ACE HARDWARE CO-OP

Your Ace co-op funds.
Find them. Use them.

Most Ace owners have co-op dollars sitting in Marketing Muscle that they never touch. Here’s the whole loop in about a minute: find your balance, get pre-approved, and file the claim after your mail drops.

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THE WALKTHROUGH

Three steps, one deadline.

Tell Ace what you plan to run before you spend a dollar. Claim it after it runs.

1
Find your funds

Check your balance in Ace Marketing Muscle. Two minutes with your AceNet login.

2
Get pre-approved

Before you spend a dollar. Approval usually comes back in two or three business days.

3
File the claim

After the mail is in boxes. Upload the invoice and the same art you got approved.

!
Watch the clock

Every program has its own expiration date. Use it or lose it.

Where to click, step by step.

The whole loop, from your balance to your credit.

1. Find your funds

Two minutes, and you only need your AceNet login.

Log in to AceNet at acenet.aceservices.com.
Open the Marketing menu in the top nav, then click Ace Marketing Muscle under the Digital Marketing column.
The Account Snapshot on that page is the fast answer. It shows percent used, dollars available, dollars spent, and the date your next bucket expires.
For the breakdown, click Manage Co-op. Under Fund Snapshot, the Dashboard splits your money by program. Ace Paint, Ace Brand and New Store Fund each sit on their own tab with their own rules.
Available Funds is what you can still spend. Open Claims are submitted and waiting on review.

2. Get pre-approved before you spend

Approval usually comes back in two or three business days.

Click Brand Pre-Approvals, then start a new one.
Enter Details: brand reference, store, activity type and your run dates. Direct mail is an activity type.
Add Attachments: upload the art you plan to run. If we handle your campaign, this is the file we send you.
Comments to Approver: optional, and the step most owners skip. Don’t skip it.
Review and Submit: save the PreApproval ID that comes back. You need it for the claim.

What to put in the comments

An explanation gets approved more often than a blank box. Be specific about what you’re running and who is running it.

What it is: a direct mail postcard
Who gets it: new movers
Where it goes: everyone within a set radius of the store
Who runs it: Our Town America handles print and distribution

3. File the claim after it runs

Do this once the mail is in boxes and you have the invoice.

Click Claims, then Create a Claim.
Answer yes to “Is there a brand pre-approval for this claim?” and pick the ID you saved. Ace compares the two to confirm you ran what you said you would.
Enter Details: put in the total invoice amount. The system fills in your reimbursement percent and eligible amount.
Attach Documents: the invoice and the same artwork.
Review and Submit: the credit comes back through Ace, separate from however you paid the vendor.

Use it or lose it

Every program runs on its own clock, so there’s no single deadline for everyone. Your next one is printed right on the Account Snapshot. Check it before you plan the spend, not after.

Brand funds are easier to qualify for than paint

If the piece is built around the Ace brand, it usually qualifies for brand co-op. Paint funds are stricter, because the paint brands have to carry the piece, which usually means reworking the art.

Our new mover postcards are already built to Ace brand standards. That’s the difference between a campaign you can fund with co-op and one you pay for twice.

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Real cards, real hardware stores.

Welcome gifts, thank-you cards and neighborhood postcards. Design is included.

Questions, answered

Where do I find my Ace co-op balance?

In AceNet, open Marketing, then Ace Marketing Muscle under Digital Marketing. The Account Snapshot on that page shows what is available and what is spent. Click Manage Co-op for the program by program breakdown.

Do I really need a pre-approval before I spend?

You are not required to, but claims submitted without one can be denied after the money is gone. A pre-approval tells you yes or no while you can still change course. If it comes back declined, ask why. It is usually a fixable detail, not a flat no.

How long does approval take?

Two or three business days is typical.

What if the artwork changes after I get approved?

Resubmit the pre-approval with the new art. It costs you a few days and protects the claim.

What do I upload with the claim?

The invoice and the same artwork you submitted for pre-approval.

When do co-op funds expire?

It depends on the program. Each one has its own deadline, and the next one to expire is shown on your Account Snapshot with a submit-by date.

Do I need co-op funds to mail with Our Town?

No. New mover mail typically pays for itself in added sales. Co-op is a bonus that lowers your cost.

Have co-op sitting there?

Bring your balance to the call and we’ll build a new mover campaign around the number.