Marketplace Setup

The Marketplace plugin transforms your ecommerce store into a multi-vendor marketplace where multiple vendors can sell products through their own stores.

Overview

The Marketplace plugin enables:

1. Multi-vendor architecture - Multiple sellers with individual stores
2. Vendor registration - Customers can become vendors and create stores
3. Store management - Each vendor manages their own products, orders, and discounts
4. Verification system - Optional admin approval for new vendors
5. Commission tracking - Platform earns commission on vendor sales
6. Vendor dashboard - Separate vendor panel for store management

Activating the Plugin

Navigate to Plugins in the admin panel and activate the Marketplace plugin.

WARNING

The Marketplace plugin requires the Ecommerce plugin to be installed and activated first.

Marketplace Settings

Navigate to Marketplace -> Settings to configure marketplace options.

Vendor Registration

Setting	Description
Enable vendor registration	Allow customers to become vendors
Hide become vendor menu in customer dashboard	Hide "Become Vendor" link from customer dashboard menu
Show vendor registration form at registration page	Display vendor registration fields on the customer registration page
Verify vendor	Require admin approval before vendors can start selling
Requires vendor documentations verification	Vendors must upload certificate and government ID documents

TIP

When "Verify vendor" is enabled, new vendors see a pending approval message until admin verifies their store.

Product Management

Setting	Description
Enable product approval	Vendor products require admin approval before going live
Allow vendor digital products	Vendors can sell digital/downloadable products (requires Digital Products enabled in Ecommerce)
Max upload filesize	Maximum file size vendors can upload (MB)
Max product images upload by vendor	Maximum number of images per product
Low stock threshold	When product quantity drops to or below this number, vendor receives a low stock email notification (default: 5)
Media file types can be uploaded by vendor	Allowed MIME types for vendor uploads

Vendor Capabilities

Setting	Description
Allow vendor manage shipping	Vendors can create their own shipping rules
Charge shipping per vendor	Calculate shipping separately for each vendor in cart
Allow vendor manage product currency	Vendors can set product prices in different currencies
Allow vendor delete their orders	Vendors can delete their own orders (not recommended for production)

Store Pages & Display Settings

Setting	Description
Enable stores listing page	Show the stores listing page (e.g. /stores). When disabled, the page redirects to the homepage and is excluded from the sitemap
Hide store phone number	Don't display vendor phone on store pages
Hide store email	Don't display vendor email on store pages
Hide store address	Don't display vendor address on store pages
Hide store social links	Don't display vendor social media links
Enable vendor categories filter	Show category filter on vendors listing page
Show vendor info at checkout	Display vendor information during checkout
Display order total info for each store	Show subtotals per vendor in cart/checkout

TIP

Disabling the stores listing page does not disable individual store pages. Customers can still visit a specific store via its direct URL (e.g. /stores/my-shop).

Checkout Options

Setting	Description
Single vendor checkout	Customers can only checkout with products from one vendor at a time
Enable messaging system	Allow customers to message vendors directly

Vendor Registration Process

Customer-Initiated Registration

1. Customer navigates to "Become a Vendor" (if logged in) or uses registration page
2. Fills vendor registration form:
   • Shop name
   • Shop URL (slug)
   • Shop phone
   • Certificate file (if documentation required)
   • Government ID file (if documentation required)
3. Submits registration
4. System creates store linked to customer account
5. Admin receives notification (if verification enabled)

TIP

When "Show vendor registration form at registration page" is enabled, customers can register as vendors immediately without creating a customer account first.

Admin Approval Flow (if enabled)

If "Verify vendor" is enabled:

1. Vendor submits registration
2. Vendor sees "Pending Approval" page
3. Admin receives email notification and dashboard alert
4. Admin reviews vendor at Marketplace -> Unverified Vendors
5. Admin approves or rejects with optional note
6. Vendor receives email notification
7. Approved vendors gain access to vendor dashboard

Navigate to: Marketplace -> Unverified Vendors

Store Setup

Admin Creating Stores

Navigate to Marketplace -> Stores -> Create

Store Information:

Field	Description
Name	Store display name
Email	Store contact email
Phone	Store contact phone
Logo	Store logo (square and standard versions)
Cover image	Store banner/header image
Description	Short store description (400 characters)
Content	Full store description (supports HTML)
Status	Published, Pending, or Blocked
Customer	Select the customer who owns this store

Location Details:

• Address
• Country
• State
• City
• Zip code

Business Information:

• Company name
• Tax ID
• Tax country/state
• Certificate file (upload)
• Government ID file (upload)

Verification:

• Is verified (checkbox)
• Verified at (date/time)
• Verified by (admin user)
• Verification note

Social Links:

Configure allowed social platforms at Marketplace -> Settings

WARNING

When a store status is changed to "Blocked", all published products from that store are automatically blocked as well.

