FAQ

Licensing FAQ

+What is your standard pricing?

Standard pricing for Enterprise CPU Licenses of our products is available right on our online store at: http://www.pdftron.com/store.html.

An Enterprise CPU License allows deploying the licensed software on a single production CPU (with no more than 2 CPU cores) that can be accessed by an unlimited number of users within your organization only.

A Web Application CPU License allows deploying the licensed software on a single production CPU (with no more than 2 CPU cores) as part of a single software application, program or web site accessible by (serving) an unlimited number of external end users via a specific domain such as 'pdftron.com' or 'microsoft.com'. Please email us for a license quote.

Pricing for Enterprise and OEM/Redistributable Licenses depends on customer requirements. If you would like to use one of our components as part of a product that you will distribute on a large number of machines or to a large number of end users (either internally or externally). Please fill out our online form available on our licensing page and one of our sales representatives will get back to you with detailed pricing information.

+How can I determine the number of CPU licenses I need to purchase?

An Enterprise CPU License allows deploying the licensed software on a single production CPU (with no more than 2 CPU cores) that can be accessed by an unlimited number of users within your organization only.

PDFTron's multi-core licensing policy states that every 2 core processors on a multi-core machine are equivalent to one CPU from a licensing perspective. In addition, any remaining unpaired core processor(s) will also be deemed a CPU. Single core CPUs will count as one CPU.

As a result, you would need to purchase an Enterprise CPU license for each CPU on your production machine housing no more than 2 CPU cores.

For example, if you would like to license PDFNet SDK on an Enterprise CPU license basis and plan to deploy the Software on a quad-core processor machine, you will require 2 Enterprise CPU Licenses.

+Multi-core Licensing Policy Explained

• What is PDFTron's licensing policy for multi-core processors?

  For PDFTron products which are licensed on a per-CPU basis, PDFTron has implemented a pricing and licensing policy which addresses the multi-core processors brought to market by leading hardware vendors.

  The PDFTron policy on multi-core licensing states that every 2 core processors on a multi-core machine are equivalent to one CPU from a licensing perspective. In addition, any remaining unpaired core processor(s) will also be deemed a CPU.

  For example, if you would like to license PDFNet SDK on an Enterprise CPU license basis and plan to deploy the Software on a quad-core processor machine, you will require 2 Enterprise CPU Licenses.

• What about single core CPUs?

  Single core CPUS will count as one CPU.

• What about CPUs that have less efficient cores?

  To create pricing alignment across the disparate hardware architectures, PDFTron's multi-core licensing policy does not differentiate between the multi-core machines offered by the various hardware vendors.

• When did this multi-core licensing policy take effect?

  The policy took effect starting June 2010.

• Why did PDFTron implement a multi-core licensing policy?

  PDFTron provides flexible licensing options by offering its software via multiple license metrics and models (e.g. Enterprise CPU, Web Application CPU, Enterprise, and OEM/Redistributable licensing). Pricing is determined based on the relative value offered by PDFTron's software according to the license model chosen. The new multi-core processors provide a significant performance improvement over present single-core architectures. As such, the multi-core licensing policy seeks to create pricing alignment across the disparate hardware architectures.

+How many Web Application CPU licenses I need to purchase?

A Web Application CPU License allows deploying the licensed software on a single production CPU (with no more than 2 CPU cores) as part of a single software application, program or web site accessible by (serving) an unlimited number of external end users via a specific domain such as 'pdftron.com' or 'microsoft.com'.

PDFTron's multi-core licensing policy states that every 2 core processors on a multi-core machine are equivalent to one CPU from a licensing perspective. In addition, any remaining unpaired core processor(s) will also be deemed a CPU. Single core CPUs will count as one CPU.

As a result, you would need to purchase a Web Application CPU license for each CPU on your production machine (housing no more than 2 CPU cores) that runs your 1 web application/program on no more than 1 specific web site domain.

