01
Seller and buyer structure
Define whether the platform is agent, reseller, merchant of record or technical marketplace, and where buyers, sellers and the platform entity are located.
Marketplace payment infrastructure
Match the provider to the marketplace funds flow.
Marketplace payments depend on who sells, who collects, who holds funds and who pays each participant. OfferPSP maps the operating and regulatory model before identifying relevant provider routes.
Send a private payment brief
What we evaluate
Marketplace requirements that change the match
A standard merchant account may not support submerchant onboarding, split settlement or platform payouts. The funds flow must be explicit.
02
Onboarding and verification
Seller KYB/KYC, beneficial ownership, sanctions screening, document collection and ongoing monitoring shape the provider requirements.
03
Collection, split and payout
The brief should show who receives funds, when fees are deducted, whether balances are held and how sellers are paid.
04
Reconciliation and control
Transaction-level reporting, refunds, disputes, reserves, payout status and ledger exports need to support the platform’s finance and support teams.
Practical detail
Turn the marketplace model into a provider decision table
Two platforms can both call themselves marketplaces while requiring completely different regulated and technical arrangements. The provider must understand the legal role of the platform, who is onboarded, who receives customer money and how funds reach each seller before it can assess the route.
| Marketplace question | Minimum evidence | Effect on provider selection |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the seller? | Contracts and checkout copy showing whether the platform, a third-party seller or another entity sells to the buyer. | This determines who may need the merchant account and who carries refund and dispute responsibility. |
| Who receives funds? | A step-by-step funds-flow diagram covering collection, fees, balances, reserves, refunds and final seller settlement. | Holding or controlling third-party funds may require a marketplace-specific product and regulatory analysis. |
| How are sellers verified? | Seller categories, GEOs, KYB/KYC fields, beneficial-owner checks, sanctions screening and ongoing monitoring triggers. | A provider must decide whether it can rely on the platform process or needs to perform parts of onboarding itself. |
| How are payouts executed? | Payout destinations, currencies, schedules, thresholds, reversals, failed-payment handling and beneficiary-name requirements. | Card acceptance does not prove that the same provider supports the seller payout model. |
| How is the ledger reconciled? | Transaction IDs linking orders, collections, platform fees, refunds, disputes, adjustments and seller payouts. | The route must support finance, audit and customer-support operations after launch. |
Brief example
Documents for a marketplace provider review
A strong marketplace brief includes a diagram and sample records rather than relying on product terminology. For example, a Singapore platform serving buyers and sellers across Southeast Asia should identify the contracting entity, seller countries, seller categories, PayNow or card collection needs, SGD and USD payout requirements, platform fees, refund ownership and the exact reconciliation output required. Method availability and the platform's legal classification still require provider confirmation.
B1
Corporate and contractual
Platform entity, ownership, seller agreement, buyer terms, prohibited categories and the legal analysis supporting the operating role.
B2
Seller onboarding
KYB/KYC workflow, document requirements, screening vendors, approval ownership, refresh cycles and termination controls.
B3
Money movement
Collection, split or sequential settlement, platform commission, reserves, refund funding, dispute allocation and payout instructions.
B4
Technical controls
API roles, submerchant identifiers, webhooks, ledger exports, access permissions, reconciliation and incident procedures.
B5
Operating forecast
Seller count, buyer GEOs, currencies, expected volume, average ticket, payout frequency, seasonality and launch stages.
Glossary
Marketplace payment terms
- Submerchant
- A seller or service provider onboarded under a marketplace or platform payment arrangement.
- Split settlement
- A controlled allocation of one collected payment between the platform, seller or other entitled parties.
- KYB
- Business verification covering the legal entity, ownership, controllers and supporting corporate evidence.
- Ledger
- The platform's record linking each order to collections, fees, refunds, adjustments and seller payouts.
Review process
Common marketplace review failures
For planning, OfferPSP allows 1–2 business days to check the brief and roughly 3–10 business days for an initial provider response after the funds flow and seller model are complete. Legal-role analysis, seller onboarding design, provider due diligence and integration often require 3–8 weeks or more. This is not a provider SLA and does not guarantee approval.
Common brief mistakes
- The platform calls itself a marketplace but does not identify the seller, merchant of record or refund owner.
- Collection is described without the path for fees, balances, reserves, seller payouts and reversals.
- Seller growth forecasts omit seller categories, countries, verification fields and monitoring controls.
What speeds up the provider decision
- Provide one diagram showing every entity, account and movement of funds.
- Attach seller and buyer terms plus a sample onboarding record and ledger export.
- Separate buyer acceptance, platform fees and seller payout requirements before provider comparison.
Matching inputs
Document the marketplace flow
Specific, current information improves the quality of every provider conversation.
Platform entity and legal role
Seller and buyer GEOs
Seller onboarding requirements
Collection and split logic
Payout timing and currencies
Refund, dispute and reconciliation workflow
Questions
What businesses usually ask
Can a normal e-commerce PSP support a marketplace?
A standard e-commerce PSP can support a marketplace only if its product and contract cover the platform’s actual funds flow. Submerchant onboarding, split funds or third-party payouts often require a dedicated marketplace product.
Does OfferPSP decide whether our model is legally compliant?
OfferPSP does not decide whether a marketplace model is legally compliant. We collect the facts needed for matching, while legal classification and regulatory advice remain with qualified counsel and the provider’s compliance team.
Can sellers be paid in different currencies?
Sellers can be paid in different currencies only where provider coverage, seller location, settlement rules and the platform model permit it. Currency availability must be confirmed for each payout route.
Can the matching cover both buyer acceptance and seller payouts?
OfferPSP can match both buyer acceptance and seller payout requirements. We treat collection and payout as distinct flows so support for one side is never assumed to prove support for the other.
Related payment briefs
Continue the research
Private qualification
Describe the route that must work.
Share the company, target GEOs, vertical, methods, volume and current constraint. We will assess the next useful step without publishing your provider search.