A Business Unit is an isolated operational setup within your FlexPortal organization. Each Business Unit manages its own currency, tax rules, product catalog, payment accounts, configuration, and API access — completely independent from other Business Units.
Common use cases:
- Store USD and Store EUR — same products, different currencies
- B2B Operations and B2C Operations — different pricing and payment terms
- Netherlands and Germany — same currency (EUR) but different VAT rates
- Test and Production — safe testing without affecting live data
What Each Business Unit Controls
Each Business Unit operates independently with:
| Component | What’s Separated | Example |
|---|
| Currency | All pricing, payments, and reporting in one currency | EUR for Netherlands BU, USD for US BU |
| Tax Rules | VAT rates, sales tax, regional tax requirements | 21% VAT in NL, 0% in Dubai, 8.25% sales tax in CA |
| Payment Accounts | Stripe account, bank account, merchant processor | Separate Stripe account per region |
| Product Catalog | Products, variants, pricing tiers | Different products per market |
| API Keys | Isolated access, separate integrations | US team can’t access EU data |
| Reporting | Independent dashboards and financial reports | Each BU has own P&L |
Business Units are completely isolated. A customer in Business Unit A cannot order products from Business Unit B. Assets from one Business Unit cannot be transferred to another.
Organization Structure
Your FlexPortal account has this hierarchy:
Organization: TechRent Global
├── Business Unit: Netherlands (EUR)
│ ├── Products: 150 items
│ ├── Customers: 2,400
│ ├── Active Subscriptions: 1,800
│ └── API Key: pk_live_nl_...
├── Business Unit: United States (USD)
│ ├── Products: 200 items
│ ├── Customers: 3,100
│ ├── Active Subscriptions: 2,500
│ └── API Key: pk_live_us_...
└── Business Unit: Dubai (AED)
├── Products: 80 items
├── Customers: 450
├── Active Subscriptions: 320
└── API Key: pk_live_ae_...
When to Use Multiple Business Units
Create separate Business Units for these scenarios:
1. Different Countries
Each country requires different currency and tax treatment.
Example: EU vs US Operations
| Aspect | Netherlands BU | United States BU |
|---|
| Currency | EUR | USD |
| Tax | 21% VAT | State sales tax (0-10%) |
| Payment Account | Stripe NL | Stripe US |
| Product Catalog | European models | US models |
| Pricing | Higher (VAT included) | Lower (tax varies) |
| Invoicing | VAT format required | Sales tax format |
- Cannot mix EUR and USD in same Business Unit
- VAT and sales tax have different reporting requirements
- Payment processors often separate by country
- Product availability differs by market
2. Different Brands
Run multiple brands under one organization with separate product lines.
Example: Premium vs Budget Brand
| Aspect | LuxeTech (Premium) | ValueTech (Budget) |
|---|
| Product Range | Latest flagships | Previous-gen models |
| Pricing | $120-200/month | $40-80/month |
| Target Market | Business customers | Students, individuals |
| Payment Terms | Net 30 for businesses | Immediate payment |
| Branding | Separate domain, logo | Separate domain, logo |
- Different product catalogs and pricing strategies
- Separate brand identities and customer bases
- Different payment and credit terms
- Independent financial reporting
3. Different Business Lines
Separate B2B and B2C operations with different requirements.
Example: Consumer vs Business Operations
| Aspect | B2C Business Unit | B2B Business Unit |
|---|
| Customers | Individuals | Companies |
| Contract Terms | 12-24 months | 36-48 months |
| Pricing | Standard retail | Volume discounts |
| Billing | Monthly auto-pay | Net 30 invoicing |
| Payment Method | Card | Bank transfer |
| Support | Self-service | Dedicated account manager |
- Different pricing structures and terms
- Different billing and payment workflows
- Separate reporting for consumer vs enterprise
- Different operational requirements
Currency and Configuration
Each Business Unit operates in a single currency with its own configuration. This is fundamental to how FlexPortal works.
Example: USD Store vs EUR Store
A company selling the same laptop in US and Europe needs two Business Units:
| Setting | US Store (USD) | Europe Store (EUR) |
|---|
| Currency | USD | EUR |
| Monthly price | $99 | €89 |
| Tax handling | Sales tax (varies by state) | VAT 21% (included) |
| Payment account | Stripe US | Stripe EU |
| Invoice format | US standard | EU VAT format |
| API key | pk_live_us_... | pk_live_eu_... |
Why Separate Business Units?
- Currency is fixed — cannot mix EUR and USD in one Business Unit
- Tax rules differ — VAT vs sales tax have different logic
- Payment processors — often require separate accounts per region
- Reporting — each BU has independent financial reports
- Compliance — different invoicing requirements per region
FlexPortal does not convert currencies. Each Business Unit operates entirely in its configured currency. Need USD and EUR? Create two Business Units.
Tax Configuration
Tax rules are configured per Business Unit to match local requirements.
Tax Setup Examples
Netherlands (VAT):
- Default rate: 21% VAT
- Applied to all subscription payments
- VAT number required for business customers
- Reverse charge for EU business customers
United States (Sales Tax):
- Varies by state: 0% to 10%
- Configured per customer shipping address
- Nexus requirements per state
- Tax-exempt status for qualified organizations
Dubai (VAT):
- Standard rate: 5% VAT
- Applied to taxable supplies
- Zero-rated for certain categories
- TRN (Tax Registration Number) on invoices
Payment Accounts
Each Business Unit connects to its own payment processor account.
