Supplier onboarding
Application, verification, account creation with the payment processor, and the identity requirements the processor imposes before payouts can be made.
Solution
Marketplace Platforms
Two sided platforms with supplier onboarding, listings, search, split payments and payouts, built so the money path and the trust model are right from the start.
Overview
What the system does
A marketplace connects two groups who would otherwise struggle to find each other, and takes a position in the transaction between them.
The engineering difficulty is concentrated in three places: onboarding suppliers so they can legally be paid, splitting money correctly between the platform and the supplier, and maintaining enough trust that both sides return.
Everything else is an ordinary application. Those three decide whether it works.
Who needs this
Businesses connecting buyers and suppliers through listings, reservations or orders and processor-managed payments.
What we build
Build supplier onboarding, moderation, transaction state and dispute operations together. A provider’s connected-account status determines whether payments or payouts are enabled. Commission calculation is not the same operation as settlement.
Modules
Core modules
Listings
Supplier managed listings with structured attributes, media, availability or stock, pricing rules and moderation before publication.
Search and discovery
Faceted search over indexed attributes, ranking that can be tuned, location awareness where relevant, and category browsing.
Transaction flow
Cart or booking, checkout, order or reservation, fulfilment or delivery of service, completion, and dispute handling.
Split payments and payouts
Payment captured once, commission retained by the platform, the remainder settled to the supplier on a schedule, with the ledger to explain every transfer.
Commission and fee model
Percentage, fixed, tiered or category specific fees, applied consistently and visible to both sides.
Reviews and trust
Reviews tied to completed transactions only, reporting, supplier ratings and suspension workflow.
Messaging
Buyer and supplier communication inside the platform with a record, so disputes have evidence.
Platform operations
Moderation queues, dispute resolution, refund handling including the effect on a payout already made, and supplier support tooling.
Architecture
How it fits together
A typical implementation flow, with explicit responsibilities at each boundary.
Integrations
- Payment processors supporting connected accounts and split payments
- Identity verification through the processor onboarding flow
- Transactional email and messaging
- Shipping carriers where physical goods are involved
- Tax calculation services
- Analytics for supply and demand reporting
- 01
Onboard
Collect platform details and direct regulated verification to the processor.
- 02
Transact
Create an order or booking, collect payment and record allocation references.
- 03
Settle
Track transfers, refunds, disputes and payout restrictions against the transaction.
Security and controls
Design for the exceptions, not just the happy path.
Keep identity verification with supported processor onboarding where possible. Enforce seller ownership on every listing and export. Define responsibility for refunds and negative balances before implementation.
Technology options
We select the final stack after reviewing your existing systems and operating requirements.
Security and IP practicesFit
Industries that use this
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
How does the money actually split?
The buyer pays once. The processor holds the funds, the platform fee is retained on the charge, and the remainder is transferred to the supplier connected account. Every movement is recorded in a ledger you can reconcile.
What happens on a refund after the supplier has been paid?
The refund is modelled explicitly: reverse the transfer where the balance allows, otherwise create a negative balance recovered from the next payout. The policy is decided during design, not during the first dispute.
Do suppliers need their own processor accounts?
They need a connected account created through the platform onboarding flow, which is how identity verification and payout details are collected without you handling them.
How do you prevent fake reviews?
Reviews are attached to completed transactions only, one per transaction, with reporting and moderation. That removes the easiest abuse without pretending the problem disappears.
Is the platform responsible for tax?
It depends on jurisdiction and model, and it is a question for your advisers. We build the system to support the treatment you are told applies, including collecting and reporting the required data.
What is the hardest part to get right?
The ledger. Marketplaces that grow without one spend a long time reconstructing where money went.
Let’s talk about the system you need.
Tell us where the current process breaks down. We can map the workflow, examine the integration requirements and define a practical scope for the build.
- A mutual NDA is signed before project details are shared.
- Scope is fixed in writing before any build starts.
- You own the source code, the IP and the documentation at delivery.
- Support plans are available and tailored on a discovery or technical call.