Merchant Navigation Guide

 MERCHANT NAVIGATION GUIDE

Login

Merchant space

Registration - Merchant with a Basic subscription

Registration - Merchant with a Premium subscription

Entering delivery details

Processing customer ownership

Publishing products and services - Merchant with a Basic subscription

Publishing products and services - Merchant with a Premium subscription

Accessing my orders

Renewing my subscription

Editing my subscription

Adding a new administrator to manage my merchant account

Registration

To register as a merchant, complete the Accreditation Form found at the bottom of the homepage and click the "Join Akcelos" button. Allow us two to three working days to evaluate your application.

Once the evaluation is complete, we will email you our decision. If your enterprise obtains the necessary validation, you will be informed by email. You will then receive a link and a temporary password to begin the registration process. In the event of a negative response, we will inform you of Akcelos’ requirements for suppliers.

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Login

After submitting your registration form, you will receive an email within days to tell you whether your enterprise has been accepted. If you have been accepted, it will contain a link enabling you to create your username and password.

Once your account has been created, you can connect to your merchant space at any time by clicking the Login tab at the top right of the home page (see following screenshot). Then click "Merchant".

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Merchant space

After logging into your account, you will be prompted to choose your subscription. Once you have selected your subscription category, you will be directed to your "Dashboard," which can always be accessed from the menu on the left. This section displays:

1. The products and services for which you have created a file (to learn how to create a product or service file, see Publishing products and services. This section allows you to quickly see your offer on Akcelos’ website.
2. Product and service files that have not yet been approved by Akcelos are also displayed. Please allow us two to three business days to approve your listing. Files that have been refused are also listed. In these cases, we will inform you of any changes that need to be made.
3. Details concerning your membership and expiration date appear at the bottom of your Dashboard.

Now you can complete your Merchant file. Click the "Merchant file" tab in the left menu and enter your details in the "Merchant details" section. These data may be modified at any time. Note that users can only see your Merchant file once you have published at least one product or service! The procedure is written in the Publishing products and services section.

Remember to save your information after making additions and/or changes! "Save" buttons are placed for this purpose at the top and bottom of your page.

Registration - Merchant with a Basic Subscription

Step 1 - Basic Information

In this first section, enter your enterprise information. If you want to display in both English and French on Akcelos’ website, enter the information in the designated spaces (fr) and (en). All spaces must be completed; if any have not been filled, a message will appear detailing the information that must be entered before saving. Information to be entered:

• Name of the enterprise: This is the name that appears in the merchant file and below the products/services published on the site
• Type of enterprise: only one box can be checked
• Short description: 3 to 4 lines describing your enterprise’s business and mission. This description appears at the bottom of your product and service files.
• Long description: More details concerning the mission, products/services offered, your customers, etc.
• Website (optional, those without websites can leave this space empty): To enable Akcelos users to visit your website please include the entire link (as specified in the article). We urge companies that have a website to add it to their merchant, product and service files.
• Display languages: Check the language(s) in which you want to display. We strongly suggest displaying in both languages to reach a larger customer base.

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Step 2 - Administrative information

We may need to contact you for administrative purposes. Please provide details about your contact person. This information is not displayed publicly.

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Step 3 - Contact information

This information is for users who are interested in your products and services. If it is the same information as that provided in the previous step, just tick "Use the same data as for the administrative information." Users who wish to contact you will then be able to see your address, postal code, telephone number and email address.

If the administrative information and contact information are different, enter the new details in this section.

          Validation of your file

Now that your merchant file is complete, you must request validation. If your file complies with Akcelos’ criteria, it will be accepted within days of your request. You will receive an email informing you of the decision, whatever it is.

1. If your listing is rejected, the changes you need to make will be communicated to you in this email.
2. If your listing is accepted, you will be invited to add your products and services to Akcelos.

To request validation of your Merchant file, simply click the “Request validation” button on the top of your merchant page. For a preview of your page as it will appear on the website click the “Preview” button just above the validation button.

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Registration - Merchant with a Premium Subscription

See Steps 1 through 3 of “Registration - Merchant with a Basic Subscription” to learn more about your "Dashboard" and the basic information to be entered in your Merchant file.

You will be directed to your "Dashboard" each time you log in. Click the "Merchant file" tab in the left menu and enter your information under "Merchant details." These can be modified at any time.

Step 4 - Business Number and Sales Tax

Enter your tax numbers here. If your business does not have tax numbers (under $30,000 in annual sales) please check the first statement. Otherwise, enter your numbers in the designated spaces.

