In-app Chat & Messaging
Enable real-time conversations between buyers, sellers, and admins directly inside your marketplace. Mercur’s In-app Chat module uses TalkJS to power real-time messaging between customers and sellers, as well as between sellers and marketplace admins. Conversations are tied to logged-in users, scoped to products or sellers, and fully accessible from within your marketplace UI.
How in-app chat works in Mercur
Give buyers a quick way to ask questions, give sellers a direct support channel, and keep every conversation inside your platform.
- Let buyers start a chat with sellers directly from product pages or seller profile pages.
- Use TalkJS to provide real-time in-app messaging with indicators such as typing and read status.
- Keep full conversation history tied to customer and seller IDs so messages are never lost.
- Allow vendors and admins to communicate 1:1 from within the vendor dashboard.
- Make sure all conversations are authenticated so messages are always linked to real user accounts, not anonymous guests.
Build custom marketplace with Mercur
Create your unique multi-vendor platform with our powerful, flexible marketplace solution that adapts to your business needs.
What the In-app Chat module delivers for your business
Faster decisions and higher conversion
Buyers can ask clarifying questions before purchasing, reducing uncertainty and abandoned carts.
Built-in support channel for sellers
Vendors can handle inquiries, clarify product details, and resolve issues without leaving the marketplace.
Persistent conversation history
All chats are tied to user IDs and can be revisited at any time, supporting long-running relationships and better support.
No need to build chat from scratch
TalkJS provides the messaging infrastructure and UI components, while Mercur wires it into your marketplace roles and flows.
Core capabilities
1. Buyer ↔ Seller chat from product pages
Turn product pages into a starting point for conversations.
- From a product view, a logged-in customer can start a chat with the seller of that specific product.
- The conversation is automatically contextualized with:
- the product,
- the seller,
- the buyer.
- Buyers can ask about sizing, availability, specifications, or anything else before they commit to a purchase.
This reduces friction and makes complex or high-consideration purchases easier.
2. Buyer ↔ Seller chat from seller pages
Support general inquiries that are not tied to a single product.
- From a seller profile page, buyers can start a general conversation with that seller.
- This is ideal for questions about shipping, policies, custom orders, or broader cooperation.
- Conversations are still tied to the buyer and seller IDs but not to a specific product.
You cover both product-specific communication and longer-term relationships.
3. Vendor ↔ Admin communication
Give vendors a direct line to the marketplace team.
- In the vendor panel, a chat bubble icon next to notifications opens a conversation with the marketplace admin.
- Vendors can:
- ask operational questions,
- clarify payout or commission matters,
- escalate issues that need admin involvement.
- ask operational questions,
- Admins can also proactively reach out to vendors when needed.
This replaces scattered emails and support tickets with structured in-app conversations.
4. Authenticated, persistent conversations
Chats are always tied to real identities rather than anonymous sessions.
- Chat is available only to logged-in customers and vendors.
- Each conversation is linked to a customer ID and seller ID, so:
- users can return to the same thread later,
- you keep a full history across sessions and devices.
- This makes chat suitable for longer-term relationships and B2B conversations, not just one-off questions.
- users can return to the same thread later,
You always know who is talking to whom.
5. TalkJS based messaging system
Leverage a battle-tested messaging platform instead of rolling your own:
- TalkJS powers the underlying real-time messaging, including:
- instant delivery,
- typing indicators,
- read markers,
- responsive UI components.
- instant delivery,
- You can customize the look and feel to match your brand.
- Mercur integrates TalkJS with your user roles and IDs:
- customers,
- sellers,
- admins.
- customers,
This gives you a robust chat experience with minimal custom infrastructure.
6. Conversation history and context
Keep a record of what was said and when:
- Every conversation keeps its message history so buyers, sellers, and admins can scroll back anytime.
- Conversations can be grouped or filtered by:
- participant (customer, seller),
- origin (product page vs seller page),
- status (unread, active, archived).
- participant (customer, seller),
- History can be used to:
- improve customer support,
- resolve disputes,
- better understand recurring questions or objections.
- improve customer support,
Build custom marketplace with Mercur
Schedule a guided tour of Mercur Marketplace tailored to your specific marketplace requirements. Connect with our team to discuss how we can help bring your marketplace vision to life.