---
title: "Claude Partner Network: Tiers, Rules and Costs | Cred Farmer"
url: https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network
description: "The Claude Partner Network is free to join, and a firm should offer services and have 10 or more employees. Tiers, counts and dates, from Anthropic's pages."
last_updated: 2026-11-10
publisher: "Cred Farmer, an independent study platform, not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic or Pearson VUE"
---

# The Claude Partner Network explained: who qualifies, the tiers, and what it costs

This page on the Claude Partner Network covers who should apply, the Registered entry level, the three tiers, the dates a tier moves and what exams cost, with sources.

Published 10 November 2026Updated 10 November 20266 min readCovers all four exams

By the Cred Farmer editorial team.Checked against the official sources on 10 November 2026.

Short answer

The Claude Partner Network is [Anthropic’s free programme](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-vs-openai) for firms that deliver Claude for clients, and the rules Anthropic publishes in pieces fit in one table. A company should meet three conditions to apply, and new applicants start at Registered, with a minimum commitment to 10 certified practitioners. Three tiers follow, at 10, 100 and 1,000 active certified people. Promotions fall on 1 January and 1 July, a firm moves down only at the 31 December review, and exams cost $99 to $175 each.

Cred Farmer is independent and not part of the Claude Partner Network or an Anthropic source. These facts come from the official pages named below, read on 6 November 2026, and Anthropic’s partner team, not this page, decides a firm’s standing.

| Item | What Anthropic publishes | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Joining | Free. A company “should” be a registered business with 10 or more employees, in a supported region, offering services to customers | Application page; July article |
| Registered | Entry level, with a minimum commitment to 10 certified practitioners | Announcement, What’s next |
| Select | At least 10 active certified, 2 joint customers in production in the trailing 12 months, 1 public customer story | Announcement, About the Services Track |
| Preferred | At least 100 active certified, 15 deployed joint customers, 3 public stories | Announcement |
| Global Premier | At least 1,000 active certified, 100 deployed joint customers across three or more regions, 15 public stories, a joint business plan with named executive sponsors | Announcement |
| Exams that count | [Claude Certified Developer - Foundations (CCDV-F)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-developer-foundations), [Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCAR-F)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-architect-foundations), [Claude Certified Architect - Professional (CCAR-P)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-architect-professional). Not [Claude Certified Associate - Foundations (CCAO-F)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-associate-foundations) | FAQ, Program overview |
| [Exam fees](https://credfarmer.com/guides/claude-certification-cost) | $99 CCAO-F, $125 CCDV-F, $125 CCAR-F, $175 CCAR-P, before any tier discount | FAQ, Program overview |
| Tier dates | Up on 1 January, 1 July. Down at the 31 December review, narrow exceptions aside | Announcement, What this means for partners |

Checked against the official sources on 6 November 2026 and again on 10 November 2026. Those are Anthropic’s [launch post](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-partner-network), [Services Track announcement](https://www.anthropic.com/news/services-track-partner-hub) of 3 June 2026, [certification article](https://claude.com/resources/articles/four-role-based-claude-certifications), [Frontier Academy announcement](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-frontier-academy) and [application page](https://claude.com/form/cpn-partner-application). They also include the [partners page](https://claude.com/partners), [certification FAQ](https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/page/faq-certifications), [policies page](https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/page/policies-certifications), [eligibility page](https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/page/certification-eligibility), certifications page, [service partners page](https://claude.com/marketplace/service-partners) and Claude Academy FAQ.

**What the exam codes mean**

**CCAO-F**

Claude Certified Associate - Foundations

**CCDV-F**

Claude Certified Developer - Foundations

**CCAR-F**

Claude Certified Architect - Foundations

**CCAR-P**

Claude Certified Architect - Professional

## What is the Claude Partner Network, and which businesses is it designed for?

Anthropic’s partner network, launched on 12 March 2026 with an initial $100 million for 2026, is for firms that help enterprises put Claude into production. Today’s application page describes service firms and [sends product builders to the Claude API](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-for-software-companies); in March, “Any organization that is bringing Claude to market is eligible”.

