Closed Beta ProgramsPowered By

Iterative Development

Beta

The Powered by API includes a number of endpoints that are both critical to creating an initial launch of a Partner’s Powered by program and optional, depending on the partner’s needs. This document aims to provide partners with a timeline of feature development that allows for iterative development and investment.

By separating features into iterative release phases, a partner can launch the program to merchants more quickly and add additional functionality as needed or desired.

Feature Development Overview

An overview to provide a high level view of just the features in the order with which they can be developed. All features in the initial launch must be developed, while features in the subsequent launches section are listed in order of most important / helpful to least.

A detailed section follows that provides more context.

Initial Launch:

  • Create OAuth Access Token
  • Create Account
  • Create Store
  • Get Store

Subsequent Launches:

  • Get Account
  • Update Account
  • Create Store Suspension
  • Create Store Cancellation
  • Create Store Reactivation
  • Create Store Restoration
  • Create Store Plan Change
  • Create Store Login URL
  • Get Accounts
  • Get Stores
  • Get Store Suspensions
  • Get Store Cancellations

Detailed Development Timeline

This section provides a more detailed look at how to do iterative feature development for Powered by, with context that can help a partner understand why certain features are required or should be developed.

Initial Launch

The following 4 endpoints must be developed, as they provide the very base level of functionality required to successfully use BigCommerce’s Powered by API to create a BigCommerce store for a merchant:

  • Create OAuth Access Token - necessary to securely and successfully make API calls
  • Create Account - necessary, as every BC store must be associated with an account
  • Create Store - necessary, as this is what spins up the store on the BC platform. This process can take up to 30 seconds and, as such, does not provide success info on the status of the store. Thus:
  • Get Store - necessary, as this is the only way for the partner to know that the store was successfully provisioned, i.e. has entered an active status, and is ready for the merchant to log into it.

Subsequent Launches

Though features can be grouped into releases however works best for a partner’s product and solution, they can also be developed and integrated feature by feature. The following order of features is proposed based on what BigCommerce has found is needed by talking with partners and mapping out both the most seamless merchant experience and internal operations team experience.

Developing features in this order is not mandated. Features should be developed based on Partner’s needs and, as such, the order may change. Certain features also may not be needed by Partner and can be skipped.

Feature Cost Benefit Analysis

Update Account

Updates account information

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Synced data between partner and BCInconsistent data between partner and BC
Enhanced merchant experience (less manual and less places where data has to be updated)Potential for increased merchant frustration

Create Store Suspension

Puts a store into a suspended state, which prevents the store’s public-facing website from being available.Suspended stores can NOT transact (i.e. sell products)Suspended stores are still billedSuspended stores transition to “cancelled” after 90 day

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Enhanced partner billing capabilitiesPartner may be able to stop a merchant from selling products on a store for which the merchant is not up to date on their billing
Easier capability of turning a store “on” or “off”Lost $$$ for Partner
Partner must contact BC support to suspend any stores

Create Store Cancellation

Puts a store into a cancelled state, which prevents both public-facing website access and back office access for the merchantCancelled stores will not be billedCancelled stores will be unrestorable after 90 days, at which point the store will need to be re-created

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Enhanced partner billing capabilitiesPartner must contact BC support to cancel any stores
Ability to terminate stores that are absolutely no longer needed by the merchant

Create Store Reactivation

Reactivates a store from “suspended” status to “active” — allows a store’s public facing website to be accessible again and for transactions to be made by shoppers

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Programmatically allows merchants’ stores to be reactivated once they should no longer be suspended (i.e. have caught up on payments)Partner must contact BC support to reactivate a merchant’s store
Saves partner time in store management and billing cycleDecreased merchant satisfaction due to longer time for store to be able to transact again

Create Store Restoration

Restores a store from “cancelled” status to “active”Allows both a store’s public facing website to be accessible again (becomes transactioning) and the back office / control panel to be accessibleCan only be done within 90 days of cancellation

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Programmatically allows merchants’ stores to be restored once they should no longer be cancelled (i.e. have caught up on payments)Partner must contact BC support to restore a merchant’s store
Saves partner time in store management and billing cycleEnhanced merchant experienceDecreased merchant experience, as they could lose their store and, if returned, would have to spin up a new store

Create Store Plan Change

Updates the store’s plan subscription

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Allows merchant to upgrade their store to a higher paid and more feature rich plan
More programmatically allows merchants’ to manage their storeMore $$$ for partnerPartner / merchant must contact BC support to upgrade or downgrade their plan
Allows merchant to downgrade their store, if needed and desired by partner

Create Store Login URL

Generates a one-time use URL that logs a merchant directly into their BC control panel.

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Creates more seamless experience for merchant between Partner and BCMerchant must go to login.bc.com to log into their store
Allows merchant to log into their BC store from anywhere within the partner’s systemAs a result, merchant store setup may take longer
Decreases time between initial store creation and merchant logging into store to set it upMerchant will have to take a more manual process upon creation of their store to log in

Get Accounts

Retrieves high level data about all accounts within partner’s portfolio

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Enhanced partner billing and account managementPartner may have more difficulty in programmatically managing merchant’s accounts
Partner may have more difficulty in completing account reporting

Get Stores

Retrieves high level data about all stores within partner’s portfolio

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Enhanced partner billing and store managementPartner may have more difficulty in programmatically managing merchants’ stores
Allows for high level, programmatic management of stores, including store status (active, suspended, etc.)Partner may have more difficulty in completing store reporting

Get Store Suspensions

Retrieves data for all suspensions created for a store since it was created / provisioned

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Allows for historical reporting of store status: suspendedInability for partner to report on all store suspensions / manage historical data

Get Store Cancellations

Retrieves data for all cancellations created for a store since it was created / provisioned

Value AddedCost (if not implemented)
Allows for historical reporting of store status: cancelledInability for partner to report on all store cancellations / manage historical data