Managed Sellers
Create and manage seller accounts on behalf of vendors who can't manage their own. Perfect for curated marketplaces with non-technical sellers like local artisans, small farmers, or elderly producers.
Why Managed Sellers?
Some marketplace sellers aren't comfortable with technology. Without managed sellers, the marketplace owner would have to list everything under a single seller account — making them the legal seller of record for all products and creating a tax and accounting nightmare.
With managed sellers, each vendor remains a separate legal entity with their own Stripe Connect account for direct payouts, while the marketplace owner handles all the technical work.
How It Works
Create the Seller Account
Go to Store Settings → Managed Sellers tab and click Add Seller. Fill in:
- First name & last name (required)
- Email (required) — used for Stripe Connect payouts and for the seller to sign in later
- Country (required) — must be a Stripe Connect supported country
- Business name (optional)
- Phone (optional)
- Internal notes (optional) — only visible to you
Create Listings on Their Behalf
In the managed sellers table, click Create Listing next to the seller's name. You'll see the full listing creation form with a banner confirming which seller the listing is for.
- Upload images, videos, and digital files
- Set pricing, stock, categories, and all listing fields
- Listings skip the approval workflow — they're auto-approved since you're the owner
- Publish immediately or save as draft
After creating listings, you can manage them from the Sellers tab → Seller Listings section. Drafts appear under the Drafts tab where you can edit, publish, or delete them.
Set Up Stripe Payouts
Click Connect Stripe next to the seller's name to generate a Stripe Connect onboarding link. A modal will open where you can:
- Copy the link and share it via SMS, WhatsApp, or any channel
- Send it via email directly to the seller — uses your custom sender email if configured
- Open it together with the seller and help them fill in their details
- Complete it on their behalf if you have their bank info and documents (with their consent)
Deferred Payouts
Sellers can make sales before completing Stripe Connect onboarding. When a customer buys from a seller who hasn't onboarded yet:
- The payment is processed normally and the money is held on the platform
- The Pending Earnings column in the managed sellers table shows how much is waiting
- Once the seller completes Stripe Connect onboarding, all pending earnings are automatically transferred to their account
This means you can start selling immediately after creating a seller — no need to wait for Stripe setup.
Seller Self-Management
A managed seller can later manage their own account by signing in to the marketplace:
- The seller goes to the marketplace sign-in page
- They enter their email address (the one you used when creating their account)
- They receive a magic link and click it to sign in
- They now have full access to their seller dashboard — listings, orders, messages, etc.
All listings, orders, and Stripe payouts remain linked to their account. Nothing changes — they just gain the ability to manage things themselves.
Country Requirements
The country field is required because Stripe Connect requires it for account creation. Only Stripe Connect supported countries are available in the dropdown. Make sure to select the correct country for each seller — it determines their payout currency and available payment methods.
Plan Availability
| Feature | Starter | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed Sellers | - | ||
| Create Listings for Sellers | - | ||
| Stripe Onboarding Links | - |