If your social enterprise does have tax numbers, please fill in as the example below.

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Step 5 - Return and reimbursement Policy

Merchants who sell online must enter their return/refund policy at this stage. Include the following details:

• Maximum number of days within which customers can return an item.
• Fee for package returns, if applicable.
• Shipping method for returns.
• Is the receipt (proof of purchase) mandatory or not?
• Is original packaging required?
• Conditions under which the article must be returned.
• Any other details you consider appropriate.

Once done, remember to save your information.

          Validation of your file

Now that your merchant account is complete, you must request validation. If your file complies with Akcelos’ criteria, it will be accepted within days of your request. You will receive an email informing you of the decision whatever, it is.

1. If your listing is rejected, the changes you need to make will be communicated to you in this email
2. If your listing is accepted, you will be invited to add your products and services to Akcelos
    

To request validation of your Merchant file, simply click the “Request validation” button at the top of your merchant page. For a preview of your file as it will appear on the website click the “Preview” button just above the validation button.

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Delivery details

Step 1 - Shipping Template

Now that the "Merchant Details" section is complete, click the "Delivery" tab to enter all the information for the delivery of your products/services, then click "Select a shipping template." If you do not yet have a shipping template, select "Create a new shipping template."

Note that you must create a shipping template even if you do not ship! You will then have to enter the ownership model for your sales.

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Step 2 - Delivery Terms

After clicking "Create a new shipping template," you will see "Terms of delivery." Now you will create a shipping template for your products and services and identify it with a "Template name" so you can easily find it. If your products and services require different types of delivery, you may have to create more than one model.

Enter the name of your "Shipping template" and then click "Available options." In the case below, for example, the mail option has been selected:

Step 3 - Regions Served and Shipping Costs

A new window opens after you have selected your option. Check the delivery regions served and then Save. Next, indicate the shipping time in days, for Standard delivery (3 options are available). Then indicate, in dollars, shipping costs per order and/or parcel. If you offer Express delivery service, repeat the same procedure for this service by clicking “+ Add a delivery zone”.

Once you have entered the terms of delivery, you will see a summary of your shipping template. If you want to make changes, click the symbol indicated below by the red arrow:

For MAIL delivery, the merchant must contact Canada Post, UPS and/or Purolator, etc. to obtain delivery details such as: tracking number, shipping costs and general conditions (expected time and delivery schedule).

For delivery by the MERCHANT, indicate (1) details of shipping charges per order and/or (2) per product and service and (3) the general conditions (e.g., expected time and delivery schedule).

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Processing customer ownership

When a product or service cannot be mailed (by you or your carrier), you must use the "Ownership model.” This would apply to training, meals, room rental services, all electronic products, etc. In these cases, follow these simple steps:

Step 1 - Taking Possession

This step is identical to Step 1 described above. To add your "Ownership template," click the corresponding tab above your Merchant file. Then click "Select an ownership template." Next, click "Create a new ownership template" if you do not have one yet, or if you want to create a new one for another type of product.

Step 2 - Define Ownership Model

As in the previous step, you will create an "Ownership template" and give it a name. Next, enter the “Details for taking ownership" in the space provided. We strongly suggest that you translate these details, so they are clear to all customers. Remember to save your information!

You will now see a summary of your "Ownership template."

(insert screenshot)

Important:

For in-store pick-up, indicate (1) pickup details (store schedule, expected times, etc.) and (2) GPS coordinates (store address).

For details on delivery of an electronic product or service, for example, you can enter something like: "Save your invoice and go to our website to download your product online"

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Publishing Products and Services - Merchant with a Basic Subscription 

Once your Merchant file is validated by the Akcelos team, you can start to display and/or sell your products and services by creating a file for each of them.

Note that buyers will see your Merchant file only after you have published at least one product or service!

You can access your products and services from your Merchant space by clicking the "Products" tab in the menu on the left. This is where you can manage your product (and service) files and track your inventory. To create a new Product file, simply click the "Add new" tab and complete the form. The five buttons on the left allow you to do the following five actions for each one of your files:

1. To add a Product/Service file, click the "Add new" button at the top right of the page. Another way to create a product is to click the "Duplicate" button. This has the effect of creating a product file identical to the one that has been duplicated, which you can then modify. This is a quick way to create a product file for a similar product. Just make sure you have made the necessary changes before saving your new product file to avoid customer confusion.
2. To view a product and see how it appears on the Akcelos website, you click the "Preview" button. This action opens a window containing this product’s unique page on the website.
3. To modify a product file, click the corresponding "Edit" button. Do not forget to click on the "Save" button after making the changes, otherwise they will be lost.
4. If a product is temporarily unavailable, you can unpublish it by clicking the "Unpublish" button. This action is reversible by clicking the same button (now displaying "Publish") and has the effect of keeping the information in the file while removing the product from the public site (buyers will no longer be able to see it, but you can keep all the product information if you later decide to offer it again).
5. To delete a product file, simply click the "Delete" button. This action is irreversible and is performed only when a product is no longer available. Note that the information in these deleted files will be kept in the "Deleted" tab of your “Products” page.

