To enable buyers to purchase items from multiple merchants in a single checkout—while still supporting automatic split payments between the marketplace admin and each merchant—all merchants must use the same payment gateway. This requirement ensures a smooth, one-cart experience and accurate payouts to the right parties.
Why we require a mandatory payment method
In a multi-merchant marketplace, buyers often add products from different merchants into one cart. At checkout, the platform needs to:
- Collect payment once (single transaction),
- Split the payment automatically between the marketplace admin and each merchant,
- Reconcile payouts correctly and reliably.
These functions depend on uniform payment gateway capabilities. If merchants use different gateways (e.g., some use PayPal, others use Stripe), a single cart cannot be processed end-to-end with one payment authorization, making automatic split payments and unified checkout impossible.
How the unified payment gateway enables split payments
When every merchant is connected to the same gateway:
- The buyer can pay once for all items in the cart.
- The marketplace can programmatically split the payment into the admin’s commission and each merchant’s share.
- Refunds, partial captures, and payout reconciliation are consistent and traceable.
In short: one gateway = one seamless checkout + reliable automatic splits.
Example scenario
Buyer X has two items in the cart:
- Item 1 from Merchant A (using PayPal),
- Item 2 from Merchant B (using Stripe).
If no mandatory payment method is enforced:
- Buyer X cannot pay both items with a single PayPal transaction (because Merchant B is on Stripe).
- Buyer X must checkout twice—once per merchant/gateway—which is slow, confusing, and a poor user experience.
- Automatic split payments across multiple gateways are not supported in a single transaction.
If a mandatory payment method is enforced (e.g., both merchants use Stripe):
- Buyer X pays once.
- The platform splits the payment automatically to the admin and both merchants.
- The buyer enjoys a unified, frictionless checkout.