Choose Platform Capabilities
Choose the capabilities required to support your business model, participant experience, funds flow requirements, and operational responsibilities.
This section helps identify the services needed for launch, understand how capabilities support different platform models, and determine the functionality required to scale over time.
Common Platform Models
The capabilities required by your platform depend on the experiences you intend to provide and the operational responsibilities you plan to manage.
| Platform Model | Typical Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Marketplace | Seller onboarding, payment acceptance, funds allocation, payouts, reporting |
| Franchise Network | Merchant onboarding, payment acceptance, centralized reporting |
| Embedded Finance Platform | Onboarding, wallets, issued accounts, payouts |
| Gig Economy Platform | Worker onboarding, payment acceptance, earnings management, payouts |
| Service Marketplace | Provider onboarding, payment acceptance, payouts, reporting |
Available Capability Areas
Onboard Participant
Onboard merchants, sellers, workers, service providers, buyers, or other platform participants.
Examples
- Identity verification
- Business verification
- Document collection
- Agreements and disclosures
- Participant lifecycle management
Refer to Onboard Participant for more details.
Accept Payments
Accept customer payments using Commerce Hub payment services.
Examples
- Card payments
- Digital wallets
- ACH / bank payments
- Alternative payment methods
Refer to Accept Payments for more details.
Funds Management
Manage funds after payment collection.
Examples
- Funds allocation
- Split payments
- Reserve management
- Balance management
Refer to Funds Management for more details.
Payouts
Distribute funds to participants.
Examples
- ACH payouts
- Instant payouts
- Cross-border payouts
- Wallet transfers
Refer to Payouts for more details.
Embedded Finance
Offer financial services directly within your platform experience.
Examples
- Wallets
- Deposit accounts
- Virtual cards
- Financial account experiences
Refer to Embedded Finance for more details.
Reporting
Provide visibility into participant activity, transaction activity, payouts, and platform operations.
Examples
- Operational reporting
- Transaction monitoring
- Participant management
- Activity tracking
Refer to Reporting for more details.
Capability Dependency Matrix
Use this matrix to identify the capabilities typically required for participant experiences you plan to offer.
| Participant Experience | Participant Onboarding | Payment Acceptance | Funds Management | Payouts | Reporting & Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onboard sellers | Required | Required | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended |
| Verify seller identity and business information | Required | Required | Recommended | ||
| Accept payments from buyers | Required | Required | Recommended | Recommended | |
| Split funds between sellers and platform fees | Required | Recommended | Required | Recommended | Recommended |
| Send payouts to sellers | Required | Required | Recommended | Required | Recommended |
| Manage payout exceptions and failed transfers | Required | Recommended | Required | Recommended | |
| Monitor onboarding and participant status | Required | Required | |||
| View transaction and payout activity | Required | Recommended | Required | Required | |
| Offer seller balances or stored funds | Required | Required | Required | Recommended | Required |
| Offer financial accounts or wallet experiences | Required | Required | Required | Recommended | Required |
Before You Continue
Before proceeding, confirm that you have identified:
- The participant types operating within your platform
- Whether you will accept payments from buyers
- Whether funds will be allocated across multiple parties
- Whether participants will receive payouts
- Whether onboarding and verification are required
- Whether embedded financial services are needed
- Whether reporting and operational management capabilities are required
Next Step
Once required capabilities have been identified, define the participants within your ecosystem and how they interact with one another by proceeding to Define Participant Model.