The four
The Hearth
The Stage & Studio
The Library
The Bazaar
The Bridge
The Observatory
The Council
The Forge
The Nexus
The Realms
Merchant Onboarding
Start selling your products to the sanctuary community
Welcome, merchant! This guide walks you through becoming a merchant on AUDHDITIES—someone who sells physical or digital goods through our marketplace.
Prerequisites
Apply for Merchant Status
- Log in to your dashboard
- Click "Become a Merchant" in the sidebar
- Fill out the application:
- Business name: Your public-facing name
- Legal business name: For tax purposes
- Business type: Individual, LLC, Corporation, etc.
- Description: What do you sell?
- Website/portfolio: Optional but recommended
- Submit for review
Verification Process
Merchant applications require additional verification:
- Identity check (for individuals)
- Business registration (for companies)
- Tax ID verification (EIN or SSN)
⏱️ This typically takes 2-5 business days.
Set Up Payments (Stripe Connect)
- Go to Merchant Dashboard → Payments
- Click "Connect Stripe Account"
- Complete Stripe onboarding (tax info, bank details)
- Stripe verifies and activates your account
Stripe handles all payment processing securely. We never see your bank details.
List Your First Product
- Go to Merchant Dashboard → Products
- Click "New Product"
- Fill in:
- Title: Clear product name
- Description: Details, specifications
- Price: Set your price (in USD)
- Inventory: Track quantity (if physical)
- Shipping: Dimensions, weight (if physical)
- Digital download: Upload file (if digital)
- Categories: Help buyers find you
- Add images (high quality, multiple angles)
- Set as draft or publish
Pro tip: High-quality images lead to more sales. Show your product from multiple angles!
Manage Orders
When someone buys your product:
- You receive email notification
- Dashboard shows order details
- For digital: automatic delivery
- For physical: you fulfill and ship
- Mark as shipped when complete
Physical products must be shipped within 3 business days. Digital products are delivered automatically.
Fees & Economics
Platform Fee: 10%
Fixed rate (industry standard is 30-50%). 70% of it covers hosting, development and support; 30% returns to the residual pool.
The Ware's Profit: 90%
90% of every sale is the ware's own. Your residual pledge (if any) comes out of it; what is left divides equally among the ware's contributors, you among them.
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Fee | 10% | Fixed rate (industry standard is 30-50%) |
| Stripe Fee | 2.9% + $0.30 | Per transaction, paid to Stripe |
| Residual Pledge | 0-50% of a ware's profit | Optional, default 0: pledged to the residual pool, which pays every artisan (you set it per ware) |
| Covenant Pledge | 0-50% of your own share of a sale | Optional, default 0: pledged to the covenant pool, which pays every opted-in user (you set it in the Sanctum) |
The Covenant Pool is a voluntary pledge: a slice of your own share of a sale, paid on to every opted-in user in equal shares. Entirely optional, defaulting to 0, changeable anytime — and never taken from a pool payout.
Merchant Dashboard
Sales Overview
Sales today/week/month
Pending Orders
Orders waiting for fulfillment
Inventory Alerts
Low stock notifications
Payout History
Track your earnings
Covenant Pledge
Set your voluntary community contribution
Residual Settings
Set each ware's residual pledge
Best Practices
📸 High-quality images
Make more sales with clear, attractive photos
📝 Clear descriptions
Reduce returns with detailed specifications
🚚 Fast shipping
Build reputation with quick fulfillment
💬 Respond to messages
Happy customers come back
❤️ Consider covenant pledge
Support community dignity—voluntary and appreciated
Digital vs Physical
| Aspect | Digital | Physical |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Automatic | You ship |
| Inventory | Unlimited | Track carefully |
| Returns | Rare | Handle individually |
| Fees | Same (10%) | Same (10%) |
| Best for | Courses, templates, art | Books, merch, supplies |
Need Help?
Open a GitHub issue
Stripe support
Community forums
Ready to Start?
Your Next Steps:
- ✦Complete merchant application
- ✦Pass verification
- ✦Connect Stripe
- ✦List first product
- ✦Make first sale! 🎉
- ✦Optional: Set covenant pledge in profile
- ✦Optional: Set each ware's residual pledge