Architecture overview
Box by Potter gives a vendor, typically a bank, a dedicated commerce platform for its merchants. Your organization operates the Box and controls merchant access and data. Potter operates the shared services that activate the platform, deliver updates and connect domains. Potter separately operates Website Hosting for complete merchant websites and secure public traffic.
Responsibilities
| Area | Responsibility | Operated by |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Stores merchant data and runs the commerce capabilities included in your plan. | Your organization |
| Box console | Manages merchants, staff access, branding, and organization-wide settings. | Your organization |
| Merchant dashboard | Gives each merchant a private workspace for daily business operations. | Your merchants |
| Potter managed services | Activates subscriptions, delivers approved software, and connects domains. | Potter |
| Potter Website Hosting | Hosts complete merchant websites, manages HTTPS/TLS, and serves public traffic using Potter’s proprietary website engine and templates. | Potter |
Merchant catalogs, customers, orders, and operational records remain in the Box operated by the organization that owns them. Potter’s shared services do not combine this business data into a common merchant database.
How the pieces fit together
Isolation
Each merchant has its own identity, staff access, settings, and website within your Box. Requests are resolved to one merchant before business data is loaded, so one merchant cannot see another merchant’s private records.
Public website traffic is also isolated. Potter identifies the destination from the requested domain and requests information only from the Box and merchant that own it. The merchant records remain in that customer-operated Box.
Ownership boundary
The Box and its merchant records run under the customer’s operational control. Potter Website Hosting does not. Potter owns and operates the website engine, rendering system, templates, and hosting infrastructure as proprietary intellectual property. Customers can purchase the managed hosting service, but the Box license does not grant the right to run, copy, distribute, modify, or self-host Potter’s website technology.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Box | A dedicated Potter commerce platform operated by a vendor for its merchants. |
| Commerce engine | The secure business services that power the capabilities enabled for a Box. |
| Box console | The private workspace used to administer a Box and its merchants. |
| Potter managed services | The activation, software delivery, domain, and traffic services operated by Potter. |
| Potter Website Hosting | Potter’s managed service for complete merchant websites, secure public traffic, and custom domains. The underlying technology remains Potter’s proprietary IP. |
| Merchant | A business operating within a Box, with its own staff, settings, data, and public website. |
| Plan | The subscription level that determines which commerce capabilities are available. |
Where to go next
- Potter managed services: what Potter operates for your Box.
- Commerce capabilities: the business services available to merchants.
- Features: the capabilities that can be enabled for a Box.
- Plans & tiers: how subscription plans determine available capabilities.
- Potter Website Hosting: the hosted website service, ownership boundary, and commercial model.