For example, if you would like to license PDFNet SDK on a Web Application CPU license basis and plan to integrate the software as part of 1 unique web application, hosted on only 1 specific domain, running on a quad-core processor server, you will require 2 Web Application CPU Licenses.

To illustrate another example, if you plan to integrate the software as part of 4 unique web applications, hosted on only 1 specific domain, running on a quad-core processor server, you will require 8 Web Application CPU Licenses (i.e. 2 CPU Licenses for each unique web application).

+I will need to run PDFTron's component as part of a web application I am hosting through the Amazon EC2 web service (http://aws.amazon.com/ec2). How many Web Application CPU Licenses do I need to purchase?

To create pricing alignment of PDFTron's CPU license model with Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) web service, PDFTron's policy requires customers to purchase 1 Web Application CPU license for every 2 EC2 Compute Units of a given Amazon EC2 Instance Type. Anything less than 2 EC2 Compute units (such as .5 or 1 compute unit) also requires 1 Web Application CPU license. If you are unsure of the total number of licenses you need, please contact us with the type of Amazon EC2 Instance Type you plan to use and we can provide you with the applicable license pricing.

For example, if you plan to run PDFTron's component as part of a web application on Amazon's EC2 "High-CPU Extra Large Instance" which includes 20 EC2 Compute Units, you would need a total of 10 Web Application CPU licenses.

Please note that our standard volume discounts apply to multiple licenses purchased at the same time.

+How do you account for virtual CPUs as part of your licensing?

Virtual CPUs are accounted for in the same way as physical CPUs from a licensing perspective.

+We would like to use one of your components to produce a software application that we will sell to our customers as a commercially available product. What license do we need?

You would need an OEM/Redistributable License. Please contact our sales team to learn about the different OEM licensing options, or you can simply fill out our online form and one of our sales representatives will get back to you with detailed pricing information. OEM license pricing is usually based on the benefit that PDF functionality brings to your product, while also adapted to suit your own licensing and pricing model.

+Do you offer any discounts?

Yes! Volume discounts are available for multiple licenses of the same product, provided all licenses are part of a single order.

# of Licenses Ordered	Discount of List Prices
4 or 5	10%
6 - 10	15%
11 - 15	20%
16 - 20	25%
21 or more	30%

For larger volume orders, please contact PDFTron's sales team directly to receive a license quote.

We also provide special government and educational licensing options. Please email sales@pdftron.com with the type of purchase you are interested in and we will get back to you with more information.

Finally, reseller discounts are also provided! If you are a reseller and would like some more information on discounts, please contact sales@pdftron.com. You can also find some information on our Resellers page.

Order FAQ

+What purchasing options (payment methods) do you have available?

1) Online Store

The online store is mostly chosen by customers who wish to pay by CREDIT CARD. You can pay using any major credit card (Vis, MasterCard/Eurocard, American Express, Optima, Discover, Diners club, Carte Blanche, JCB]

To complete your product purchase online, you will be taken to our secure online store, hosted by Kagi, where you will be required to fill in your payment information.

The online ordering process is fully automated and secure and if you are in a hurry to receive the product, paying by credit card is the best option, as your order will be processed immediately and you will receive the license key(s) within the same day, as soon as the payment has cleared.

2) Bank/Wire Transfer

If you would like to pay by means of a bank/wire transfer, please email, fax or mail your order requirements to:

• PDFTron Systems Inc.
  #301 - 780 Beatty Street
  Vancouver, BC, V6B 2M1
  Canada
• sales@pdftron.com
  Phone: +1-604-730-8989
  Fax: +1-604-676-2477
  

3) Cheque or Money Order

For check or money order payments, please send the check or money order directly to PDFTron (to the address provided above).

+What terms are available for purchases?

Due to the difficulty in tracking international orders, we require payment in advance. Thus, the software is delivered only one the payment is received and confirmed.