Membership opens [Anthropic Partner Academy](https://credfarmer.com/blog/anthropic-partner-academy-login) and its exams. If your firm is outside the network, see [studying without Partner Network access](https://credfarmer.com/blog/study-without-partner-network-access).

## Who qualifies: three conditions and one entry level

[A company applying to Anthropic’s partner network](https://credfarmer.com/blog/join-the-claude-partner-network) should be a registered business with 10 or more employees, [operate in a supported region](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-in-india), and offer consulting, implementation or managed services to customers. The application page’s word is “should”, and its readable text does not mention exceptions.

[Who may register for an exam](https://credfarmer.com/guides/claude-certification-eligibility) has its own guide.

### Registered is the entry level

The announcement: new applicants start at Registered, with a minimum commitment to 10 certified practitioners, and “Partnership begins at Select.”

## Three tiers at 10, 100 and 1,000 active certified people

Anthropic’s [Services Track has three tiers](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-services-track): [Select needs at least 10 active certified individuals](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-select-tier), Preferred 100 and Global Premier 1,000. Each also needs joint customers in production and public customer stories, and Global Premier adds a joint business plan. The requirements are the same for every firm.

**Figure:** Five numbered steps: 1, apply, on three conditions; 2, Registered, a commitment to 10 certified practitioners; 3, Select, 10 active certified; 4, Preferred, 100 active certified; 5, Global Premier, 1,000 active certified

- From applying to Global Premier
- 1 Apply: Three conditions
- 2 Registered: Commit to 10
- 3 Select: 10 active
- 4 Preferred: 100 active
- 5 Global Premier: 1,000 active

Each tier also needs customers and stories.

[Active means holding a current Anthropic certification](https://credfarmer.com/blog/active-certified-practitioner) and having used Claude in the past 90 days, and certifications belong to people, not firms. Three exams include updated content from 7 December 2026, and CCAR-F is not named: see [Claude certification changes](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-changes).

## When a firm’s tier moves

A firm’s tier in Anthropic’s Services Track [moves on published dates](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-tier-review-dates). Promotions are processed on 1 January and 1 July. A firm moves down only at the annual review on 31 December, if it no longer meets its tier’s published requirements, [after 90 days’ notice and a chance to close the gap](https://credfarmer.com/blog/losing-a-claude-partner-tier).

The extra review on 1 October 2026 was for “this first year” and has passed. Narrow exceptions sit in a Program Guide that no page read prints. Each firm sees [its own standing in the Partner Hub](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-hub), “refreshed daily”.

## What joining costs, and what the exams cost

Joining Anthropic’s [partner network costs nothing](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-cost): its article of 23 July 2026 says “Membership is free.” Exams cost $99 to $175 each. Registered firms pay full price. [Select and Preferred get 50% off](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-exam-discount), and Global Premier 100% off through 31 December 2026, then 50%.

Ten first attempts at $125, the lowest fee that counts, come to $1,250 at full price: Cred Farmer’s arithmetic, not Anthropic’s. No official page Cred Farmer could read sets a revenue commitment or minimum spend, as of 6 November 2026.

## Cred Farmer’s partner posts by subject

Cred Farmer’s partner posts are listed by subject below. This page holds the summary, and each row below links the post that owns the detail.

