Vendor Onboarding — Simple, Fast, Secure

• Vendor registration: Vendors sign up and provide business details and documents for verification.
• Document verification: Admin reviews documents and approves vendor accounts (KYC & business documents can be uploaded during registration).
• Automated account creation: Once approved, a vendor account is created automatically and credentials are emailed to the vendor.
• Joining fee: The marketplace owner can collect a one-time joining fee from vendors as part of onboarding — a direct and immediate revenue stream.

Vendor Storefront & Brand Presence

Each vendor receives a branded mini-store within your marketplace — a distinct storefront with product listings, collections and a dedicated address on your site. Example storefront pattern: https://yourdomain.com/yourwhatsappnumber

Vendors can manage product images, descriptions, pricing (within rules you set) and collections to create a curated shopping experience for their customers.

Transparent Commission & Payment Flow

Payments and charges are handled clearly and automatically so both owners and vendors know exactly what to expect.

• Commission model: Admin sets the commission percentage per vendor (or per category). Commission is deducted before vendor settlement.
• Payment gateway charges: Payment gateway (PG) transaction fees are accounted for separately and deducted as part of settlement, keeping the vendor payout calculation transparent.
• Two-level deductions: Vendor payouts reflect both commission and PG fees (plus statutory deductions like TCS where applicable).
• Return adjustments: Returned orders and refunds are included in the settlement logic — net payable is adjusted to reflect returns, taxes and fees.

The result: vendors see clear statements and owners maintain full auditability over every settlement.

Bi-Monthly (Twice-a-Month) Vendor Settlements

zCartify processes vendor payouts on a bi-monthly cycle (twice every month), ensuring faster cash flow and smooth financial management for marketplace owners and vendors. Every cycle generates a detailed settlement statement which includes:

• Total sales for the settlement period
• Commission deducted (as per vendor-specific percentage)
• GST on commission (where applicable)
• Payment gateway fees and transaction charges
• TCS / statutory deductions (as applicable)
• Shipping allocation and coupon/discount adjustments
• Return & refund adjustments with accurate recalculation
• Net payable amount after all deductions

Each settlement is generated with a unique invoice number following the financial year format and stored with complete details. Admins receive full auditability, while vendors enjoy complete transparency over their payouts.

Vendor Experience & Role-Based Access

Vendors get a focused dashboard that gives them everything they need — product upload, order list, sales summary and basic reports — while restricting access to only their own data. Role-based permissions allow vendors to add staff-level accounts (cashiers, managers) with limited access.

• Vendor dashboard: manage products, view orders, check payments and track performance.
• Role-based access: vendors create team members with specific permissions (billing, product management, order handling) without affecting other vendors’ data.
• Transparent tools: vendors can monitor commissions, returns, and payout history in one place.

Admin Controls

The marketplace administrator retains ultimate control: vendor approvals, commission policies, product publishing workflows, pricing rules, marketplace-wide promotions and settlements. zCartify makes it easy to scale while retaining governance and quality.

• Approve or reject vendor registrations and documents
• Review and publish vendor product listings
• Set global or vendor-specific commission structures
• Run settlements, export statements and audit payouts
• Block or suspend vendors if policy violations occur

Returns, Refunds & Reconciliation

Returns and refunds are fully considered in vendor settlements — returned amounts reduce vendor payables as part of the same settlement run. This ensures accurate payouts and reduces disputes between vendors and marketplace owners.

Why This Is a Great Business Model for Marketplace Owners

• Immediate revenue: collect vendor joining fees during onboarding.
• Scalable income: earn platform revenue from commissions on sales over time.
• Low operational overhead: vendors self-manage listings while admin enforces quality and policy.
• Trust and transparency: clear statements and automated settlements reduce disputes and build confidence.

Pricing & Getting Started

The standard multi-vendor plan (up to 25 vendors) is ₹96,000. Marketplace owners can also charge a vendor joining fee — a powerful short-term revenue source that you collect directly as the owner.

Ready to onboard vendors and launch a trusted marketplace?