How do I move a merchant from PENDING to APPROVED or ACTIVE status in Softpay?
When a merchant is newly created in Softpay, its initial state is PENDING. To make the merchant usable, it must transition to the APPROVED state, which indicates that the merchant is fully provisioned and credentials have been issued. The ACTIVE state is used later to toggle an approved merchant on or off. Below is a detailed guide to help you move a merchant from PENDING to APPROVED or ACTIVE status.
Overview of Merchant States
PENDING: The default state for newly created merchants.
APPROVED: Indicates the merchant is fully provisioned and credentials have been issued.
ACTIVE/INACTIVE: Used to toggle a merchant on or off.
Steps to Transition from PENDING to APPROVED
To move a merchant from PENDING to APPROVED, follow these steps:
Create a Store: Ensure the merchant has at least one store associated with it.
Add Terminals (if applicable): For non-NETS merchants, create at least one terminal under the store.
Issue Credentials: Use one of the following methods to issue credentials: - Automatic Credential Issuance: If the partner is configured for it, credentials will be issued automatically after the first store is created, and the merchant will transition to APPROVED. - Explicit Credential Issuance: Call the endpoint POST /v2/partner/{partnerId}/merchant/{merchantId}/credential/ once the merchant has at least one store (and a terminal for non-NETS). This will generate credentials and update the merchant's status to APPROVED.
Transitioning to ACTIVE
Attempting to move a merchant directly from PENDING to ACTIVE will result in an error message stating "merchant needs to be approved first." Once the merchant is in the APPROVED state, you can toggle its status to ACTIVE as needed.
Recommended Workflow
Follow this sequence to ensure a smooth transition:
Create the merchant.
Create store(s) and terminal(s) (if applicable).
Issue credentials using the automatic or explicit method.
Verify the merchant's status has updated to APPROVED.
Toggle the merchant to ACTIVE if required.
Common Errors and Troubleshooting
Error: "Merchant needs to be approved first": Ensure credentials have been issued and the merchant is in the APPROVED state before attempting to toggle to ACTIVE.
Automatic Credential Issuance Not Working: Verify that the send_credentials_automatically configuration is enabled for your partner account.
By following these steps, you can successfully transition a merchant from PENDING to APPROVED or ACTIVE status in Softpay.