Dear Bazaar Sellers,
After months of work, today we’re launching the first part of our on-site payment option with Stripe Connect. It is aimed at making it seamless for everyone to transact within the Bazaar, and affordable, with a fee of only 6% - the lowest of any marketplace. This brings us one step closer to our mission of selling one million pieces of designer furniture with the least friction possible!
Starting next week, Buyers will be able to click the Buy Now button on a listing to create an order. The Seller of that item will then be prompted to accept or reject the order. If the Seller accepts the order, the Buyer can pay for their order online and the Seller will receive their sale proceeds directly within their Stripe account.
You can create a Stripe Seller Account (or link your existing account) from your Store Settings page today to begin accepting payments next week. Only Sellers verified by Stripe will be able to accept payment on our site, so we recommend that you begin the process now. App users will be able to use this new feature when the latest version becomes available to download from the app store.
For those PayPal Sellers, we haven’t forgotten about you - a PayPal payment option is in the pipeline!
- Maxwell
Founder, Apartment Therapy & Kitchn
1. Do I have to use the new Stripe payment option?
No, using Stripe to collect funds is optional for all sellers. Sellers can still opt to collect their sale proceeds in cash or use a 3rd party payment processor. The benefit of the integrated Stripe payment option is that it offers sellers more control over their transactions since it is available on-site.
2. How do I create a Stripe Seller Account?
Head over to your Store Settings page and click on the Set Up Stripe Payments button. You'll be prompted to fill out a form with your personal and/or business information. Stripe uses this information to set up your Stripe Seller account and to verify you as a legitimate seller. Once you have successfully created your Stripe Seller account and authorized access for it, you'll see a Powered by Stripe Badge under Store Settings > Payments.
3. I'm already a Stripe Seller. How do I link my Stripe Seller Account?
Head over to your Store Settings page and click on the Set Up Stripe Payments button. Click the Sign In button at the top of the page by Already have a Stripe Account? You'll be re-directed to Stripe where you will need to sign into your account. You may be promoted to fill out the form after you log in to verify your Stripe Seller details and to authorize access to it. Once you have successfully linked your Stripe Seller account, you'll see a Powered by Stripe Badge under Payments.
4. Am I able to disconnect my Stripe Seller account if I'm no longer interested in selling with Stripe?
Yes, you can disconnect your Stripe Seller Account from the Bazaar by accessing your Bazaar Store Settings. Please note that your Stripe Seller account will still exist - it will just be disconnected from the Bazaar. You can re-connect the same Stripe account or connect a different one to begin selling again.
5. What if my Stripe Seller Account is not verified by Stripe?
Only Sellers eligible and verified by Stripe will be able to use the Stripe payment option. You can re-apply or reach out to Stripe directly for more information on why you were not verified. Please note that we will be releasing additional payment options in the future if Stripe does not work for you.
6. What if my Country is not supported by Stripe?
Only Sellers eligible to sell with Stripe are able to use the Stripe Payment option. If your country is not currently supported, you can sign up to be alerted when they do by clicking on the let us know if you're interested button on the Stripe Seller Account set up form. Please note that we will be releasing additional payment options in the future if Stripe does not work for you.
7. What if I don't have a Business website?
You can use your Bazaar Store URL as your business website. To acquire this link, open the Bazaar in a new browser tab, login to your Bazaar account and select View My Store under your account menu options. Copy & paste your Store URL into the business website field.
8. What do I write for the Statement Descriptor?
We recommend starting with AT Bazaar followed by your Store Name. This combination will help buyers remember the purchase when looking at their credit card statements, which can help prevent chargebacks.
9. How can I update my Stripe Seller information?
Since you are creating a Stripe account, you will have the option to update some of your account details under your Stripe account settings. To access your Stripe account settings, head on over to Stripe.com and sign in!
10. What does the 6% fee entail?
The estimated 6% service fee would apply to all orders in which the seller and the buyer's credit card is US-based. International sellers and cards will incur different processing rates. The 6% includes the standard Stripe Processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 as well as a low, flat Bazaar transaction fee of 3%. Service fees are only collected if you sell an item and use the on-site payment option to collect payment. We'll be updating our Fees & Security page with more information when we release the full payment feature next week.
11. Can I select which listings will be able to be purchased online and which can not?
Once a Seller sets up Stripe Payments, all of their fixed-price listings will be available to be purchased online starting next week (Payment option for Best Offer-priced listings coming soon!) As the Seller, you will always have the opportunity to reject an order request made by another member, if you would rather not collect payment for the order online.
Do you have any feedback, questions or concerns? Contact Support by emailing bazaar@apartmenttherapy.com.