> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.payluk.ng/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Merchant customers

> Onboard the buyers and sellers that transact under your merchant account.

Payluk is a **merchant platform**: your account manages a set of **customers**
(role `merchant_user`) who act as buyers and sellers. Many API actions are
performed *on behalf of* one of these customers.

## Creating customers

Use [Create merchant customer](/api-reference/merchant-customers/create-merchant-customer)
with the customer's name, email, phone and `countryId`. This requires your key
to belong to a **merchant super-admin** account.

```json theme={null}
{
  "firstname": "Ada",
  "lastname": "Eze",
  "email": "ada@example.com",
  "phone": "+2348012345678",
  "countryId": "665f1b2c9a1e4d0012ab3c40"
}
```

## Acting on behalf of a customer

Pass the customer's ID in the `customer-id` header. This tells Payluk which
customer's wallet, escrows or cards the request concerns:

```bash theme={null}
customer-id: 665f1b2c9a1e4d0012ab3c01
```

See [Authentication](/authentication#the-customer-id-header) for the full list
of routes that require it.

## Permissions & status

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Buy / sell permissions" icon="toggle-on" href="/api-reference/merchant-customers/update-customer-permissions">
    Toggle `canBuy` and `canSell` per customer. A customer disabled from buying
    is rejected at payment time.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Block / unblock" icon="ban" href="/api-reference/merchant-customers/block-customer">
    Block a customer to suspend their activity; unblock to restore it.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Wallets

Each customer has a wallet with a `mainBalance` (spendable) and an
`escrowBalance` (funds locked in open escrows). Read it with
[Get customer wallet](/api-reference/merchant-customers/get-customer-wallet).

```json theme={null}
{ "mainBalance": 50000, "escrowBalance": 1000000, "currency": "NGN" }
```