DigiCert Common Mark Certificate (CMC)

How long does a Common Mark Certificate remain valid?

With the multi-year plan, CMC certificates can have extended validity periods. However, they cannot exceed a maximum duration of 397 days. After this period, revalidation and reissue are mandatory. This ensures compliance with all security guidelines set by the CA/B Forum.

How Does CMC Help Organizations Improve Email Security?

From a security standpoint, implementing BIMI with a CMC and enforcing a DMARC policy set to ‘p=reject’ reduces phishing attacks and email spoofing. This ensures stronger protection for both brands and their customers. It helps mitigate the risk of expensive cyber incidents.

Who Are Common Mark Certificates For?

Common Mark Certificates are designed for a wide range of businesses. They are an excellent marketing tool for Email Marketers, SaaS Companies, SMBs, Enterprises, Digital Marketers, and brands that do not have a trademarked logo.

How Many CMCs or Mark Certificates Do I Need?

You will need one certificate for each unique logo. If you have only one logo, a single certificate can cover multiple sending domains. However, if you use multiple logos, you must obtain a separate certificate for each logo, regardless of the number of sending domains.

Do I Need to List Domains and Subdomains When Ordering a CMC?

Yes, all sending domains must be listed, but subdomains are automatically covered under the base domain.For example:

• If your sending domains are mail.domain.com, marketing.domain.com, and domain.com, you only need to list domain.com.
• While you can list subdomains individually if you wish, it is not required. Note that listing them will incur additional charges.
• However, if you send emails from a different domain like example.co.uk, that domain must also be listed separately, as it is not covered under example.com.

What Makes a Common Mark Certificate Different?

Common Mark Certificates (CMCs) stand out because they eliminate the need for a registered trademark. Which is often a costly and time-consuming process.

Traditionally, organizations and email providers using VMCs or GMCs had to obtain authorization from the BIMI standards governing body, requiring a registered trademark for their logo.

With CMCs, organizations can qualify by demonstrating at least one year of historical logo usage, as verified by the Certificate Authority (CA). This makes CMCs a more accessible and affordable option for businesses.

What Does a Common Mark Certificate (CMC) Cost?

The cost of a Common Mark Certificate (CMC) varies and is available only upon request. DigiCert’s Verified Mark Certificates require extensive implementation support and consultation, which influences pricing.

With the Multi-year Plan, you can choose validity periods beyond the standard 12 months, up to a maximum of 3 years. This option offers a significant cost advantage, as the total price decreases with longer validity periods.

What Are the Next Steps After Receiving a CMC?

Once you receive your CMC:

1. You submitted an SVG file during the purchase process and received a PEM file in return.
2. Place both the SVG and PEM files on a publicly accessible server.
   • Ensure they are accessible via HTTPS (using HTTP will cause errors).
3. The hosted SVG file, referenced in your BIMI DNS record, must exactly match (byte for byte) the validated SVG file linked to the PEM file.

If there is any mismatch between the files, the BIMI functionality will not work.