WCFM Marketplace

Overview#

WCFM (WC Frontend Manager) runs your marketplace: vendor sign-ups, vendor dashboards, products, commissions, and its own optional withdrawal system.

Split Pay keeps the customer charge on your Stripe platform account, then creates separate Stripe Connect transfers for the WCFM vendors and rules it can resolve. Normal transfers follow the paid order; a delayed or asynchronous payment can move later.

WCFM, Split Pay, and what the integration adds#

Each piece does something the other can’t. The integration is the glue that makes them work as one system.

On its own	What it does	The catch
WCFM alone	Runs the marketplace — vendors, dashboards, registration, and commission tracking.	Its withdrawal and payout settings decide how WCFM pays vendors.
Split Pay alone	Creates separate transfers from a successful supported platform charge.	Has no idea who your vendors are. You’d hand-attach the right Stripe account and percentage to every single product yourself.
The integration (the glue)	Teaches Split Pay who WCFM’s vendors are. Vendors auto-onboard to Stripe, their products auto-link to their account, and Split Pay can pull the commission rate straight from WCFM.	Requires Split Pay PRO, WCFM, a supported Stripe gateway, and connected vendors.

What the integration adds, concretely:

• Automatic Stripe transfers. Each eligible paid order can create the vendor transfer without a separate WCFM withdrawal.
• Automatic vendor onboarding. New WCFM vendors get a Connect with Stripe button in their WCFM dashboard and are given the Split Pay vendor role automatically.
• Automatic product linking. When a vendor saves a product, it’s linked to that vendor’s connected Stripe account for you.
• Commission rates from one place. Split Pay can reuse the rates WCFM already knows — including membership tiers — so you set the split once, not twice.
• Double-payout safeguards. Split Pay detects active WCFM payout paths and can block WCFM’s scheduled and order-status automatic withdrawals. Manual withdrawals and WCFM checkout gateways remain available.

Compatibility#

• Split Pay: v3.8.0 or later, PRO. The marketplace behaviour (auto-onboarding, auto-linking, membership commissions) is a premium feature. See Activating PRO.
• WCFM: the WCFM family from WC Lovers — WC Frontend Manager (core), plus WCFM Marketplace for multi-vendor. WCFM Membership is optional and only needed if you want commissions to follow membership tiers. Split Pay detects each module separately and shows you which are present.
• WooCommerce + Stripe gateway: WooCommerce with the official WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway (or Payment Plugins for Stripe). Split Pay reads the Stripe charge the gateway creates and transfers from there. See Quick Start.
• WordPress: 6.1 or later.

Setup#

Choosing where commissions come from#

The Commission source setting on the WCFM card decides where each vendor’s transfer percentage comes from. Pick the one that matches how you already run your marketplace:

Choose…	When you want…	How the split is decided
Split Pay rules (manual / global)	To set splits yourself in Split Pay — one global percentage, or per product.	Your Split Pay global or per-product transfer values apply, exactly as on a non-marketplace store.
WCFM membership tier	Commissions to follow the tiers you already configured in WCFM Membership, so you maintain rates in one place.	By default, Split Pay uses the first clean percentage it can resolve: the vendor’s membership plan, then a valid WCFM per-vendor percentage override. The vendor receives 100 − commission %. If neither resolves, the saved Split Pay row remains the fallback.

For auto-linked products, the 3.8.4 Default vendor share for auto-linked products (%) setting is the manual-mode default and the membership-mode fallback. The card warns when the effective default is 100%, because that leaves no product-share remainder on the platform. The spp_wcfm_autolink_default_percent filter can adjust the resolved value to a number above 0 and no more than 100.

WCFM Marketplace commission rules (3.8.5)#

3.8.5 is pending release. If your plans use WCFM Marketplace’s Commission Mode and Commission Percent fields, the optional Read WCFM Marketplace commission rules setting reads those rules with WCFM membership tier selected. It is off by default, preserving the existing reader.

With this option on, a vendor-specific WCFM rule takes priority over the membership plan; an explicit Split Pay plan override still takes priority. Split Pay accounts for WCFM’s Admin/Vendor direction and commission tax. For example, a 15% admin commission plus 21% tax on that commission leaves an 81.85% vendor merchandise share. Product VAT follows your separate tax-transfer setting.

If a commission rule cannot resolve a percentage, the saved Split Pay split remains in effect. Plan changes apply to future calculations, not already successful transfers. Stripe processing-fee allocation is a separate option.

What WCFM controls when membership mode is on#

When Commission source = WCFM membership tier, the default reader uses the vendor’s percentage plan first and a valid WCFM per-vendor percentage override second. Only when neither resolves does the saved Split Pay row remain in effect. The optional 3.8.5 native reader uses the priority described above. Split Pay makes the WCFM-controlled state visible on every screen where you might otherwise set a transfer value.

On a vendor’s product#

The per-product transfer fields become read-only, with a note pointing back to the Marketplaces settings. When a membership percentage resolves at order time, it replaces the saved product split, including a fixed-amount split.

Shipping is separate. The membership tier governs only the product commission split, so the shipping transfer fields stay editable — decide how much of each vendor’s shipping fee they keep as usual (per product, or via the global shipping transfer). Those shipping values still apply in membership mode; only the product split is taken over by the tier.

On Global Transfer Settings#

The main Global Transfer Settings tab shows a banner clarifying that vendor products are paid at the membership percentage, and that the global value applies only to your own (non-vendor) products and as a fallback.

In the Bulk Editor#

The Bulk Editor shows the same warning, so a bulk change you make won’t quietly skip your marketplace vendors.

Vendor onboarding (Connect with Stripe)#

Each vendor needs a Stripe account connected to your platform. With auto-assignment on, every WCFM vendor gets a Stripe Payouts tab in their WCFM dashboard with a Connect with Stripe button.

