Merchant Applet

Purpose and Overview

The Merchant Applet is a specialized tool designed to manage the entire lifecycle of merchants within a business or payment platform. It serves as the primary administrative hub for onboarding new merchants, configuring their technical and financial parameters, and managing formalized service agreements or contracts.

Key Features Overview

Who Benefits from This Applet?

Platform Administrators:

• Centralized control of merchant registrations
• Management of secure API keys and gateway credentials
• Real-time status monitoring (Active vs. Inactive)
• Efficient configuration of merchant types and classifications

Merchant Relationship Managers:

• Seamless onboarding process for new partners
• Visibility into valid and expiring contracts or agreements
• Ability to update merchant profiles and contact details
• Detailed auditing of all administrative changes or interactions

Compliance & Audit Teams:

• Complete audit trails of every modification in the system
• Centralized repository of all merchant-related contracts
• Verification of account status and eligibility periods
• Identification of unauthorized changes through transaction logs

What Problems Does This Solve?

The Partner Management Friction Problem:

Managing a large ecosystem of merchants often becomes difficult using spreadsheets or fragmented systems. Common issues include:

• Scattered merchant profile data across multiple departments
• Manual handling of sensitive Merchant Keys leading to security risks
• Lost or undocumented contractual agreements
• Lack of a formal approval process for merchant state changes
• Difficulty in verifying compliance for every registered merchant

The Merchant Applet Solution:

• Structured Onboarding Workflow - Standardized field-driven creation of merchant identities
• Secure Key Repository - Dedicated storage of Payment Gateway (PGW) codes and keys
• Contract Lifecycle Hub - Integrated tracking of formalized agreements with start and end date controls
• Comprehensive Event Logging - Advanced audit trails for every profile and contract modification
• Flexible Segmentation - Define merchants by type (Direct vs. Indirect), entity types, and AR/AP categories

Key Features Overview

Key Concepts

Understanding the Merchant Framework

The system ensures security and operational integrity through a structured hierarchy of information for every merchant:

Lifecycle Progression

The applet manages the strategic movement of merchants through various operational states:

Platform Onboarding
│
├── Identity Registry ──→ Creation of ID, Name, and Company links
│   │
│   └── Technical Configuration ──→ Security Keys and PGW Setup
│       │
│       └── Contract Activation ──→ Formality of agreements and terms
│           │
│           └── Ongoing Audit ──→ Real-time tracking of modifications

Quick Start Guide

For Platform Admins: Registering a New Merchant

Goal: Create a profile and activate a merchant in 5 steps.

1. Navigate: Go to Merchant Admin and click “Create Merchant”.
2. Identity Entry: Enter the Merchant ID, Merchant Name, and Merchant Company details.
3. Configure Technicals: Provide the PGW Merchant Code and the Merchant Key.
4. Define Types: Select the appropriate Entity Type (e.g., Sole Proprietor, Sdn Bhd) and Merchant Type.
5. Set Status: Mark the status as Active or Pending and click CREATE.

For Compliance Officers: Reviewing a Contract

Goal: Verify and monitor partner agreements.

1. Access Contracts: Navigate to the Contract Container tab.
2. Review Listing: Use the Contract Listing to search for a specific merchant’s agreement.
3. Check Validity: Open the contract to see the Start Date, End Date, and associated documentation.
4. Audit History: Use the Audit Trail tab to see who activated or modified the contract parameters.

Configuration & Settings

Tailor your merchant management platform through the Settings hub:

• Merchant Type Config: Define the categorization rules used for merchant types.
• Contract Templates: Standardize the data fields required for new merchant agreements.
• Entity Type Management: Maintain the listing of legal entities (e.g., LLP, Private Limited).
• Listing Personalization: Define which columns are visible (e.g., “ID”, “Name”, “Key Last Updated”) to optimize admin efficiency.

FAQ

Q: Can a merchant have multiple contracts? A: Yes, the applet’s contract container allows you to track successive contracts, ensuring historical continuity as agreements renew over time.

Q: What happens if I change a Merchant Key? A: Any modification to sensitive keys is logged in the Audit Trail. Ensure you update any connected services to prevent downtime during the key rotation.

Q: Can I deactivate a merchant immediately? A: Yes. Changing the Status to INACTIVE in the profile will disable their operational capabilities on the platform while preserving their data for audit purposes.

Q: Is there support for multi-currency merchants? A: Merchant profiles support specific Currency and AR/AP Type definitions to facilitate correct financial settlement processes within the larger ecosystem.