Setup checklist#
- ☐ Confirm your logo is a registered trademark in an accepted jurisdiction (USPTO, EUIPO, UKIPO, JPO, and others).
- ☐ Prepare the exact trademarked artwork as SVG Tiny PS.
- ☐ Complete organization validation with the CA, including notarized identity verification.
- ☐ Receive the PEM certificate, host it over HTTPS, and reference it in the a= tag of your BIMI record.
- ☐ Calendar the renewal; VMCs are valid for one year.
Audit checklist#
- ☐ Confirm you are not: submitting a logo that differs from the registered mark, even slightly.
- ☐ Confirm you are not: letting the certificate expire, which silently removes the logo.
- ☐ Confirm you are not: assuming a pending trademark application qualifies; it must be registered.
Ongoing monitoring#
- ☐ Weekly: review provider dashboards (Postmaster Tools, SNDS) and bounce logs
- ☐ Monthly: re-run the setup verification after any vendor or DNS change
- ☐ Quarterly: full audit against this checklist
Frequently asked questions#
How much does a VMC cost?
Roughly $1,000 to $1,500 per year per logo, depending on the CA.
How long does issuance take?
Typically 2 to 6 weeks, mostly spent on organization and trademark validation.
Do I need one VMC per domain?
One VMC can cover multiple domains using SANs, if they share the same trademark.