All merchant accounts are subordinate to the portfolio account. A merchant account consists of a
merchant
organization
and its subordinate organizations, which always includes at least one
transacting
organization.
You can use
structural
organizations to extend the hierarchy of
merchant accounts.
The
portfolio
account is always the top node in the hierarchy.
A
merchant
organization represents a business entity. For example, a brand or
company. There can only be one merchant in any branch of the hierarchy.
A
transacting
organization represents an entity that processes payment
transactions. For example, a physical store or a payment form on a web page or app. No other
organization can be directly subordinate to a transacting organization.
A
structural
organization represents a conceptual entity that enables you to build an
expansive hierarchy between merchant and transacting nodes. For more information on
using structural organizations to extend the hierarchy, see Extending the Hierarchy.
The image below shows a simple
merchant account. The merchant organization is directly beneath the portfolio
organization, and contains one transacting organization.