For purchases completed online, the software license key and registration information is sent automatically when the payment has cleared.

+I purchased a product from PDFTron online. How can I identify PDFTron charges on my credit card?

Since our online store is hosted by Kagi, Kagi shows up on your credit card statement as the "merchant of record." That is why KAG*info.kagi.com or GCBerkeley.kagi.com appears on your credit card or banking statement. Please refer to Kagi's customer support page for any other Kagi related inquiries: http://shop.kagi.com/help

+Can you change some of the terms in your license?

Regrettably this is not possible. A common request is to change the jurisdiction of the license from BC, Canada to elsewhere, but as we have customers from many different countries, it is simply impossible for us to research and keep track of legal policies from around the world.

+When will I receive my software?

All our products are delivered in digital format to the email address provided within 12 hours of the payment being received and confirmed during standard business hours. For online purchases made by credit card, it is usually less than 2 business hours. You will receive a license key along with instructions on how to register/activate your software.

If you have not received an email with your software registration information and license key, please email us or call us at +1-604-730-8989. Please take into consideration our regular business hours (9AM to 6PM) and our time zone (GMT-8 Pacific Time).

+I forgot to add the maintenance and support subscription (AMS) to my order. How can I get the AMS added to my licenses?

Just send a quick note to sales@pdftron.com and one of our sales representatives will help you with that.

+I made a purchase online (through your Kagi online store) but I did not receive an invoice/bill/receipt. How can I obtain one?

Because you made your purchase through our online store Kagi, you need Kagi's invoice. You can request an invoice or bill at the time you make your purchase. If you have already completed your purchase, you can track your order and reqest an invoice anytime by going back to the Kagi website at: http://www.kagi.com and clicking on "Lookup an Order."

This Order Tracking System will allow you to view details of a specific payment you made to Kagi, or to send Kagi an email requesting this information. In order to use the system, you need to know some information about your order and how you paid. If you know the Transaction ID and Credit Card or Check number, or certain other combinations of information, the system will immediately look up your order for you. Otherwise, the information provided will be sent to Kagi, and you will receive a reply by email within 24 hours.

+Can you supply a pro-forma invoice/a formal quote/a W9?

If you're purchasing via our online store Kagi, you can request a pro-forma invoice (receipt) at the time of purchase. If you are sending payment directly to PDFTron, just let us know that you would like an invoice and we can email or fax one through.

In regards to the W9 form, if you end up making the payment through our online store Kagi, you can download Kagi's W9 form from the following link: http://www2.kagi.com/w9. If you are purchasing direct (by sending a check or wire payment directly to PDFTron), we can, upon your request, provide you with a W8 rather than a W9 form, since we are not a US based company.

+Are there any shipping charges or taxes added when I order?

Since all of our software products are downloadable from our website, there are no shipping charges added. Only European customers get charged VAT (Value Added Taxes).

+We usually don't pay VAT? How can I process our order without paying VAT?

To prevent VAT collection during the purchase, you must select one of the exempt countries or regions, using the country selector on the order summary screen.

In addition, if you can supply a valid EU VAT number at the time of the purchase, Kagi will not collect VAT. The EU VAT number will be verified at http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/vieshome.do?selectedLanguage=EN, so we suggest that you visit this website first to confirm that the EU VAT number can be verified. Kagi will not refund a VAT charge after a purchase has been made. Kagi supplies a valid VAT receipt with the purchase, so VAT can be reclaimed when the customer files his or her VAT report. For more information on how our online store Kagi handles VAT, please refer to: http://shop.kagi.com/help/46

+What is your return policy?

We do not accept returns of downloadable software. As a result, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of the free evaluation versions of our products prior to purchasing to ensure that the product meets your use and performance requirements.

+What is your address?

Our address and other pertinent contact information is available on our Contact Us page.

+Can you provide any references?

Yes, definitely! For customer references, please refer to Our Customers section.