Legal seller
The transaction is contracted through ExpandNow as the authorized seller under the agreed operating model.
Merchant of Record
Sell in a new market without becoming the local seller yourself.
ExpandNow acts as Merchant of Record for your transactions and takes on the legal and operational responsibilities of selling to the customer. Your brand stays focused on product and demand.
The model
What a Merchant of Record does.
For ecommerce, the Merchant of Record is the legal seller responsible for the transaction and the obligations attached to it.
Tax responsibility
ExpandNow calculates, collects, files and remits applicable sales tax, VAT and GST within the supported model.
Payments
Payment processing and supported local payment methods sit inside the ExpandNow relationship.
Risk & compliance
Fraud protection, chargeback handling and applicable merchant and commerce compliance are managed behind the sale.
Control
What the brand controls.
Using a Merchant of Record does not mean handing over your brand.
You continue to own
- Your product and assortment strategy
- Your brand and merchandising
- Marketing and customer acquisition
- Customer relationship and support workflow
- Your storefront or commerce platform where desired
ExpandNow owns the transaction responsibilities
- Merchant of Record role
- Tax and payment obligations
- Fraud and chargeback exposure under the service model
- Settlement and reporting
- Local seller infrastructure required by the channel
The core
Merchant of Record, with our other layers or yours.
Use Merchant of Record on one channel or all of them. Your stock, customs setup and 3PL can stay exactly as they are.
Bring your own
Keep your importer, compliance partner, forwarder and 3PL. ExpandNow adds the local seller on the channels you choose.
Add ours
Product compliance, Importer of Record, freight, fulfillment and returns sit alongside Merchant of Record, market by market.
Decision support
Merchant of Record or local entity?
The right choice depends on speed, strategic permanence, margin profile and how much local infrastructure you want to own.
Choose the ownership model that fits your expansion.
Our decision guide explains when a Merchant of Record is the lower-friction way to test or operate a market, and when building your own entity makes sense.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask.
Understand how the model works for your products, payments and customer relationships.
Do I have to use ExpandNow for import, compliance or logistics?
No. Merchant of Record is the core of every setup; import, compliance and logistics are yours to take from us or bring yourself. Keep your importer, compliance partner, forwarder and 3PL, and ExpandNow adds the local seller on the channels you choose.
Is ExpandNow the Merchant of Record?
Yes. ExpandNow acts as Merchant of Record, with your brand set up as a sub-merchant under ExpandNow.
Can this work with physical products?
Yes. Connect supports physical and digital products, including physical-goods businesses such as Nextbase and Meroda.
Do I need separate payment accounts?
No. Supported payment methods come through your ExpandNow relationship, so you do not need a merchant account for each one.
Who handles customer support?
Your brand generally handles customer support, keeping the experience consistent for your customers. ExpandNow provides tools for actions such as refunds.
Start with the market
Tell us where you want to sell.
Tell us the market and channels. We’ll map the seller setup, and which layers you’ll take from us or bring yourself.