Pick the Right Setup for Your Business
Decide between a Standard Organization and a Platform Organization based on how your business operates.
Hyperswitch supports two account setups: a Standard Organization and a Platform Organization. The right choice depends on whether you're running payments for a single business (with one or more brands or sub-merchants) or operating as a parent that wants to onboard and manage other merchants programmatically.
This page lays out both paths and helps you pick.
Two Setups, One Decision
Standard Organization
You run payments for your own business, or onboard a small set of sub-merchants whose accounts you administer from the dashboard.
Platform Organization
You manage payments for multiple sub-merchants and want to onboard them programmatically, with optional shared customers and saved payment methods across the connected group.
When to Choose a Standard Organization
A Standard Organization is the default when you sign up. It fits these scenarios:
Single merchant. One business, one brand, one set of API keys.
Multiple brands or business units. A single business operating multiple storefronts (e.g. a retailer with separate clothing, shoes, and accessories lines). Use multiple merchant accounts under the same Standard Org, each with its own API keys, or multiple profiles under one merchant account if you want to share an API key across business units.
Sub-merchants administered from the dashboard. A Standard Organization can also support sub-merchants where the parent administers each sub-merchant manually from the dashboard. Day-to-day governance is handled by user roles and permissions. See Manage Your Team for how to grant role-based access at the org, merchant, or profile level.
In a Standard Organization, customers and saved payment methods are scoped at the merchant level. All profiles under the same merchant account share the same customer and payment-method data; different merchant accounts in the same org are isolated from each other.
For setup details, see Standard Organization.
When to Choose a Platform Organization
A Platform Organization is for businesses that want programmatic management of sub-merchants through the Platform API Key. It also unlocks two resource-sharing models you can mix in the same Platform Org: shared customers and payment methods across a connected group, or full isolation per sub-merchant.
Connected Merchants (shared resources)
Use Connected Merchants when you want sub-merchants to share customers and saved payment methods across the connected group. Choose this if:
You operate a marketplace where the same end-customer might pay multiple sellers (e.g. booking platforms, multi-vendor commerce).
You want a unified customer experience across your sub-merchants. A customer who saves their card with Sub-Merchant A can reuse it with Sub-Merchant B.
You want the platform to initiate operations on behalf of a sub-merchant: payments, refunds, captures, disputes, connector configuration. The Platform API Key acts as a privileged credential across the connected group.
Standard Merchants under a Platform Org (isolated)
Use Standard Merchants under a Platform Org when you want central account management plus programmatic onboarding, but no resource sharing between sub-merchants. Choose this if:
You're a VSaaS or franchise operator where each sub-merchant must keep its customers and saved cards isolated for compliance, contractual, or data-boundary reasons.
You want the platform to provision accounts and generate API keys for sub-merchants programmatically, but day-to-day payment operations stay with the sub-merchant.
For concepts and setup, see Platform Organization followed by Setting Up a Platform Organization.
Quick Comparison
Manage merchants and profiles via the Dashboard
Yes (governed by user roles)
Yes (governed by user roles)
Onboard sub-merchants programmatically via API
No
Yes (Platform API Key)
Generate sub-merchant API keys via API
No
Yes (Platform API Key)
Customers and payment methods shared across the merchant group
No (scoped per merchant)
Yes for Connected Merchants; isolated for Standard Merchants
Platform initiates operations on behalf of a sub-merchant
No
Yes (Connected Merchants only)
Multiple merchant accounts under one organization
Yes
Yes
Multiple profiles per merchant account
Yes
Yes
Both setups support full dashboard-based management of merchants, profiles, connectors, and team access. The Platform Organization adds programmatic management on top: a Platform API Key that can onboard sub-merchants and operate on their behalf where allowed.
Examples by Business Type
Single-business e-commerce store
Standard Organization
Retailer with multiple brand storefronts
Standard Organization, multiple merchants or profiles
VSaaS where each sub-merchant must stay fully isolated
Standard Organization, or Platform Organization with Standard Merchants
Marketplace with a shared customer view (e.g. multi-vendor commerce)
Platform Organization with Connected Merchants
VSaaS that wants a unified saved-card experience across its sub-merchants
Platform Organization with Connected Merchants
Franchise operator centralising onboarding while keeping sub-merchant data isolated
Platform Organization with Standard Merchants
Still Not Sure?
Start with a Standard Organization and convert to a Platform Organization later if your business model evolves. Conversion requires assistance from your administrator. If you're already certain about the platform model, set up a Platform Organization from the start to avoid migration overhead.
Next Steps
For a Standard setup: Standard Organization.
For a Platform setup: Platform Organization, then Setting Up a Platform Organization.
To understand the building blocks first: Organization, Merchant, and Profile.
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