What is a merchant account?
A merchant account is the tenant record in Vendably that every product, campaign, review, and setting belongs to, keeping one merchant's data completely separate from every other merchant's data. When you create an account with Vendably, you create a merchant account. That account is the container for everything you do on the platform.
Why merchant accounts matter
Merchant accounts exist to enforce data isolation and control access. Every user who accesses Vendably does so through a role assigned to one or more merchant accounts. Permissions are scoped to the account. Billing is scoped to the account. Connected platforms (such as your e-commerce store, marketplace channels, or advertising networks) are linked to the account. Your subscription tier is tied to the account.
This separation means your data is never mixed with another merchant's data, even if you both use the same Vendably instance. It also means that when you grant a team member access, you control exactly which merchant accounts they can see and what actions they can perform on each one.
A practical example: managing two stores
Suppose you run two separate online businesses. One sells furniture, the other sells clothing. You would create two separate merchant accounts in Vendably, one for each business. Each account would have its own product feed, its own connected platforms (perhaps your furniture store is on Shopify and your clothing store is on WooCommerce), and its own subscription. You could log in as the owner of both accounts, but the data in each account would remain completely separate. Your furniture products would never appear in your clothing account's feed, and your clothing store's performance metrics would not affect your furniture store's billing.
Agency users and multiple merchant accounts
If you work in an agency or manage stores on behalf of clients, you can hold roles across many client merchant accounts at once. Instead of logging out and logging back in as a different user, you can switch between accounts from the Agency portal. This allows you to move between client accounts without disrupting your workflow.
Related terms
Role - A role is a set of permissions assigned to a user on a specific merchant account. A user might have the 'Owner' role on one account and the 'Editor' role on another.
Agency - An agency user is a person who holds roles across multiple client merchant accounts and can switch between them using the Agency portal.
Team member - A team member is any user invited to a merchant account (other than the original account creator). Team members are assigned roles that determine what they can do within that account.
Summary
Your merchant account is the foundation of everything you do in Vendably. It is the boundary that protects your data from other merchants, the scope for all your permissions and billing, and the home for all your products and integrations. Understanding how merchant accounts work is essential if you manage multiple stores, work with a team, or use an agency setup.