A quick mental model
Think of your merchant account as a building, and each Payments Account as a separate store operating inside that building.Aggregated Balance
One shared balance across all your Payments Accounts. Every store contributes to the same pot.
Dedicated Balance
A separate balance for each Payments Account. Every store keeps its own money.
The two models at a glance
Aggregated Balance
What it is
The Aggregated Balance model keeps a single balance for each currency at the merchant level. This is the same structure existing Clever merchants already use, so if you are an existing merchant, it will feel completely familiar. All the money earned across every Payments Account is combined into one balance, and you manage your funds centrally from one place.How it works
Under the Aggregated Balance model:- Incoming payments are credited to your single merchant balance, no matter which account received them.
- Payouts are deducted from that same merchant balance.
- Settlements are processed from the merchant balance.
- Withdrawals are processed from the merchant balance.
- Funds are never separated by account.
- You do not need to select an account when creating a Settlement or a Withdrawal; there is only one balance to draw from.
Working example
Merchant ABC operates two online stores, Store A and Store B. During a single day, the two stores receive these payments:
Because the balance is aggregated, both amounts flow into the same place, so the merchant balance is simply the total: AUD 1,500.
Now suppose the merchant creates a Settlement of AUD 300. It is taken from the overall balance, not from any specific store:
There is no need to decide whether the AUD 300 came from Store A or Store B; it simply comes out of the shared balance.
Benefits
Simple to manage
There is only one balance to watch.
No change for existing merchants
Your current behaviour stays exactly the same.
Centralised control
All funds are handled in one place.
No tracking overhead
You never have to reconcile balances across multiple accounts.
Dedicated Balance New
What it is
The Dedicated Balance model keeps a separate balance for each account. Funds are held separately and managed independently, which gives you far greater visibility and control over each part of your business. This model is new with Clever Connect and is designed for merchants who run more than one operation under a single account and want to keep their money clearly separated. It is also the model that Treasury Accounts always use.How it works
Under the Dedicated Balance model:- Incoming payments are credited to the balance of the specific account that received them.
- Payouts are deducted from that same account’s balance.
- Settlements are processed from a selected account balance.
- Withdrawals are processed from a selected account balance.
- Each account keeps its own balance and its own transaction history.
Working example
Using the same Merchant ABC with two stores, the stores receive the same payments as before, but this time the money does not merge. Each store keeps what it earned:
Now the merchant creates a Settlement of AUD 300 from Store A. Only Store A is affected; Store B is untouched:
The balances stay independent and are never combined, so it is easy to see exactly how much each store holds at any moment.
Benefits
Clear separation of funds
Money is kept separate between accounts.
Better visibility
See how each store, brand, or payment flow is performing.
Easier reconciliation
Reconcile and report at the account level.
Built for multiple businesses
Strong support for running several businesses, brands, or payment flows under one account.
Choosing the right model
Because the choice is permanent, it is worth taking a moment to match the model to your business.Choose Aggregated Balance if you
Prefer a single, simple balance view; do not need to separate funds across accounts; want the same behaviour as existing Clever merchants; or run one core business and value simplicity.
Choose Dedicated Balance if you
Operate multiple businesses or brands under one account; need separate balances for different payment flows; want clearer reconciliation at the account level; or value visibility into how each part of the business performs.