VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE FAQS

Below are common questions asked by organizations interested in purchasing a VMC. If you have

additional questions or would like to learn more about VMCs, please call 1.855.800.3444 or email

sales@digicert.com.

Which email providers display my VMC?

VMCs are currently supported in the Gmail web interface, Gmail Android and

iPhone app.

It is important to note that Gmail owns the most users, with over 1.8 billion

active users

. Additionally, 75% of Gmail users access their email via their

mobile device

.

Below is an example of how your VMC would display in the Gmail app:

Below is a summary of email providers that support VMCs. Additional email

providers such as Yahoo, Verizon and AOL are expected to support VMCs in

the future.

1 Source: SaaS Scout

2 Litmus, 2021

Email Provider

Gmail Mobile App

for Android

Gmail Mobile App

for IPhone

Gmail Web

Fastmail web,

mobile

List View

(User is viewing a

list of emails in their

inbox)

Open View

(User opens a single

email)

How long does it take to get DMARC at enforcement?

The time and effort to get DMARC enforced varies for each business. For

some, it may have already been set up by your hosting provider. Other

businesses, with just a single sending domain, it could be simple – just

add the sending domains to SPF, set up DKIM, create a DMARC record

and enforce it. In the case of larger companies with many internal email

sending solutions, identifying and building allow-list servers to put into SPF

record can require a lot of effort. Some large institutions leverage DMARC

specialists, like our partner, Valimail, for DMARC at enforcement and

analysis or management of DNS.

Do I need DMARC at enforcement to buy my VMC?

DMARC is not required to purchase a VMC, but DMARC at enforcement is

necessary before the email client will use the VMC to display the logo.

Are there tools for checking my DMARC state today?

You can utilize a number of online tools to check your BIMI record. Here are

three options:

• https://domain-checker.valimail.com/dmarc/

• https://www.mailhardener.com/tools/dmarc-validator

• https://bimigroup.org/bimi-generator/

What are the next steps after receiving a VMC? Where

do my PEM and SVG les go?

When you purchased your VMC, you submitted a SVG le, and received a

PEM le in return. Both les, retaining their original names, need to be placed

on a publicly accessible server, and they need to be accessible via https:

(note: http will cause a failure). Please note: the SVG that is hosted and

referenced in your BIMI record must match, to the byte, the SVG le that was

validated and is referenced in your PEM le. If there is a mismatch, the BIMI

functionality will be inhibited.

Please reference this article for further instruction: https://knowledge.

digicert.com/solution/vmc-pem-le-and-svg-where-does-everything-go.html

Which emails will show the VMC logo? Will VMC

display for bulk emails, transactional and individual

emails?

Bulk, transactional or individual emails will all display a VMC logo the same

way. In general, most organizations will need a single VMC for their domain.

If you require multiple logos, you will need a VMC for each logo. To have

multiple logos associated with a domain, you will also need to set up a

“Selector” in your email header.

You can learn more about this topic here:

https://www.digicert.com/blog/how-many-vmcs-will-i-need 

How do I convert my logo to SVG? Are there any

services I can utilize?

You can reference our blog post to walk you through the process for

exporting your logo to the correct SVG Tiny PS format. The most important

step is having your logo in a vector format.

There are also third-party services available to convert your logo but

exporting an SVG le from Adobe Illustrator—or a similar program—and

modifying the format can be easily achieved by following our guide.

What trademark oces are allowed? When will this list

expand?

Currently, there are eight approved trademark oces—found here. We will

continue to update the list as new agencies are added.

If you have a trademark oce you would like to see added, contact

BIMIgroup.org to offer your suggestion.

What is the VMC validation processes?

You can reference the validation process here.

DigiCert, Inc. in the USA and elsewhere. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Do I really need a VMC if my organization does not

focus on consumer markets or end-user marketing?

Yes! Gmail, which displays VMCs, is used by over 5 million businesses

worldwide including small startups, mid-sized companies and large

enterprises like Verizon, Colgate-Palmolive, and Keller Williams.

(Source: Google Cloud, 2019)

How long is a VMC valid?

VMCs have a validity of 365 days (1 year).

Does a VMC work like a TLS certicate? Do I need a

CSR?

VMCs do not act like a typical TLS certicate. They do not encrypt trac,

use a private key or require a CSR to order. VMCs assert a cryptographically

veriable and auditable binding between an identity, a logo, and a domain.

This ensures that the identied organization is operating on a domain that

they own when sending emails to end-users.

Do I need to list domains and subdomains when I

order a VMC? 

All sending domains need to be listed, but subdomains do not as they will be

covered by the base domain.

For example, if you have 3 sending domains like mail.example.com,

marketing.example.com and example.com, you only need to list

example.com in your request. You are free to list each subdomain if you like,

but it is not necessary—and if you do list them, there will be a charge.  

But if you are also sending from example.co.uk, then that should be listed

because it’s a different domain.

Are there additional charges for domains and

subdomains?

We charge $499 per listed subdomains, and $499 for each additional

domain.

For more information, you can visit our website digicert.com/vmc or see the

following resources:

• Get your VMC Detailed Guide

• Trademarking your logo

• How to setup DMARC to qualify for VMC

Questions? Please call 1.855.800.3444 or email sales@digicert.com.