Skip to main content

Cleverbridge platform and tools

Cleverbridge helps software and SaaS companies sell globally through a merchant-of-record platform, complementary products, expert services, and operational tools.

At the center of the platform is CleverEssentials, the Cleverbridge merchant-of-record solution. CleverPartners extends the platform with partner-led revenue programs. Integrations, analytics, security, and AI capabilities connect and strengthen the broader Cleverbridge offering.

This page explains how the main components fit together and where you use them.

Core merchant-of-record solution​

CleverEssentials​

CleverEssentials is the Cleverbridge merchant-of-record solution for global software and SaaS sales. It brings together the commerce infrastructure you need to accept orders, manage recurring revenue, meet regional requirements, and get paid.

As merchant of record, Cleverbridge is the legal seller for transactions processed through the platform. Cleverbridge manages payment processing, tax calculation and remittance, compliant invoicing, fraud prevention, chargebacks, refunds, and other transaction responsibilities.

CleverEssentials includes the following capabilities:

  • Global payments: Accept one-time and recurring payments through global and regional payment methods and transaction currencies.
  • Optimized checkouts: Deliver branded and localized checkout experiences through full-page, pop-up, embedded, and in-app storefronts.
  • Subscription management: Support trials, renewals, upgrades, quantity changes, flexible pricing models, payment recovery, and customer self-service.
  • Quoting and invoicing: Support B2B purchasing with quotes, payment terms, purchase orders, and tax-compliant invoices.
  • Tax and compliance: Calculate, collect, file, and remit applicable taxes, and support regional invoicing, sanctions, and data-protection requirements.
  • Fraud prevention: Screen transactions, reduce false declines, manage chargebacks, and protect revenue from fraudulent activity.
  • Reporting and analytics: Monitor payments, subscriptions, revenue, churn, and other commerce performance indicators.

You configure and manage many CleverEssentials capabilities in Subscription Commerce Manager. Other capabilities are available through APIs, integrations, customer-facing experiences, desktop applications, and Cleverbridge services.

Partner revenue solution​

CleverPartners​

CleverPartners helps you build and manage affiliate, referral, and reseller programs as part of your partner-led revenue strategy.

You can use CleverPartners to:

  • Recruit and onboard partners.
  • Manage partner relationships and engagement.
  • Configure commissions and incentives.
  • Provide partners with campaigns, assets, and enablement resources.
  • Track referrals, revenue, and partner performance.
  • Support affiliate, referral, and reseller programs from one platform.

CleverPartners is available as an additional Cleverbridge solution.

Platform capabilities​

Platform capabilities support CleverEssentials, CleverPartners, expert services, and connections with your wider technology stack.

Integrations​

Cleverbridge integrations connect commerce, subscription, payment, customer, and reporting data with the systems your teams already use.

You can use:

  • Integration Hub: Configure prebuilt and custom workflows with CRM, ERP, finance, and other business systems.
  • APIs: Build custom integrations with REST and GraphQL APIs.
  • Webhooks and notifications: Receive updates about orders, payments, subscriptions, and other events.
  • Data sharing and exports: Deliver data through Snowflake Data Sharing, scheduled reports, and file exports.
  • Analytics and tracking integrations: Connect checkout and customer journey data with analytics, attribution, advertising, and marketing tools.
  • Finance integrations: Share transaction, invoice, clearing, and reconciliation data with downstream finance systems.

Integrations can support CleverEssentials and other Cleverbridge products and services. They also connect Cleverbridge with your existing business and technology processes.

Analytics and reporting​

Cleverbridge analytics and reporting help you understand revenue, subscriptions, payments, customer behavior, and retention.

You can use analytics to:

  • Monitor subscription performance, churn, upgrades, and downgrades.
  • Analyze payment success, failures, refunds, and chargebacks.
  • Track revenue, renewals, and customer lifetime value.
  • Build custom reports with the dimensions, metrics, and filters your teams need.
  • Identify trends, anomalies, and opportunities for improvement.
  • Share data with BI tools and downstream systems.
  • Use forecasting and benchmarking to support planning and decision-making.

Analytics capabilities are available through CleverEssentials dashboards, Subscription Commerce Manager, Report Builder, Snowflake Data Sharing, APIs, exports, and related Cleverbridge services.

Security and reliability​

Cleverbridge security helps protect customer data, payment information, and global commerce operations.

The platform provides capabilities such as:

  • Role-based access and activity monitoring.
  • Encryption and tokenization.
  • Resilient transaction processing and infrastructure.
  • Payment security and fraud prevention controls.
  • Support for security and assurance standards such as PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and ISAE 3402.
  • Data-protection and privacy controls.

Security and reliability are built into the platform and apply across products, integrations, customer-facing experiences, and operational tools.

AI capabilities​

Cleverbridge uses AI and automation to help improve payment performance, analytics, customer experiences, and operational efficiency.

