Fabric, vinyl and mesh color cards, and the Trade Swatch Program
- Care guides and the Canvas USA® Limited Warranty, for your customer file
- Approved Canvas USA® logo and product imagery for partner use
- Your pricing schedule, statements and documents, on the trade portal
Support
- The trade desk, by phone and email, during business hours
- A dedicated account contact at Tier 2 and above
- Product knowledge sessions for partner sales and installation staff
- A direct line to the production floor for field questions on a job in progress
Customer referrals
Canvas USA® receives inquiries every day from boat owners, homeowners and businesses who need canvas, shade or cushions made, fitted or installed. Where that work is in a partner's area and within a partner's trade, the inquiry is referred to the partner rather than handled around them.
Referrals go to partners at Tier 2 and above through the partner locator and directly from the trade desk. The partner owns the customer relationship that follows.
What partners can source
What we manufacture: full boat covers, bimini and T-tops, enclosures and curtains, awnings and shade structures, cabanas, indoor and outdoor cushions, and repairs to all of them.
What we supply: marine and outdoor fabrics, vinyls and meshes, canvas hardware and fasteners, marine coatings, and cleaning and protection products. Everything on one account, one order and one invoice.
How to apply
1. Submit the application
Complete the online application and attach the three documents listed above. It takes about ten minutes. Incomplete applications are held, and we tell you exactly what is missing.
2. Review
A member of our team reviews the application and the documents, usually within a few business days. Trade approval and tax-exempt status are decided separately on the paperwork.
3. Account setup
On approval, your portal login is sent by email and you set your own password. Your pricing schedule and tier are confirmed in writing at the same time.
4. First order
Your pricing is live on the website when you log in, your account contact is assigned where the tier provides one, and your first order can be placed the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for a trade account?
Businesses that resell, specify, install or maintain what we make and supply. The fifteen categories above are the most common, but they are not a closed list. If you buy for a business, apply and we will review it.
How is my tier set?
By what you buy and how much you buy across a year. Every approved partner starts at Tier 1 with trade pricing and the portal. Tiers are reviewed as volume grows and are confirmed in writing when they change.
Is trade pricing published?
No. Your pricing schedule is set on your account and confirmed in writing at approval. Once you are logged in, the website shows your pricing on every product.
Does a trade account change the warranty?
No. Goods we manufacture carry the Canvas USA® Limited Warranty exactly as they do for any other customer, and goods we resell carry the manufacturer's warranty passed through. We handle material claims with the mill on your customer's behalf.
Can I buy tax-exempt?
Yes, with a valid resale or exemption certificate on file before the order is placed. Trade approval and tax exemption are two separate decisions. We cannot remove tax from an order that has already been completed; see the Sales Tax Policy.
Do you sell fabric by the yard?
Fabric is sold by the end: the material remaining when one of our own projects finishes, measured down to the full yard below the actual cut. Partners buying material for their own production should discuss quantities with the trade desk.
Can you brand goods for my customer?
Yes. Custom branding is handled by the Mark-It™ Department. Bring the artwork and the authorization to use it.
Do you drop-ship?
Yes. Orders can ship directly to your customer under your paperwork, with no Canvas USA® pricing enclosed.
Program terms in brief
The full terms of a trade account are set out in the account agreement issued at approval. In brief:
- There is no fee to join the program and no annual fee to remain in it.
- Trade pricing is confidential to the account and is not to be published or shared outside the partner's business.
- Tiers are set by annual purchasing across the account and are reviewed as volume grows. A tier change is confirmed in writing before it takes effect.
- The three account documents must be kept current. An expired resale or exemption certificate suspends tax-exempt purchasing until it is replaced.
- Goods sold through a partner carry the Canvas USA® Limited Warranty and the manufacturer's warranty on resold goods, without change.
- Custom branding of goods is handled by the Mark-It™ Department and requires authorization to use the artwork supplied.
- The program may be updated from time to time. Partners are notified in writing, and no change to an account's pricing takes effect without notice.
Apply for a trade account
Submit the application with your three documents and we will come back to you. If you would prefer to discuss the program first, call the trade desk.