| Posts by subject |
| --- |
| Joining |
| [Studying without Partner Network access](https://credfarmer.com/blog/study-without-partner-network-access) |
| [Claude Partner Network eligibility](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-eligibility) |
| [Joining the Partner Network, step by step](https://credfarmer.com/blog/join-the-claude-partner-network) |
| [Claude Partner Network cost](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-cost) |
| [Small firms and solo consultants](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-for-small-firms) |
| [Claude Partner Network application](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-application) |
| [The Claude Partner Network in India, and applying from outside the US](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-in-india) |
| [Claude Partner Network for software companies](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-for-software-companies) |
| [AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft partners](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-for-aws-partners) |
| Tiers |
| [Claude Partner Network requirements by tier](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-requirements) |
| [The Registered tier](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-registered-tier) |
| [The Select tier](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-select-tier) |
| [The Preferred tier and the gap from Select](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-preferred-tier) |
| [Claude Partner Global Premier](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-global-premier-tier) |
| [Claude Partner tier review dates and promotions](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-tier-review-dates) |
| [Losing a Claude Partner tier](https://credfarmer.com/blog/losing-a-claude-partner-tier) |
| [The Services Track](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-services-track) |
| [Claude partner readiness](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-readiness) |
| Who counts |
| [Claude Partner tier certifications](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-tier-certifications) |
| [Active certified practitioner](https://credfarmer.com/blog/active-certified-practitioner) |
| [Contractors, freelancers and part-time staff](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certified-contractors) |
| [Claude partner email domains](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-email-domain) |
| [Link a Claude certification to your company](https://credfarmer.com/blog/link-a-claude-certification-to-your-company) |
| [When a certified employee leaves](https://credfarmer.com/blog/when-a-claude-certified-employee-leaves) |
| [Customer deployments and public stories](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-customer-deployments) |
| [The Claude Code partner badge and course certificates against the tier count](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-code-partner-badge) |
| The Hub |
| [The Partner Hub](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-hub) |
| [Partner Hub vs Partner Portal](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-hub-vs-partner-portal) |
| [Anthropic Partner Academy login](https://credfarmer.com/blog/anthropic-partner-academy-login) |
| [The Claude partner directory](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-directory) |
| [Claude partners list](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partners-list) |
| [Verify a Claude partner](https://credfarmer.com/blog/verify-a-claude-partner) |
| Certifying a team |
| [The business case for certifying a team](https://credfarmer.com/blog/certifying-your-team-business-case) |
| [When your employer requires a certification](https://credfarmer.com/blog/employer-requires-claude-certification) |
| [Claude certification renewal for teams](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-renewal-for-teams) |
| [Cost to certify a team on Claude](https://credfarmer.com/blog/cost-to-certify-a-team-on-claude) |
| [Claude certification vouchers](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-vouchers) |
| [The Claude partner exam discount](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-exam-discount) |
| [A Claude certification plan for a team](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-plan-for-a-team) |
| [How long to get 10 people Claude certified](https://credfarmer.com/blog/how-long-to-get-10-people-claude-certified) |
| [Your first Claude certification cohort](https://credfarmer.com/blog/first-claude-certification-cohort) |
| [Claude certification for each role](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-for-each-role) |
| [Claude certification study time at work](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-study-time-at-work) |
| [Claude exam bookings for a team](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-exam-bookings-for-a-team) |
| [Claude exam integrity in a company programme](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-exam-integrity) |
| [Claude certification pass rate](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-pass-rate) |
| [A Claude practice environment](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-practice-environment) |
| [Internal bootcamps on Partner Academy courses](https://credfarmer.com/blog/internal-claude-certification-bootcamp) |
| [A Claude learning path for a delivery team](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-learning-path) |
| [Tracking Claude certifications](https://credfarmer.com/blog/track-claude-certifications) |
| [Authorized Claude training provider](https://credfarmer.com/blog/authorized-claude-training-provider) |
| [A Claude certification course syllabus](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-course-syllabus) |
| [Claude certification bootcamp or self-paced](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-bootcamp) |
| [Claude training contract](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-training-contract) |
| [Claude certified and ready for client work](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certified-and-ready-for-client-work) |
| [Internal Claude projects without customer data](https://credfarmer.com/blog/internal-claude-projects) |
| [A Claude center of excellence](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-center-of-excellence) |
| Hiring |
| [Verifying a candidate’s badge](https://credfarmer.com/blog/how-to-verify-a-claude-certification-badge) |
| [Hire or train for Claude certification](https://credfarmer.com/blog/hire-or-train-for-claude-certification) |
| [Find Claude certified developers](https://credfarmer.com/blog/find-claude-certified-developers) |
| [Interview Claude certified candidates](https://credfarmer.com/blog/interview-claude-certified-candidates) |
| [A Claude certified developer job description](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certified-developer-job-description) |
| [Retain Claude certified employees](https://credfarmer.com/blog/retain-claude-certified-employees) |
| The business |
| [Claude partner benefits](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-benefits) |
| [Referral credit, deal protection and co-selling](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-referral) |
| [Claude partner logo and badge use](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-logo) |
| [Companies committed to Claude certification](https://credfarmer.com/blog/companies-committed-to-claude-certification) |
| [Claude certification statistics](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-statistics) |
| [Is the Claude Partner Network worth it?](https://credfarmer.com/blog/is-the-claude-partner-network-worth-it) |
| [Claude certification ROI](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-roi) |
| [Claude certifications in proposals](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certifications-in-proposals) |

