How M2P’s MMS Transformed Merchant Credit for a Leading Digital Bank: A Case Study

On paper, retail merchant credit looks like a powerful growth engine. In practice, it often unfolds as a maze of forms, follow-ups, and fragmented systems that slow down everyone involved. As onboarding stretches, disbursements lag, and settlements require manual intervention, friction quietly replaces momentum. This isn’t about lack of effort or ambition, but a structural gap between the needs of modern retail ecosystems and legacy credit architectures, calling for a smarter, integrated approach. 

In this blog, we explore why traditional merchant credit models break under scale, and how platform-led architectures are rewriting that story, illustrated through a real-world example. 

The Backstory 

Across the Philippines, thousands of small neighborhood retailers form the backbone of daily commerce. These merchants rely on timely access to FMCG inventory from large distributors and wholesalers, making predictable credit and working capital critical to keeping their businesses running. Without seamless financial support, even high-demand retailers face operational bottlenecks that can stifle growth and limit inclusion. 

About the Client 

A leading digital bank in the Philippines saw both the opportunity and the responsibility in supporting the retail and SME commerce ecosystem. As a prominent digital-first institution offering savings accounts, deposits, loans, insurance, and investment products, the bank set out to deepen its engagement with small and medium-sized retailers. 

The goal was straightforward: provide credit lines and savings accounts that would help merchants purchase inventory seamlessly, grow sustainably, and remain financially resilient.  

As adoption accelerated, the bank identified the need to evolve its operational foundations to match its ambition. Manual onboarding, fragmented credit management, and slow settlements created friction at every step, turning a growth engine into a bottleneck. This moment marked a strategic inflection point, one where advancing retail inclusion would be driven not by expanding product breadth, but by building a smarter, more integrated platform designed for scale.  

Operational Bottlenecks in the Traditional Merchant Credit Model 

Conventional merchant credit models evolved around siloed systems—one for onboarding, another for lending, another for payments, and yet another for reconciliation. As transaction volumes grow, these silos create structural weaknesses: 

• Onboarding Inefficiencies: Manual KYC and verification processes slow down account activation and delay access to credit for merchants. 

• Complex Payment and Settlement Processes: Managing pre-authorized funds and distributor account debits through manual workflows introduces operational inefficiencies and delays. 

• Limited Transaction Controls: The absence of automated capabilities for refunds, EMI options, and promotion management constrains flexibility for both merchants and the bank. 

• Restricted Access Management: A lack of structured User Access Management (UAM) makes it difficult to support different merchant roles and hierarchies securely and efficiently. 

• Dispute and Reconciliation Gaps: Without automated workflows, dispute resolution and real-time settlement management become time-consuming and error-prone. 

• Absence of a Purpose-Built Merchant Management Platform: Reliance on a makeshift solution to manage merchants limits operational efficiency, complicates support, and slows the rollout of new products and services. 

What begins as an operational inconvenience eventually becomes a strategic constraint, restricting scale, innovation, and financial inclusion. 

Fixing these challenges isn’t about incremental automation. It requires a fundamental shift in how merchant credit is designed and delivered. 

Introducing the Shift: M2P’s MMS 

To move from fragmented execution to scalable inclusion, the bank needed a unified merchant and credit platform that connects onboarding, lending, payments, settlements, and reconciliation in real time. 

This was where a unified Merchant Management System (MMS) came into play. 

Rather than stitching together point solutions, the bank adopted an integrated merchant management platform that acted as a single control layer across the merchant lifecycle, combining compliance, credit, payments, and operational governance into one cohesive system. 

Inside the Transformation: From Onboarding to Settlement 

By implementing M2P’s Merchant Management System (MMS) with an integrated credit management framework, the bank restructured its merchant credit journey. 

1. Merchant Onboarding and Credit Enablement 

Automated Merchant Onboarding: Multi-level hierarchy support for onboarding merchants, sub-merchants, and distributors based on their role and credit eligibility. 

• Onboarded both retailers and FMCG/Brand/Distributors with a different onboarding process based on the type of merchant, with their own rules and processes. 

• Created bank accounts in the client's CBS for the merchants post all the regulatory checks and processes. 

• Powered the merchant mobile application for onboarding, payments, loan origination, settlements, etc. 

Loan Origination System (LOS) Integration: Seamlessly linked with the bank’s systems to perform AML checks, KYC document verification, and dedupe during account creation. 

• Supported credit lines for retailers with multiple distributors. 

• Combined repayment cycle for multiple loans with different distributors, with interest free period and minimal interest rates. 

• Automated repayments from retailers to distributors. 

User Access Management (UAM): Role-based access control for operational teams and merchants, ensuring secure access and visibility. 

2. Pre-Authorization and Capture Payment Flow 

Payments: 

• Pre-Auth Flow: Funds were blocked from the retailer’s account at the time of order placement, ensuring order security. 

• Capture on Delivery: Funds were debited only upon successful delivery of goods, reducing disputes and increasing trust. 

Settlements: 

• Timely Automated Settlements: Ensured efficient fund disbursements with reduced manual intervention. 

• Refund Management: Allowed instant refunds in case of failed transactions or order cancellations. 

Dispute Management: 

• Dispute Resolution: Dedicated dispute management tools for quick issue resolution between retailers and wholesalers. 

Merchant Dashboard and Reporting: 

• Integrated Merchant App: Powered Bank's merchant app end-to-end with real-time transaction tracking, settlement updates, and dispute resolutions. 

• Advanced Analytics and Reporting: Enabled data-driven decision-making with insights into retailer performance, credit utilization, and payment trends right on the merchant and operations dashboard of M2P MMS. 

3. Reconciliation and Compliance  

End-to-End Reconciliation: Automated tracking of payment statuses, blocked funds, and settlements minimized errors. 

Regulatory Compliance: AML and KYC verification ensured compliance with banking regulations. 

Outcome Achieved: From Friction to Flow 

The transformation delivered tangible, business-critical results: 

• 80% faster merchant onboarding, accelerating activation and revenue realization 

• 60% improvement in operational efficiency, driven by automation across settlements and reconciliation 

• Stronger merchant engagement, enabled by real-time tracking, promotions, and dispute resolution 

• Reduced settlement delays and disputes, reinforcing trust across the ecosystem 

Next Steps: Scaling the Ecosystem 

M2P’s Merchant Management System transformed the bank’s SME credit offering by integrating onboarding, payments, and lifecycle management into a seamless, unified process. By implementing a pre-authorization and capture model, the platform ensured that transactions remained secure and reliable, while automated settlements, User Access Management (UAM), dispute resolution, EMIs, and promotions enhanced operational efficiency and strengthened trust across the retail ecosystem. 

With these foundational capabilities in place, the bank is now positioned to expand its offerings further, extending credit cards to retailers, enhancing BNPL programs with targeted promotions, and reinforcing onboarding, credit, and transaction risk management through advanced fraud and risk modules. This platform-led approach sets the stage for scalable growth, deeper financial inclusion, and a more resilient merchant ecosystem. 

Looking Ahead 

For banks looking to modernize merchant-led credit ecosystems, platform-driven solutions like M2P’s Merchant Management System provide a proven blueprint for scale, operational efficiency, and long-term impact. By unifying credit, payments, compliance, and lifecycle management into a single platform, banks can move beyond fragmented systems to deliver seamless experiences for merchants and customers alike. 

Discover how your institution can unlock growth and inclusion. Schedule a demo today! 

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