Vendor Store Management

Vendors manage their stores at: https://your-site.com/vendor/settings/store-settings

Vendors can update:

• Store name, logo, and cover image
• Contact information
• Store description
• Social media links
• Tax information (in Tax Information tab)
• Payout information (in Payout Information tab)

Store Verification

Manual Verification

Navigate to Marketplace -> Stores, find the store, click "Verify"

Optionally add a verification note that is sent to the vendor.

TIP

Verification badges appear next to verified store names on the frontend.

Unverifying a Store

Click "Unverify" on a verified store. The vendor receives an email notification with:

• Unverification reason (from verification note field)
• Contact URL to reach support

Admin Store Management

Navigate to Marketplace -> Stores

Bulk Actions:

• Delete selected stores

Per Store Actions:

• Edit store details
• View store products
• View store orders
• Verify/unverify store
• Delete store

WARNING

Deleting a store will:

• Delete all store products
• Delete all store discounts
• Remove store reference from orders (orders remain)
• Delete store's upload folder

Marketplace vs Single-Vendor Mode

Multi-Vendor Mode (Default)

• Multiple stores can exist
• Each vendor manages their own products
• Commissions are tracked per vendor
• Orders can contain products from multiple vendors
• Each vendor has their own revenue tracking

Single-Vendor Mode (Single Vendor Checkout)

Enable "Single vendor checkout" in settings:

• Customers can only add products from one vendor at a time
• Adding a product from a different vendor clears the cart
• Simpler checkout experience
• Reduces shipping complexity

Store Pages

Stores Listing Page

The stores listing page is accessible at: https://your-site.com/stores

This page shows all published stores with search functionality. You can disable it entirely in Marketplace -> Settings by turning off Enable stores listing page. When disabled:

• The /stores URL redirects to the homepage
• The stores URL is removed from the sitemap
• The "Stores" breadcrumb link is removed from individual store pages

Individual Store Pages

Individual stores are accessible at: https://your-site.com/stores/{store-slug}

The store page displays:

• Store logo and cover image
• Store information (based on privacy settings)
• Store products
• Store reviews (from product reviews)
• Social links (if not hidden)

TIP

Individual store pages remain accessible even when the stores listing page is disabled.

Vendor Dashboard

Vendors access their dashboard at: https://your-site.com/vendor/dashboard

Default Dashboard URL is /vendor/ but can be changed via .env:

MARKETPLACE_VENDOR_PANEL_DIR=seller

This changes the URL to /seller/dashboard

Vendor Tax Management

Vendors can manage their tax information from the vendor dashboard.

Vendor Tax Information Tab

Navigate to: Vendor Dashboard -> Settings -> Tax Information

Vendors can configure:

Field	Description
Business Name	Legal business name for tax/invoicing
Tax ID	VAT/GST/Tax ID number
Tax Address	Registered business address for tax purposes

This information appears on invoices and is used for tax compliance.

Admin Tax Configuration for Vendors

Navigate to Marketplace -> Stores -> Edit Store:

Field	Description
Tax ID	Vendor's tax registration number
Tax Country	Country of tax registration
Tax State	State of tax registration

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Vendor tax location is used by the tax engine for seller-based tax jurisdictions (e.g., US origin-based sales tax).