As with the Merchant file, information concerning your products and services is grouped into categories:

1. Detailed product/service file

Enter general information about your products and services in this first section. For example:

• Product or Service Number: Enter a product number you have designated for reference purposes in the event of a problem with the product or the order. This is mandatory information, so if you do not already have a number associated with this product, please enter one for easy tracking.
• Display languages: Users can choose the language displayed on Akcelos’ website. Note that if you want to display your product/service in both French and English, you will need to re-enter the Name, Basic Info and Detailed Description of your product/service in the second language. If this is the case, do not forget to check both languages under "Display Languages." Since it’s relatively easy way to reach many new buyers, we strongly suggest you do so.
• Category: This information helps customers find your product/service.

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2. Images

Include photos of your product or images that evoke the service you offer. Note that a minimal size is necessary to ensure good image resolution (680x510 pixels). You can display up to six more images by clicking the "Add" button, and if you want to remove some, click the "X" button.

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3. Sale Settings - Merchant with a Basic Subscription

If you have a Basic subscription, all you have to do is add the price of your product/service. This is mandatory information. If your product or service sells in a specific format (e.g., different colours, gluten-free, etc.), it is possible to add options to your selling price as explained in Step 4.

Note that it is also possible to add a "from" price if there is price range for your product/service. In such cases, you must add information explaining how it may vary.

If you have a Basic subscription, you just have to complete Step 7 before you can request validation of your product/service file and have it listed on Akcelos!

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Publishing Products and Services - Merchant with a Premium Subscription

3. Sale Settings - Merchant with a Premium Subscription

If you have an online sales membership (Premium subscription), you can opt either to display your product/service only or put it on sale. If you want to sell your products and services on the website, click “Activate online sale on akcelos.com”. You will also need to enter the number of products in your inventory.

4. Options (optional)

This section allows you to offer customers varied models of your products and services. For example, this merchant has one model at $30 available in "Blue". At the moment of purchasing, customers can select the original or another version of the product.

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5. Terms of Delivery

In this section, you will be prompted to insert your shipping template for your product/service. If you have not yet defined one, select the "Create new shipping template" option from the drop-down menu. In this section, you will need to enter the following information:

• For a delivery
  • Regions you ship to
  • Delivery times for each selected option (Regular and/or Express)
  • Applicable delivery fees by order and/or by products and services

• For in-store pick up
  • Pickup details customers will receive when your product/service is ready to be picked up
  • Address of the store or the place where the product/service is to be retrieved or received

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6. Tax Rules

Enter the applicable taxes for this product/service here. Taxes will be calculated by Akcelos at the time of purchase based on the customer's billing address.

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7. Certifications (optional)

If your product/service has a certification, you can display it. Please note that Akcelos will verify this certification. Make sure you have proof of your certification from the corresponding organization.

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8. Policy (optional)

The refund and return policy you added at the time of your registration is displayed by default at the bottom of your Merchant page. If there is policy that is specific to certain products and services and you feel it is best to add it to your Product/Service file, please add it here.

Insert a document that allows customers to refer to your return and refund policy if they need it. For the list of elements to be inserted in this document, refer to the question "What information do I enter in my return/refund policy?" from our Merchant FAQ.

For any other information, or for specific help, contact us at info@akcelos.com

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          Validation of your file

Now that your product file has been completed, you must request validation. If your file complies with Akcelos’ criteria it will be accepted within days of your request. You will receive an email informing you of the decision, whatever it is.

1. If your file is rejected, the changes you need to make will be communicated to you in this email.
2. If your file is accepted, it will be automatically published on the Akcelos website.
    

To request validation of your product file, simply click the "Request validation" button at the top of your product page. Note that at any time you can preview how your file will appear on the site by clicking the "View" button at the top of the “Request validation” button.

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Accessing my Orders

The status of all your orders is displayed on your "Dashboard." When you receive an order, you also receive a notification email. Click the link in this email and you will be directed to your Dashboard. It is highly recommended that you process your orders as quickly as possible.

