Merchantsentity

Merchantsentity is a term used in e-commerce platforms and marketplace architectures to describe the data construct that represents the business entity engaged in selling goods or services. It is typically a distinct entity from individual customers or product records and is used to manage seller information, credentials, and operational settings within a system.

In data models, a merchantsentity usually includes identifiers and attributes such as a unique merchant id, legal_name, display_name, registration_number, tax_id, country, primary currency, and status (for example active, suspended, or closed). Additional fields commonly capture contact details, onboarding dates, payment accounts, payout methods, storefront or store identifiers, and links to related entities such as legal entities, tax registrations, or bank accounts. The design often supports one merchant entity owning multiple storefronts or brands, and may allow multiple payment methods or payout schedules per merchant.

Onboarding and verification are central to the concept. Marketplaces frequently require KYC (know your customer) and AML checks, document submission, and ongoing risk scoring to maintain trust and compliance. The merchantsentity is tied to operational modules such as orders, invoices, shipments, refunds, and financial reporting, and it plays a key role in access control, API credentials, and webhook configurations.

The term is widely used in platform governance, financing, and analytics, helping distinguish seller-side data from buyer data and product data. It supports governance of policies, performance metrics, and eligibility for programs like promotions or beta features.

See also: seller, vendor, merchant account, marketplace API, onboarding.