Once a vendor finishes onboarding, the same tab confirms the connection. Eligible paid orders can then transfer the vendor’s saved share automatically.

Disconnecting#

A vendor can disconnect from the same Stripe Payouts tab. Disconnecting removes the local vendor-account link but never deletes the Stripe account. For routes newly auto-linked by 3.8.4, Split Pay removes only an exact product route carrying valid ownership proof for that vendor and account; manually configured routes are preserved. Legacy unmarked WCFM rows keep their 3.8.3 disconnect behavior. Reconnecting applies the current auto-link settings again.

You can also onboard vendors yourself, or use the platform-agnostic [split_pay_vendor_connect] shortcode on any page. Both routes are covered in Connecting Vendor Stripe Accounts. The Marketplaces card’s Vendors connected to Stripe status check shows how many vendors still need to connect.

Identity-bound generic Connect links (3.8.4)#

The PRO setting Use identity-bound generic Stripe Connect links for WCFM vendors is off by default. Find it under Split Pay → Global Transfer Settings → Advanced transfer options. When enabled with the WCFM integration:

• A valid signed generic Connect link sends the visitor to WCFM’s Stripe Payouts screen.
• The visitor must sign in as a WCFM vendor without administrative capabilities before starting Connect.
• The onboarding result is attached through that vendor’s WCFM account in the requested Test or Live mode.

Existing generic links keep their previous behavior until you enable this separate option.

Avoiding double payouts#

WCFM has its own payout system (scheduled withdrawals, checkout gateways, and manual withdrawals). If one of those pays the same commission as Split Pay, a vendor could be paid twice. Split Pay detects active WCFM payout settings and surfaces them on the card as a double-pay risk. The WCFM payout coexistence setting decides whether Split Pay only warns or also blocks WCFM’s scheduled and order-status automatic withdrawal triggers:

Mode	What Split Pay does	Best when
Detect & warn (default)	Only watches and warns you on the card. Changes nothing in WCFM — the least invasive option.	You want to review the situation and adjust WCFM’s settings yourself.
Reconcile	Blocks WCFM’s scheduled and order-status automatic withdrawals. It does not change WCFM’s stored settings or commission-paid state.	You want the automatic-withdrawal safeguard while keeping manual withdrawals and WCFM checkout gateways available.
Guard	Currently applies the same narrow automatic-withdrawal block as Reconcile. It does not disable manual withdrawals or WCFM checkout gateways.	You prefer the Guard label for that same safeguard.

Recommended setups for common goals#

Your goal	Commission source	Coexistence	Notes
“Pay vendors automatically; I set one flat split for everyone.”	Split Pay rules (global)	Guard	Set a single global transfer percentage; leave auto-assign and auto-link on, and disable the remaining WCFM payout paths.
“Different vendors earn different rates by membership tier.”	WCFM membership tier	Guard	Maintain rates in WCFM Membership; Split Pay uses a percentage plan first, then a valid per-vendor percentage override. Disable the remaining WCFM payout paths and watch the “no resolvable membership %” check when neither applies.
“I’m migrating from WCFM withdrawals and want to watch first.”	Either	Detect & warn	Test Split Pay first, then disable WCFM’s overlapping payout paths before going live. Reconcile or Guard blocks only its scheduled and order-status automatic withdrawals.
“Keep WCFM’s commission reports accurate.”	Either	Reconcile	Neither Reconcile nor Guard updates WCFM’s commission-paid state. Reconcile WCFM’s reports separately if you rely on them.

Limitations and known issues#

• PRO only. The WCFM behaviour (onboarding, linking, membership commissions, coexistence) requires Split Pay PRO. On the free version the WCFM card still detects WCFM, but the automation does not run.
• Membership mode needs a resolvable percentage. Split Pay checks a percentage plan, then a valid per-vendor percentage override. If neither applies, it keeps the saved Split Pay fallback and the card counts that vendor — see Commission source.
• Vendors must connect Stripe to be paid. A sale for a vendor who hasn’t finished Stripe onboarding can’t be transferred. The “Vendors connected to Stripe” check shows how many still need to connect.
• Verify each mode. Test and Live have separate credentials and connected-account records. The same exact Stripe account may be valid in both modes; an email address or business name is not proof. Confirm the account ID and platform under Connect Status.
• Stripe still decides transfer eligibility. Minimum amounts, currencies, capabilities, and country combinations are enforced at runtime. See International Transfers.

Troubleshooting#

• No WCFM card on the Integrations tab. Confirm WC Frontend Manager and WCFM Marketplace are installed and active, and that you’re on Split Pay 3.8.0 or later.
• The card’s automation controls are greyed out. The marketplace automation is PRO. Activate your license; see Activating PRO.
• A vendor’s products aren’t getting paid. Check the Vendors connected to Stripe count — the vendor likely hasn’t finished Stripe onboarding. Use Back-fill vendor links on the card to link existing products after a vendor connects.
• Membership mode pays the wrong amount (or a Split Pay fallback). Check the vendor’s percentage membership plan first, then their WCFM per-vendor commission override. Use Re-check membership % after changing either source. Remember the vendor is paid 100 − commission %; Percent + Fixed resolves only when the fixed part is blank or zero.
• A vendor got paid twice. An overlapping WCFM payout path is still available. Disable WCFM’s payout gateway or manual withdrawal path as applicable; Reconcile and Guard block only scheduled and order-status automatic withdrawals. See Avoiding double payouts.
• A test sale created no transfer. Under Connect Status, confirm Test mode, the exact platform account, and the connected vendor account. Then confirm the product belongs to that vendor, the platform charge succeeded, and the order note shows Split Pay’s result. See Quick Start.