Guiding Questions

In order for BigCommerce and a partner to implement the Powered by APIs most effectively and create the best possible integration, there are core components of the integration that both teams need to understand and have thought through clearly. The below guiding questions aim to help partners understand the core areas of Powered by that they need to consider when developing their integration, in addition to helping elicit a clearly defined scope of work.

The questions have been broken into key areas that the Powered by integration will touch or that pertain to the merchant experience.

Merchant Onboarding

Approaches

• Integrated development
• Web form or data-input system (such as Salesforce)

This section relates to how the Partner intends for the merchant’s BigCommerce account and store to be created. Largely, the partner will want to consider how they will be selling the BigCommerce product to the merchant, how involved the merchant will be in the sign-up process, and how the merchant will be able to access their store.

These questions will help BigCommerce understand which Store and Account API endpoints we should guide the partner toward implementing:

1. Does the partner already have all of the merchant’s information required to create a BigCommerce store and account in one of their databases or back-office systems (see the API documentation for required account and store fields)?

• If yes, an integrated API approach is recommended.

2. If the partner doesn’t already have all of the merchant’s information in their system, how do they plan on collecting it?

• Will the merchant directly provide the data electronically, i.e. via a web form or other online data collection process?
  • If yes, an integrated API approach is recommended.
• Will one of the partner’s employees (sales, operations, etc.) collect the data from the merchant and enter it for them?
  • If yes, a web form or other data input system, such as Salesforce, that connects to the Powered by API is recommended.

3. Will the partner want to install one or more BigCommerce apps for each merchant during the store creation process?

• If yes, does the partner already have an app in the BigCommerce ecosystem?
  • If yes, is it an express-install app? If so, no further steps need to be taken.
    • If no, a copy of the app needs to be made and resubmitted to BigCommerce for approval as an express-install app.
• If no, an express-install app will need to be created, either by the partner or a digital service provider. For instructions, see Managing apps in the Developer Portal. (An express-install app must be submitted for approval before it can be used as an express-install app.)

4. Will the partner want to auto-configure a payment gateway or other integration for each merchant during the store creation process? This means that the gateway or integration is already set up and ready to be used by the merchant before they land in their BigCommerce control panel for the first time.

• If yes, what data is required to set up the integration per merchant? For example, merchant_id, banking details, etc.
  • Can all this data be passed via the API?
    • If yes, the payment gateway can be auto-configured.

5. Does the partner plan to notify the merchant that their store is ready? If the onboarding is merchant-facing, meaning the merchant chooses to add a BigCommerce store from the partner’s dashboard or website:

• Does the partner want to automatically redirect the merchant from their website to the BigCommerce control panel, or show a link for the merchant to open their control panel?
  • If yes, the partner will need to generate a one-time login URL for the merchant to simulate an SSO experience.
  • If no, the merchant should be notified that their store was created successfully and should check their email for BigCommerce store login details. If the onboarding is partner- or employee-facing, meaning the merchant provides information to a partner team member, who then enters the data into a web form or back-office system that sends it to BigCommerce via the Powered by API:
• Does the partner want to provide the merchant with a login link to the BigCommerce control panel?
  • If so, the partner will need to generate a one-time login URL for the merchant and send it to them somehow (via email, etc.)
  • If the partner is not generating a one-time URL, how will the partner notify the merchant their store is ready and how to log in (direct them to check their email for the automatic BigCommerce email, etc.)?

Merchant Management

This section relates to how the Partner will manage their merchants’ accounts and experience, including what level of management the partner wants to take.

These questions will help BigCommerce understand which Store and Account API endpoints we should guide the partner toward implementing:

• Will the partner need to view high-level account details (see Franchise API documentation for exact fields) of more than one of their merchants at a time?
  • If so, the “Get Accounts” endpoint should be integrated
• Will the partner need to view high-level account details of only one merchant at a time (see documentation for details)?
  • If so, the “Get Account” endpoint should be integrated.
• Will the partner allow merchants to log into BigCommerce from within the partner’s website, dashboard, portal, etc.?
  • If so, the “Create Store Login URL” endpoint should be integrated
• Will the partner need to update any merchant account details after their BigCommerce account is created? This includes information for the primary and billing contacts for the account.
  • If so, the “Update Account” endpoint should be integrated.

Store and Subscription Management

This section relates to how much involvement the Partner will have in allowing or helping the merchant to manage their store(s) subscription / plan.

These questions will help BigCommerce understand which store API endpoints we should guide the partner toward implementing:

• Will the partner need the ability to suspend or cancel a merchant’s store for any reason (lack of payment, terms-of-service violation, etc.)?
  • If so, the “Create Store Suspension” and/or “Create Store Cancellation” endpoints should be integrated.
• If the partner needs the ability to suspend or cancel, will they also need the ability to restore or reactivate a merchant’s store (i.e. reverse the suspension or cancellation)?
  • If yes, the “Create Store Reactivation” and/or “Create Store Restoration” endpoints should be integrated.
• Will the partner need to view high-level store details of more than one of their merchants at a time (see the documentation for detailed fields and filterable fields)?
  • If so, the “Get Stores” endpoint should be integrated
• Will the partner need to view high-level store details of only one merchant at a time (see the documentation for available fields)? If so:
  • If so, the “Get Store” endpoint should be integrated
• Does the partner plan on allowing the merchant to manually upgrade their store’s plan or plan on upgrading the merchant’s store themselves?
  • If so, the “Create Store Change Package” endpoint should be integrated.