How Tax Works in the Marketplace

• Admin controls all tax rates - Tax classes and rules are set globally by admin
• Vendors assign tax classes - When creating products, vendors select from admin-configured tax classes
• Automatic calculation - Tax is calculated at checkout based on customer location and product tax settings
• Per-product tax - Each product can have different tax classes (Standard, Reduced, Zero Rated, Exempt)

For full tax configuration details, see: Tax Configuration

Vendor Shipping Management

Shipping Settings

Navigate to Marketplace -> Settings:

Setting	Default	Description
Allow vendor manage shipping	OFF	Let vendors update shipment status and tracking
Charge shipping per vendor	ON	Calculate shipping separately per vendor in cart

Per-Vendor Shipping

When Charge shipping per vendor is enabled:

1. Cart groups items by vendor
2. Shipping calculated independently per vendor
3. Customer sees shipping options for each vendor
4. Total shipping = sum of all vendor shipping fees

Example checkout:

Store A - Standard Delivery: $5.00
Store B - Express Shipping: $12.00
─────────────────────────────────
Total Shipping: $17.00

Vendor Shipment Dashboard

Vendors manage shipments at: Vendor Dashboard -> Shipments

Full access (when "Allow vendor manage shipping" = ON):

• Update any shipment status (Pending → Delivering → Delivered)
• Add tracking information (tracking ID, carrier name, tracking link)
• Manage COD (Cash On Delivery) payment status
• Set shipping and estimated delivery dates

Limited access (when "Allow vendor manage shipping" = OFF):

• Can only set status to Arrange Shipment or Ready to be Shipped Out
• Admin handles full shipment lifecycle

Adding Tracking Information

Vendors can add carrier tracking details per shipment:

Field	Example
Shipping Company Name	FedEx, DHL, UPS, Vietnam Post
Tracking ID	1Z999AA10123456784
Tracking Link	https://www.fedex.com/track?id=...
Estimate Date Shipped	2026-03-10

Customers see tracking info in their order details on the frontend.

Vendor Shipping Rules

When Allow vendor manage shipping is enabled, vendors can create their own shipping rules from their dashboard, following the same rule types as admin:

• Based on Price - Shipping cost by order subtotal
• Based on Weight - Shipping cost by total weight
• Based on Location - City/state-specific rates
• Based on Zip Code - Zip code range pricing
• Based on Zip Code and Weight - Combined calculation

For full shipping configuration details, see: Shipping Methods

Low Stock Notifications

Vendors automatically receive email notifications when their product inventory drops below the configured threshold after an order is placed.

How It Works

1. A customer places an order that reduces a vendor's product quantity
2. The system checks if the product's quantity is at or below the low stock threshold (configured in Marketplace Settings)
3. If the product uses storehouse management and belongs to a store, an email is sent to the vendor's store email
4. A 24-hour cooldown prevents duplicate notifications for the same product

Configuration

Navigate to Marketplace -> Settings and set the Low stock threshold value. The default is 5.

This threshold also controls the vendor dashboard's inventory status widget, which categorizes products as "In Stock", "Low Stock", or "Out of Stock".

Email Template

The low stock notification email template can be customized at Settings -> Email -> Marketplace -> Low stock notification.

Available template variables:

Variable	Description
	Vendor's store name
	Product name
	Link to the product
	Current remaining quantity
	The configured threshold value

TIP

The notification can be disabled per email template. Navigate to Settings -> Email -> Marketplace and toggle off the "Low stock notification" template.

Troubleshooting

Vendor Registration Not Showing

• Check "Enable vendor registration" is ON in settings
• Verify customer is logged in (if not using registration page integration)
• Check "Hide become vendor menu in customer dashboard" is OFF

Vendor Stuck on Pending Approval

• Check "Verify vendor" setting - if enabled, admin must approve
• Navigate to Marketplace -> Unverified Vendors to approve
• Verify vendor uploaded required documents (if documentation verification enabled)

Products Not Appearing

• Check store status is "Published"
• Check product status is "Published"
• If "Enable product approval" is ON, admin must approve vendor products
• Verify vendor has been approved (if verification enabled)

Store Page Returns 404

• Verify store has a slug set
• Check store status is "Published"
• Clear cache: php artisan cache:clear

Best Practices

1. Enable verification for quality control on new vendors
2. Require documentation to verify vendor legitimacy
3. Use product approval initially to maintain quality standards
4. Set reasonable file size limits to prevent server storage issues
5. Hide sensitive contact info to prevent vendor poaching
6. Enable messaging system for customer-vendor communication
7. Use single vendor checkout if shipping complexity is an issue