In a marketplace, a vendor is a third-party seller who lists products or services on your platform. Vendor applications are the gating workflow that lets aspiring sellers apply, get vetted, and become active vendors with the right permissions and payout setup.
The Standard Flow
- Discovery: Visitor clicks “Sell on our platform”.
- Apply: Application form captures business name, contact, tax info, bank details, sample products and any platform-specific requirements.
- Review: Application enters a queue. Admins review against your criteria (verified business, products in scope, no policy violations).
- Decision: Approved → vendor account created with seller permissions, payout configured. Declined → polite email with feedback. More info needed → request from applicant.
- Onboarding: Approved vendor lands in the seller dashboard with a guided checklist.
Vetting Criteria
- Verified business registration (Companies House for UK, equivalents elsewhere).
- Valid tax/VAT number where applicable.
- Sample listings meeting platform quality bar.
- No prior policy violations or chargebacks on related accounts.
- Optional: KYC/AML check via Stripe Connect or equivalent.
Worked Examples
- Open consumer marketplace: Lightweight application, automated approval where Stripe Connect KYC passes.
- Curated artisan marketplace: Manual review by editorial team, looking at sample products and brand fit.
- B2B wholesale platform: Document upload (trade licence, certifications), 5–10 day review.
- Regulated industry: KYC + manual compliance review + sample listings + reference checks.