## Key takeaways

- **Joining Anthropic’s partner network is free.** New applicants start at Registered, with a commitment to 10 certified practitioners.
- **Anthropic’s Services Track tiers need 10, 100 or 1,000 active certified people.** Each also needs joint customers and public stories.
- **Three of the four Claude exams count toward a partner tier.** CCAO-F does not.
- **Claude partner tiers move on published dates.** Promotions are processed on 1 January and 1 July; demotion, narrow exceptions aside, at the 31 December review.

## See what each Claude exam covers

[Three of them count toward a partner tier](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-tier-certifications).

[See the four Claude exams and what each one covers](https://credfarmer.com/certifications)

## Frequently asked

**What is the Claude Partner Network?**

Anthropic’s programme for firms that deliver Claude for clients, launched on 12 March 2026. Membership is free. New applicants start at Registered, with a minimum commitment to 10 certified practitioners, and the three tiers are Select, Preferred and Global Premier.

**Is the Anthropic partner network the same as the Claude partner program?**

Yes, on the pages read on 6 November 2026. Anthropic’s announcements and FAQ use the name Claude Partner Network, and its Academy FAQ says “Anthropic’s partner program”. Neither search phrase is a formal name, and no page read describes a second services programme.

**Is Registered a Claude partner tier?**

Not one of the three. The announcement of 3 June 2026 lists Select, Preferred and Global Premier, calls Registered “the program’s entry level” and says “Partnership begins at Select.” The FAQ does say “Registered-tier partners”, who pay full price for exams.

**Can a firm’s staff take a Claude exam before it joins?**

No, on the published rules. Anthropic’s FAQ says certification is “currently available only” to organisations in the network, and its eligibility page says people elsewhere can’t register for an exam. Claude Academy stays open, but it issues certificates of completion, not certifications.

**How many firms are in the Claude partner program?**

Anthropic’s service partners page listed 354 on 10 November 2026. On 2 October 2026 Anthropic said “professionals across 46,000 firms have earned more than 175,000 Claude certifications”: certifications, not people. On 23 July 2026: more than 36,000 consultants across more than 1,300 organisations. On 3 June 2026: more than 40,000 firms had applied. No page relates these.

**What has Anthropic not published about its partner programme?**

As of 6 November 2026, Anthropic’s announcements, application page (form unread), FAQ and policies page give no deadline for the commitment to 10, no review time, no benefits by tier beyond the exam discount. The Program Guide is named but not printed, and claude.com/partners prints no tier counts, though the announcement says detailed requirements are published there.

## Related posts

### [The Claude Partner Network vs Microsoft, AWS and Google Cloud partner programmes: what each one publishes](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-network-vs-openai)

The Claude Partner Network vs Microsoft, AWS and Google Cloud partner programmes, read 10 November 2026: who can join, the cost, tiers and counts. No winner.

### [How to join the Claude Partner Network: the application, the Registered tier and what follows](https://credfarmer.com/blog/join-the-claude-partner-network)

To join the Claude Partner Network, apply on claude.com. New applicants start at Registered, free, with a commitment to 10 certified people. The steps in order.

### [The Claude Partner Registered tier: what a firm gets, and what it has committed to](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-partner-registered-tier)

The Claude Partner Registered tier is the entry level: free, full exam fees, and a commitment to 10 certified practitioners. How it differs from Select.

Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Anthropic or Pearson VUE. Details are summarised from publicly published program information and can change. Always confirm against the official exam guide before booking.