Multi-vendor mode

CartUser can run as a single-vendor store (you sell your own products) or a multi-vendor marketplace (other sellers register and list their products). The mode is a single toggle — when off, all seller-related UI and routes are hidden automatically.

Switching modes

1. Admin → Settings → General.
2. Find Multi-Vendor Mode toggle.
3. Toggle ON for marketplace, OFF for single-store.
4. Save settings.
5. Clear cache: Admin → System → Clear Cache (or run php artisan cache:clear).

What changes when multi-vendor is OFF

• Seller sidebar menu group hidden in admin
• "Become a seller" link removed from storefront
• Seller registration route returns 404
• Product creation only allows inhouse (no seller dropdown)
• Seller dashboards no longer accessible (existing seller accounts retained but inaccessible)
• Storefront "Top Sellers" section hidden
• Product detail page hides "Sold by [seller]"

Seller subscription vs commission

CartUser supports two revenue models — pick the one that fits your marketplace:

Commission model (default)

Sellers list products free. Platform takes a percentage of each sale.

• Admin → Settings → General → set Default Commission Rate (e.g. 10%).
• Override per seller: Admin → Sellers → edit → Commission Rate field.
• Commission is auto-deducted from seller's wallet on each delivered order.

Subscription model

Sellers pay a monthly/yearly fee. Platform takes no commission per sale (or reduced rate).

• Admin → Settings → Plans → Create plans (Free, Pro, Premium).
• Set features per plan: max products, max ads, commission rate, support priority.
• Sellers choose a plan during registration or upgrade later.
• Stripe/PayPal integration for recurring billing (set up in Payment Methods).

Seller onboarding flow

1. Customer visits /seller/registration from storefront.
2. Fills out: shop name, email, phone, address, owner name, password.
3. Account is created in Pending status.
4. Admin gets notification → Admin → Sellers → review applications.
5. Admin approves → seller can log in to /seller.
6. Seller completes KYC (if enabled in Settings → Seller KYC).
7. Once approved, seller can list products.

Seller KYC

1. Admin → Settings → Seller KYC → enable.
2. Define required documents (e.g. business license, tax ID, bank statement).
3. Sellers upload documents in their dashboard.
4. Admin reviews + approves or rejects in Admin → Sellers → KYC tab.
5. Only KYC-approved sellers can withdraw funds.

Product approval workflow

Decide if seller products need admin approval before going live:

1. Admin → Settings → General → Product Approval toggle.
2. If ON: seller products created in "New" status → Admin → Seller Products → approve/reject.
3. If OFF: seller products auto-publish immediately.

Seller withdrawal

1. Admin → Settings → Withdraw Methods → enable methods (Bank, PayPal, Stripe, etc.).
2. Seller submits withdrawal request from their dashboard.
3. Admin → Withdraw → review pending requests.
4. Admin approves → manually pays out via the chosen method.
5. Admin marks as paid → seller wallet updated, transaction logged.

Multi-vendor pricing best practices

• Free tier + commission — Lowest barrier to entry. Best for early marketplaces.
• Subscription + low commission — Predictable revenue. Best for established marketplaces with proven sellers.
• Tiered subscriptions — Free (limited), Pro (more products), Premium (priority + analytics). Maximises upsell.
• Per-seller commission override — Negotiate special rates with top sellers. Use the per-seller commission field.

Seller communication

• Order notifications — Sellers get email + in-app notification on new orders.
• Chat system — Built-in seller↔admin and seller↔customer chat.
• Announcements — Admin → Notifications → broadcast to all sellers.
• Holiday mode — Sellers can set shop holidays. Products auto-hide during the period.