Rebates are usually legal in the US, but go to the distributor or the final buyer. I used to sell huge amounts of computer hardware at a small loss, and a month later would be making 15-20% profit once rebates were paid to my company.
Bribes are paid by (or directed to be paid to someone else by) the person who is buying (or a sales representative selling) and their employer never sees the money. That's why direct incentives to salespeople (spiffs) should be authorized in writing, by the employer. An example of a bribe would be a purchasing agent requiring me to donate 5% of the deal value to their church to get a deal.
Offering a good deal isn't bribery. Bribery is when you give a decisionmaker money to make him make decisions against the wishes of the organization he represents. In this case it is in the interests of these companies to take these deals since they were good for them, they weren't bribed to take it.
Bribes are paid by (or directed to be paid to someone else by) the person who is buying (or a sales representative selling) and their employer never sees the money. That's why direct incentives to salespeople (spiffs) should be authorized in writing, by the employer. An example of a bribe would be a purchasing agent requiring me to donate 5% of the deal value to their church to get a deal.