Stripe Integration (Coming Soon)
When Stripe integration launches, each Business Unit will connect to a separate Stripe account:
Netherlands BU → Stripe Account NL → EUR bank account
US BU → Stripe Account US → USD bank account
Dubai BU → Stripe Account AE → AED bank account
- Payments collected in the correct currency
- Compliance with local payment regulations
- Separate financial reporting per region
- Independent payout schedules
Manual Payment Tracking (Current)
Currently, you manage payment collection externally and mark payments as paid in FlexPortal. Each Business Unit tracks its own payment records.
API Access
Each Business Unit has separate API keys. Your integration specifies which Business Unit to access.
pk_live_nl_abc123xyz → Netherlands Business Unit
pk_live_us_def456uvw → United States Business Unit
pk_live_ae_ghi789rst → Dubai Business Unit
Making API Calls
Include the API key for the specific Business Unit you want to access:
# Create order in Netherlands BU
curl https://api-eu.flexportal.io/orders \
-H "Authorization: Bearer pk_live_nl_abc123xyz" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"customer_email": "customer@example.nl",
"items": [...]
}'
# Create order in US BU
curl https://api-us.flexportal.io/orders \
-H "Authorization: Bearer pk_live_us_def456uvw" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"customer_email": "customer@example.com",
"items": [...]
}'
API keys cannot access data across Business Units. Using a Netherlands API key to access US Business Unit data will fail authentication.
Dashboard Access
Users can be granted access to specific Business Units within the organization.
User Permissions
| Access Level | What They Can Do |
|---|
| Organization Admin | Access all Business Units, create new Business Units, manage billing |
| Business Unit Admin | Full access to assigned Business Units only |
| Business Unit User | Limited access to assigned Business Units (view-only or specific permissions) |
Emma (Organization Admin)
├── Can access: All Business Units
├── Can create: New Business Units
└── Can manage: Organization billing and users
James (BU Admin - Netherlands)
├── Can access: Netherlands BU only
├── Cannot access: US or Dubai BUs
└── Can manage: Products, orders, subscriptions in Netherlands
Sarah (BU Admin - United States)
├── Can access: US BU only
├── Cannot access: Netherlands or Dubai BUs
└── Can manage: Products, orders, subscriptions in US
Creating a Business Unit
When you create a new Business Unit, you configure:
Basic Information
Business Unit name, default language, timezone
Currency & Tax
Operating currency (cannot be changed later), default tax rate, tax ID
Payment Settings
Payment processor connection (Stripe, manual), bank details for invoices
API Access
Generate API keys for this Business Unit
Currency cannot be changed after Business Unit creation. Choose carefully based on your primary operating market.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Regional Expansion
DeviceFlow started in the Netherlands and expanded to Belgium and Germany:
Initial Setup:
Organization: DeviceFlow
└── Business Unit: Netherlands (EUR)
├── Products: 100 items
├── Pricing: Standard EU pricing
└── Tax: 21% VAT
Organization: DeviceFlow
├── Business Unit: Netherlands (EUR)
│ ├── Tax: 21% VAT
│ └── Customers: Dutch market
├── Business Unit: Belgium (EUR)
│ ├── Tax: 21% VAT
│ └── Customers: Belgian market
└── Business Unit: Germany (EUR)
├── Tax: 19% VAT
└── Customers: German market
- Different VAT rates (Germany 19% vs others 21%)
- Different local regulations and invoicing requirements
- Separate operational teams per country
- Independent financial reporting
Example 2: Brand Portfolio
TechRent Group operates multiple brands:
Organization: TechRent Group
├── Business Unit: TechRent Pro (USD)
│ ├── Target: Business customers
│ ├── Products: Enterprise laptops, workstations
│ ├── Pricing: \$150-300/month
│ └── Contract: 36-48 months
├── Business Unit: TechRent Home (USD)
│ ├── Target: Consumers
│ ├── Products: Consumer electronics
│ ├── Pricing: \$40-100/month
│ └── Contract: 12-24 months
└── Business Unit: TechRent Student (USD)
├── Target: Students
├── Products: Budget laptops, tablets
├── Pricing: \$25-60/month
└── Contract: 9-12 months (academic year)
Example 3: Test Environment
FlexDevice uses a separate Business Unit for testing:
Organization: FlexDevice
├── Business Unit: Production (EUR)
│ ├── Live customer data
│ ├── Real payment processing
│ └── Production API keys
└── Business Unit: Test (EUR)
├── Test customer data
├── Sandbox payment processing
└── Test API keys
Reporting & Analytics
Each Business Unit has independent reporting:
| Report Type | Scope |
|---|
| Income Reports | Per Business Unit only |
| Cost Recovery | Assets and subscriptions within BU |
| Customer Analytics | Customers within BU |
| Payment Reports | Payments within BU |
| Tax Reports | Tax collected within BU |
Migration & Data Transfer
Business Units are permanent separations. You cannot:
- Move a customer from one Business Unit to another
- Transfer a subscription between Business Units
- Share products across Business Units
- Merge Business Units
If you need to migrate operations between Business Units, you must:
- Create new orders in the target Business Unit
- Activate new subscriptions with asset reassignment
- End original subscriptions in the source Business Unit
Plan your Business Unit structure carefully before starting operations. Restructuring later requires manual data migration.
Next Steps