Another way to access your orders is to log in directly to your Merchant Space, then click the "Orders" section of your "Dashboard." On the 2nd tab of this page, you will see the "Pending" orders to be processed. The following order information appears:

1. Date
2. Status
3. Product/service information and customer information
4. Total price of the transaction
5. Delivery period chosen

You can always see transaction details by clicking "View."

You can always see transaction details by clicking "View" as shown in the screenshot above. The following information will appear:

1. Date of purchase or order date
2. Status of your order
3. Delivery information and other details concerning your customer
4. Purchased products/services
5. Delivery times supplied by your customer, based on the delivery option they have selected
6. Prices of the transaction after taxes and after delivery costs

If all this information is correct, click the "Accept" button at the top of this window. When you accept the order, an email is sent to the customer to inform them the order is being processed. The status of your order will change to "In Process" (see the screenshot below).

Please note: An email is sent to you 24, 48 and 72 hours after receipt of your order if you have taken no action and the order is still pending.

If after 7 days the order is still pending, you will receive a call from Akcelos to confirm that you are aware of the order. Out of respect for customers, we urge you to consult your dashboard and mailbox daily, whatever the time of year. Remember, each step requires an action until the process is finalized.

Step 2 - Process your Orders

You must now make the necessary arrangements to deliver your order(s). You can deliver by mail, carrier, yourself or by in-store pickup. When the order is ready to ship, click the "Ready for pick-up" or the "Ship" button. You will then be brought to the "Confirm Sending" window.

1 - Deliveries by mail or by your carrier

Click the item(s) you are going to deliver, enter the tracking number, and then scroll down to select the delivery method (e.g., by mail). Last, click "Save."

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2 - For delivery by merchant

Click the item(s) you are going to deliver, enter the "Additional Delivery Information" (including the date, time and any other information that must be communicated to your customer). Last, click "Save."

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3 - In-store pick-up

Click the item(s) that will be picked up in the store and enter the "product pickup instructions". Your customer will receive an email with this information on how to pick up their product/service. Last, click "Save."

Step 3 - Shipping Confirmation

Once your shipping information has been entered and saved, your order status will be changed to "Finalized." The customer will then receive an email with details on how to take possession of their order. You will also receive an email confirming that the order has shipped. You will also see the new order status on your "Dashboard."

You have your first order!

Step 4 - View your invoice (optional)

You can access the invoice of an order at any time from the Order details. This page will change to show that the order is now in "Finalized" status as displayed above the "View Bill" button.

By clicking on this button you will see the invoice for the selected order. You will find essentially the same information as that presented in the summary of the order. Among the new information you will find is your actual tax number on this order, for example;

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Renewing my subscription

You will receive email notifications inviting you to renew your subscription starting 30 days before its expiration date. The number of days remaining in your plan is displayed at all times on your Dashboard.

Note that you can also see the expiration date of your subscription at any time by clicking the "Registration" tab on your merchant page.

The subscription you selected when you registered has a duration of one year. Your affiliate partner may pay part or all of your subscription. Contact him or her to determine how you will proceed. In any case, you only pay the share of the subscription that is assigned to you, which is displayed when you click "Renew" on your dashboard.

You will also receive emails if you are late paying for your subscription. We will contact you if no action is taken after a few days overdue and Akcelos reserves the right to disable or delete an account that has been overdue for 30 days or more.

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Editing My Subscription

There are two options for changing your subscription, depending on your current membership:

1. If you have a Basic subscription, you can upgrade to the Premium subscription at any time. Simply click the "Switch to Premium subscription" button on your Dashboard. This allows you to upgrade to the Premium subscription until you renew your membership. Pricing of this operation is set in proportion to the time remaining in your current subscription. Your Basic subscription will also be refunded for the number of days remaining before its expiration. An email will be sent to you once the transaction is completed to inform you of the change. Note that you will need to add new information to your Merchant file!
2. If you have a Premium subscription, you can change your subscription when it is renewed. In other words, you can only downgrade to the Basic subscription on the expiration date of your Premium subscription. However, you may not downgrade to the Basic subscription while orders are pending.

NB: If your affiliate partner pays a portion or even all of your subscription at the time of renewal, they will also do so when it is modified.

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Adding a New Administrator to Manage My Merchant Account

On your dashboard, click the "Users" tab in the menu on the left. After clicking the "Add" button at the top right, fill in the boxes with the requested information. When done, click "Save."

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Other questions

If you have questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to contact us by email or by phone at:

info@akcelos.com 

Or 1-855-788-8875, or 514-788-8875 - Option 1

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