The right installation mode, with clear ownership and a practical setup path.
1. Choose who the server is for
| Your plan | Choose |
|---|---|
| Accept payments for your own business, with several projects or stores if needed. | Merchant |
| Host other businesses, give them their own accounts and charge your own processing fees. | Operator |
You do not need Operator mode just to run several shops. Operator mode also includes My business, so you can accept your own payments on the same installation.
Hosted merchants have separate accounts, projects, stores and wallets, but share the server. The server operator can access hosted wallet keys. This is not the same as running your own VPS. Hosted merchants must trust the operator and keep their own backups.
2. Make the choice during first signup
Follow VPS & installation first. On a fresh installation, open your merchant hostname, pass HTTP Basic Auth and create the first administrator account. Select Merchant or Operator, then choose language and timezone and review the terms and privacy policy.
This choice is permanent. You cannot switch later in Settings or with an update. A different mode needs a new installation. Installations created before version 7 stay in Merchant mode.
Keep the Basic Auth login separate from your account password and enable two-factor authentication. If you only need your own shops, Merchant is the simpler choice.
3. Set up your own business
In Merchant mode, start in the merchant console. In Operator mode, click My business to open your own merchant console in a new tab.
Create a project, back up its wallets, add a store and select accepted payment methods. A new project does not create a store automatically. Finish the setup, enable the project/store and test a small payment.
Create your first project, store and invoice →
The operator's own business has no internal operator fee. Normal Wholly Crypto installation charges still apply to its customer payments.
4. Finish the Operator panel setup
Operator mode only: choose a fourth hostname, such as operator.example.com, and separate Basic Auth credentials in the wizard. Point its DNS at the VPS, complete validation and activate HTTPS. Keep ports 80/443 open for setup. Open the validated Operator address, not the merchant console.
The operator maintains shared chain connections, rates, domains and software updates. Hosted merchants manage their own business settings, not the server-wide configuration. Check scanner readiness and independent fallback providers before inviting them.
Open Wallets → Create receiving wallets. These are the operator's wallets for merchant credit top-ups, not customer sales. Back up both independent Bitcoin and Ethereum recovery phrases. Top-ups currently support BTC, ETH and Ethereum USDC/USDT.
Review receiving confirmations and accepted top-up methods. Sweeps are optional; Ethereum token transfers need ETH for gas. Sweep guide →
5. Add and invite a merchant
Open Merchants → Add merchant. Enter the business name, administrator email, your processing fee and the prepaid credit currency. That credit currency is fixed for the account. Set Free starting credit to any allowed amount, including 0.
Send invitation by email is checked by default. Configure your SMTP provider under Settings → Invitation email with TLS or STARTTLS first. The connection test sends no email. Alternatively, uncheck email and share the private link yourself.
The invitation lets the merchant choose a password and acknowledge the operator's wallet access. It lasts 48 hours and works once. Share merchant Basic Auth separately; never share your operator credentials. The merchant then creates their projects and stores.
If sending fails, the account and starting credit remain saved. Copy the link or use Manage → User accounts → Email new link. Do not recreate the merchant to retry. SMTP acceptance does not guarantee inbox delivery.
6. Keep the two credit balances separate
| Balance | What it pays for |
|---|---|
| Hosted merchant prepaid credit | The fees you set for that merchant. Their top-ups go to your receiving wallets. |
| Operator installation credit | Your Wholly Crypto processing charges. Click the balance in the Operator header to top up. |
For example, a 3% operator fee on a 100 EUR invoice uses 3 EUR of merchant credit when the merchant credit currency is EUR. Customer payments are not split on-chain to collect that fee. Your installation charge is accounted for separately.
Giving a merchant free starting credit does not refill your operator balance. Keep both balances funded. Use Finances to review earned fees and costs; prepaid deposits are not the same as earned revenue.
Before opening the service, test an invitation, a credit top-up, a customer invoice and your IPN/webhook integration. Secure administrator access and keep private server and wallet backups off the VPS. Backup & restore →