Marketplace Seller Payout Hold Resolution
Design a seller support flow that explains a payout hold, required evidence, available funds, deadlines, and appeal rights.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Marketplaces may hold payouts after unusual order volume, identity changes, disputes, or delivery concerns. Vague status messages can threaten a seller's cashflow and lead to repeated support contacts.
User context
Mirela sells handmade lighting and has $3,840 on hold after a successful seasonal promotion. She needs to pay suppliers and wants to know which orders are affected and what evidence can shorten review.
Product problem
Mirela needs a specific, actionable explanation without exposing controls that could be manipulated, while the marketplace needs a consistent review record.
Objective
Create hold overview, requirement completion, review status, and appeal states that give the seller a credible path to resolution.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- See held, available, and scheduled payout amounts
- Understand the hold category and affected orders
- Submit required identity or fulfillment evidence
- Track review, respond to requests, and appeal an eligible decision
Screens and states
- Payout status overview
- Hold explanation and affected funds
- Evidence checklist
- Review timeline and appeal
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Mirela opens payouts and sees that only recent promotion orders are held
- 02
The service explains that delivery confirmation is missing for six shipments
- 03
She links carrier records and submits one supplier invoice
- 04
The review releases part of the balance and identifies two orders still requiring action
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Separate available, scheduled, held, and permanently adjusted funds
- Explain the hold category and next action in plain language
- Show evidence purpose, format, privacy, and deadline before upload
- Keep case status, ownership, and response estimates current
- Provide decision rationale and appeal eligibility
Constraints
- Detailed risk thresholds cannot be exposed
- A review estimate is not a release guarantee
- Identity and financial documents require restricted handling and retention information
Reality check
States worth considering
Finish line
What to deliver
- Four responsive screens covering a partial payout release
- A status model for evidence requested, under review, partially released, resolved, and appealable
If you want more
Optional extensions
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.