Service Overview
Sellix is a payment platform built for digital goods checkout: sellers create products and checkout pages, and the system delivers files, licence codes or credentials automatically once the buyer pays. It sits between a checkout tool and a digital goods marketplace, offering storefronts and checkout pages alongside auto-delivery and marketing tools. For indie developers, game-item sellers and digital service providers, the value is skipping both site building and manual fulfilment.
Two properties of digital goods make this category hard. First, delivery is instant and irreversible. Second, chargeback rates are structurally high. Auto-delivery gets the product to the buyer the moment payment clears, but it also makes "item not received" disputes hard to rebut. Whether the platform bears chargeback liability, and whether it acts as merchant of record, decides where the risk lands. On top of that, platform commission and payment channel fees are two separate sums that must be quoted separately.
Key Strengths
- Complete auto-delivery path: File distribution, licence code generation and callback notifications deliver instantly after payment, cutting manual fulfilment and support hours.
- Crypto and fiat rails side by side: Accepting both cryptocurrency and mainstream fiat channels covers traditional buyers and Web3 customers, making small cross-border collection more flexible.
- Brandable checkout pages: Custom branding, templates and independent domains let sellers catch their own traffic with a consistent visual identity.
- Built-in marketing tools: Discount codes, limited-time offers, volume discounts and affiliate programs are included, removing the need for extra marketing plugins.
- Fast go-live: No full storefront is needed; create a product link and start selling, which suits demand validation and quick tests.
- Deliverable evidence trail: Auto-delivery records serve as chargeback evidence, easier to produce than manual shipping records.
Product Ecosystem
Checkout pages and product links
Checkout pages or links are generated per product and can be embedded in an existing site or used standalone. Branding and domain settings keep traffic off the platform marketplace, but attracting that traffic remains the seller's job.
Auto-delivery and callbacks
Delivery takes the form of files, licence codes and callback notifications. Callbacks let the seller's own system grant access right after payment, but idempotency and retry handling are mandatory to avoid duplicate or missed delivery; see payment callback framework implementation guide.
Payment channels and chargeback liability
Fiat channels run through third-party acquiring, and crypto payments are usually final. Who bears chargeback liability depends on the platform's role in the transaction: if it acts as merchant of record, chargebacks and some tax obligations sit with the platform; if it is only a technology layer, they stay with the seller. Confirm this in the current terms of service before signing, and see merchant of record platforms guide for mechanics.
Commission and channel fee structure
Platform commission and payment channel fees are two independent costs: commission is charged on revenue, while channel fees follow the channel and card category. Quote them together with chargeback costs and conversion costs.
Risk control and disputes for digital goods
Digital goods carry high chargeback rates, so evidence must be collected deliberately: delivery logs, download records, source address and timestamps, licence activation records. Organise evidence by chargeback reason code when responding, which beats a general narrative; see chargeback reason codes evidence playbook.
Limitations
- Chargeback liability may still sit with the seller: If the platform does not act as merchant of record, chargebacks, refunds and related fees fall on the seller, where digital goods are harder to defend.
- Two fees stack up: Platform commission and channel fees are calculated separately, so a low commission does not mean a low cost, and both must be estimated together.
- Restricted high-risk categories: Digital goods and virtual items are high-chargeback categories, and some channels restrict or tighten review, affecting business continuity.
- Tax compliance stays in-house: VAT and sales tax obligations on cross-border sales usually remain the seller's to file, which is real administrative work.
- Limited brand and traffic: The platform brings limited discovery traffic, so sellers largely depend on their own channels and should not treat the platform as an audience.
- Average support and documentation: Documentation depth and response speed trail mature platforms, so troubleshooting channel or delivery issues takes longer.
Use Cases
- Crypto-friendly digital goods (★★★★★): For categories accepting both crypto and fiat, fit is highest when selling to Web3 audiences.
- Software licensing and key distribution (★★★★☆): Automatic licence generation and callback provisioning suit plugins, templates and tooling.
- Game items and virtual goods (★★★★☆): A strong match for instant-delivery scenarios, provided you build your own evidence and dispute process.
- Fast demand validation (★★★★☆): Selling without a storefront suits small tests and pre-orders.
- Mainland China entity onboarding (★★☆☆☆): Feasible but constrained; watch channel restrictions on digital goods categories, settlement paths and tax filing duties.
- Least suitable: low-ticket, high-volume physical retail: Physical fulfilment, logistics and returns are not the design target, and platform commission squeezes thin margins further.
Pricing
Total cost on a digital goods platform is the sum of platform commission and payment channel fees. Actual ratios follow the platform's current rate card and channel quotes.
| Item | Billing basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Platform commission | Percentage of revenue | Calculated separately from channel fees |
| Fiat channel fee | Percentage of amount plus fixed fee | Set by the channel and card category |
| Crypto payment fee | Per item or percentage | Depends on currency and network conditions |
| Chargeback fee | Per item | Liability depends on the platform role |
| Refund and dispute handling | Per item | Subject to the current terms |
| Withdrawal and settlement | Per item or per cycle | Depends on settlement currency and destination account |
Cost judgement points: Estimate total cost before comparing line items. Total cost is roughly platform commission plus channel fees plus chargeback losses plus conversion cost, and chargeback losses dominate for digital goods, so convert them using your historical chargeback rate. If a platform charges a low commission but leaves chargeback liability with the seller, the real cost can exceed that of a higher-commission platform acting as merchant of record. Also confirm settlement currency and withdrawal fees, since conversion spread in multi-currency cross-border flows is easily overlooked.
FAQ
- Is Sellix a merchant of record? Whether it acts as merchant of record depends on the current terms of service and the service tier you enable, not on marketing language. Confirm who bears chargeback, refund and tax liability before signing.
- Who bears chargebacks? If the platform acts as merchant of record, chargebacks are usually handled by the platform; if it is only a technology layer, chargebacks and related fees land on the seller. Digital goods are hard to defend, so build evidence in advance.
- Are commission and payment fees the same thing? No. Commission is charged on revenue while payment fees follow the channel and card type; only their sum is the total cost.
- Can crypto payments be refunded? Usually not. Crypto transactions are generally treated as final, so refunds are the seller's own arrangement, which means pricing and delivery terms must be explicit.
- How do I reduce chargeback rates on digital goods? Keep a delivery trail, make checkout information transparent, and organise responses by chargeback reason code. The three together are most effective.