Key terms used by ButlerPay and in the context of governed delegated payment in luxury retail.
The capability given by a VIP client to a Maison for an authorised operator to trigger a card charge on their behalf, within a defined and governed framework. The client entrusts the Maison with the authority to act — discreetly, later, and in continuity with the relationship.
An operation where an authorised person — typically a Client Advisor or Store Manager — initiates a payment for a client who has given prior consent. The payment is executed through the Maison's payment service provider, not through ButlerPay directly.
The combination of rules, permissions, roles, and evidence that ensures delegated payment is operated in a controlled, traceable, and auditable manner. The Maison defines the governance; ButlerPay provides the tooling to enforce and document it.
The ability to reconstruct who initiated an action, when it occurred, on behalf of which client, and what type of operation was performed. Traceability is the foundation of auditability within the ButlerPay framework.
The capacity to explain any delegated payment operation after the fact, based on logged evidence, within access rules defined by the Maison. Auditability does not mean surveillance — it means the ability to answer questions when they arise.
The organisation — brand or retail entity — that is a client of ButlerPay. The Maison owns the VIP policy, defines governance rules, and controls in-store usage of delegated payment.
An end client selected by the Maison as eligible for delegated payment. This is typically a very small population — often only a few hundred per country — with exceptional purchasing power and high relationship value. VIP selection and eligibility criteria are the Maison's responsibility.
The in-store advisor who serves as the primary operational actor of clienteling. Within the ButlerPay framework, a Client Advisor can trigger a payment on behalf of a VIP client, if authorised by the Maison's governance rules.
The boutique manager who supervises usage and performs certain privileged operations — such as refunds — according to the framework defined by the Maison.
The ButlerPay web journey through which a VIP client completes enrolment and gives explicit consent for delegated payment. The client registers their card securely during this process, without staff handling card data.
The process by which the PSP converts a VIP client's card data into a secure, reusable reference (a token) during onboarding. Once created, the token is used by ButlerPay to trigger payments without card data ever being exposed to boutique staff or stored by the platform.
The VIP client's explicit acceptance of the delegated payment framework, captured via the ButlerPay onboarding page. The legal wording and policy are owned and defined by the Maison.
The recorded proof that a client has given their consent to delegated payment, including the date, channel, and conditions under which consent was captured. This evidence is preserved for audit and dispute resolution purposes.
Information sent to the VIP client — by email or SMS — to inform them of a key event in their journey: onboarding confirmation, payment, refund, or other actions. Notification policy is the Maison's responsibility.
The usage boundaries — country, store, team, role, or threshold — within which an operator is authorised to act. Perimeters are defined by the Maison and enforced by the ButlerPay platform.
An access rule that determines who can initiate which type of operation (payment, refund, onboarding) for which clients, within which perimeter. Authorisations are configured by the Maison according to its governance model.
The Maison's client relationship management system. Source of truth for client identity and relationship data. ButlerPay integrates with the CRM but does not replace it.
The Maison's point-of-sale system. Source of truth for sales, invoicing, and product lines. The sale is always recorded in the POS; ButlerPay handles the payment delegation, not the sales process.
The Maison's payment service provider. Source of truth for payment execution, card vault, and settlement. ButlerPay triggers payment operations through the PSP but does not process payments itself.
The process of matching delegated payment transactions with corresponding sales records in the POS and, where applicable, with financial reporting systems.
See also: FAQ for common questions, Security & Compliance for the responsibility framework, and What is delegated payment? for a full introduction to the concept.
Discuss governance, scope, and pilot conditions with the ButlerPay team.