AI-supported capabilities can include:

  • Payment retry optimization.
  • Forecasting and anomaly detection.
  • Analytics and natural-language insights.
  • Customer self-service and support automation.
  • Recommendations based on transaction and customer behavior.

The capabilities available to you depend on your Cleverbridge products, services, and implementation.

Expert services​

Cleverbridge services combine platform capabilities with specialist support for implementation, optimization, customer engagement, and operations.

Digital Marketing Services​

Cleverbridge Digital Marketing Services help you improve acquisition, conversion, expansion, and retention.

Services can include:

  • Conversion rate optimization.
  • Checkout and funnel testing.
  • Retention and lifecycle marketing.
  • Affiliate marketing.
  • Customer research and behavioral analysis.
  • Campaign design, implementation, and optimization.

These services use platform data, testing, automation, and specialist expertise to identify and implement growth opportunities.

Professional Services​

Cleverbridge Professional Services help you design, implement, and optimize your commerce setup.

Services can include:

  • Implementation planning and launch support.
  • Checkout and storefront configuration.
  • Product, pricing, and subscription setup.
  • Integration design and implementation.
  • Data migration.
  • Custom development and technical consulting.
  • Operational and process optimization.

The scope of Professional Services depends on your implementation and business requirements.

Customer Support Services​

Cleverbridge Customer Support Services provide multilingual support throughout the buying and order-management journey.

Support can include:

  • Pre-sale questions.
  • Payment and tax questions.
  • Post-purchase assistance.
  • Order and subscription management.
  • Refund and invoice requests.
  • Customer self-service through the Cleverbridge Customer Help Center.
  • Escalation of product-specific or technical questions to your teams.

Customer Support Services help reduce the operational burden on your internal teams while giving customers access to specialized commerce and billing assistance.

Manage Cleverbridge​

The interface or tool you use depends on the capability, workflow, permissions, and implementation.

Subscription Commerce Manager​

Subscription Commerce Manager, or SCM, is the primary browser-based interface for configuring and managing many Cleverbridge capabilities.

Depending on your products and permissions, you can use SCM to manage areas such as:

  • Products and selections.
  • Pricing and promotions.
  • Checkout configuration.
  • Subscriptions.
  • Customer communications.
  • Payments and transactions.
  • Revenue assurance.
  • Integrations.
  • Reporting and analytics.
  • Users, roles, and account settings.

Not every Cleverbridge capability is managed exclusively in SCM. Customer-facing experiences, APIs, Integration Hub, services, and desktop applications support additional workflows.

Integration Hub​

Integration Hub is the browser-based integration environment for connecting Cleverbridge with other business systems.

You can use Integration Hub to:

  • Configure prebuilt connectors.
  • Create no-code and low-code workflows.
  • Connect CRM, ERP, finance, marketing, and operational systems.
  • Map data between Cleverbridge and external applications.
  • Monitor integration activity and troubleshoot workflow errors.

Integration Hub is part of the broader Cleverbridge integrations offering.

APIs and developer tools​

Cleverbridge APIs and developer tools support custom storefronts, applications, integrations, automation, and data exchange.

Depending on your use case, you can use:

  • REST APIs.
  • GraphQL APIs.
  • Webhooks and notifications.
  • Checkout and cart integrations.
  • Subscription APIs.
  • Pricing APIs.
  • Reporting and data-sharing capabilities.

Use the Cleverbridge Developer Documentation to explore implementation guides and API references.

Desktop tools​

Some established Cleverbridge workflows remain available through desktop applications. The relevant documentation indicates which interface to use for each task.

Commerce Assistant​

Commerce Assistant, or CA, is a Windows desktop application used for selected commerce and operational workflows.

Depending on your setup, you can use Commerce Assistant to:

  • Manage catalogs, products, and promotions.
  • Review customer and order information.
  • Manage delivery and entitlement settings.
  • Perform selected transaction and operational tasks.
  • Access configuration options that are not yet available in SCM.

Business Intelligence​

Business Intelligence, or BI, is a desktop analytics application for detailed analysis of Cleverbridge data.

You can use Business Intelligence to:

  • Analyze sales, subscription, payment, and customer data.
  • Explore dimensions and measures.
  • Segment data.
  • Monitor historical performance.
  • Create custom analyses for operational and business questions.

For newer reporting and analytics workflows, also review the capabilities available through SCM, Report Builder, Snowflake Data Sharing, APIs, and exports.

How the components fit together​

The Cleverbridge offering combines several types of components:

  • CleverEssentials provides the core merchant-of-record and commerce infrastructure.
  • CleverPartners supports partner-led revenue programs.
  • Integrations, analytics, security, and AI provide capabilities that work across the platform.
  • Expert services help you implement, operate, and optimize your commerce program.
  • SCM, Integration Hub, APIs, and desktop tools provide different ways to configure and use Cleverbridge.

The products, capabilities, services, and tools available to you depend on your Cleverbridge agreement and implementation.


Did you find this doc useful?