> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.interchange.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sponsored buyers

> Manage the advertisers who joined your storefront through a join link — approve, suspend, and reactivate their ability to transact

A **sponsored buyer** is an advertiser that joined your storefront through one of your [join links](/v2/storefront/join-links/overview). It is a buyer account sponsored by your organization and scoped to your storefront: the buyer discovers and transacts only against your inventory and never sees the wider marketplace.

This is your "my buyers" surface. Each sponsored buyer carries a `status` that gates whether it can transact, and you move that status as you onboard, pause, and resume buyers.

All examples use the storefront base URL:

```
https://api.interchange.io/api/v2/storefront
```

Authenticate every request with `Authorization: Bearer $SCOPE3_API_KEY`. Results are scoped to your seller account context — you can only see and manage buyers your organization sponsors.

## Status lifecycle

A sponsored buyer moves through three states. The status is the transaction gate: only an `active` buyer can create or edit media buys against your storefront.

| Status      | Meaning                                                       | Can transact? |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| `pending`   | Joined through a `manual_approve` link; awaiting your review. | No            |
| `active`    | Approved (or joined through an `auto_approve` link).          | Yes           |
| `suspended` | Paused by you.                                                | No            |

Allowed transitions:

* **`pending → active`** — [Approve](/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks/approve-sponsored-buyer) a buyer awaiting review.
* **`pending` or `active → suspended`** — [Suspend](/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks/suspend-sponsored-buyer) a buyer to pause new transactions.
* **`suspended → active`** — [Reactivate](/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks/reactivate-sponsored-buyer) a suspended buyer.

<Note>
  Suspending a buyer blocks **new** media buys and edits. It does not pause in-flight delivery on media buys that are already running.
</Note>

## Key concepts

* **Scope is enforced, not advisory.** A sponsored buyer is confined to your storefront at every read and write path — discovery, product details, and media-buy creation. They cannot pin or transact against any other storefront.
* **Posture.** Sponsored buyers are `prepay` day-one; the `posture` field future-proofs for credit terms.
* **Buyer identity.** `buyerName` is the buyer's company/display name from their account record. It is `null` when not yet resolvable.

## Task reference

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="List sponsored buyers" href="/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks/list-sponsored-buyers" icon="list">
    Every buyer your organization sponsors
  </Card>

  <Card title="Approve sponsored buyer" href="/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks/approve-sponsored-buyer" icon="circle-check">
    Admit a pending buyer
  </Card>

  <Card title="Suspend sponsored buyer" href="/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks/suspend-sponsored-buyer" icon="circle-pause">
    Pause an active buyer
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reactivate sponsored buyer" href="/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks/reactivate-sponsored-buyer" icon="rotate-right">
    Resume a suspended buyer
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Join links" href="/v2/storefront/join-links/overview" icon="link">
    Mint the links buyers join through
  </Card>

  <Card title="All sponsored-buyer tasks" href="/v2/storefront/sponsored-buyers/tasks" icon="list-check">
    Every operation in one place
  </Card>

  <Card title="Storefront onboarding" href="/v2/setup/storefront-onboarding" icon="store">
    End-to-end seller setup
  </Card>

  <Card title="Errors" href="/v2/reference/errors" icon="triangle-exclamation">
    Shared error contract
  </Card>
</CardGroup>