Platform models
Compare SaaS, marketplace, and PayFac integration models to choose the right architecture for your platform.
VINR supports three platform models. Your choice determines who owns the customer relationship, who bears liability, and how much integration work is required.
Models at a glanceAsk
| SaaS / PayFac | Marketplace | Managed marketplace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-merchant onboarding | Platform-managed | Platform-managed | VINR-hosted |
| Compliance responsibility | Platform | Platform | Shared |
| Charge created on | Platform account | Platform account | Sub-merchant account |
| Customer sees | Your brand | Your brand | Your brand or VINR |
| Engineering effort | High | Medium | Low |
SaaS / PayFac modelAsk
Your platform acts as a payment facilitator (PayFac). You take on the processing agreement, onboard sub-merchants under your master merchant ID, and bear primary liability for their transactions.
- Best for: vertical SaaS (e-commerce, booking, POS platforms)
- You control the full checkout and onboarding UX
- Sub-merchants may not know VINR is involved
- Requires the highest level of compliance diligence
Marketplace modelAsk
Your platform intermediates between buyers and sellers. Payments are created on the platform account and funds are split to sub-merchant balance accounts minus your commission.
- Best for: two-sided marketplaces, on-demand services, gig economy
- Platform bears liability for refunds and chargebacks on transactions it routes
- Sub-merchants access a VINR-hosted dashboard (optional) or API only
Managed marketplaceAsk
Lower-effort option where VINR handles more of the compliance and onboarding. Sub-merchants go through a VINR-hosted onboarding flow and maintain a more direct relationship with VINR.
- Best for: platforms that want to launch quickly without deep compliance investment
- Reduced platform liability in exchange for less UI control
- Sub-merchants may interact with VINR directly for support
Charge routing optionsAsk
Regardless of model, you choose how payments are routed:
Direct split
The charge is created on the platform account. At authorization or capture, a split instruction divides the gross amount into components: sub-merchant share, platform commission, fees, and tax.
"splits": [
{ "type": "balance_account", "amount": 8500, "description": "Seller payout" },
{ "type": "commission", "amount": 1000, "description": "Platform fee" },
{ "type": "payment_fee", "amount": 500, "description": "Processing" }
]Transfer after charge
Charge and fund distribution are decoupled. The platform charges the buyer, then issues one or more transfers to sub-merchant balance accounts independently. Useful when the final recipient isn't known at authorization time.
Multi-party split
A single charge is split across multiple sub-merchants simultaneously — useful for bundle purchases, group bookings, or marketplace orders with multiple sellers.
Next stepsAsk
- Sub-merchant onboarding — register sub-merchants under your platform
- Split payments — split components, timing, and edge cases
- Verification & KYC/KYB — what VINR requires before sub-merchants can transact
