Store management roles you actually need

What store roles are

You actually need these core roles: Owner, Store Manager, Order Manager, Catalog Manager, Customer Service, Marketing, Accountant, Kitchen Staff, and Fulfillment. Roles group permissions, which are the specific actions a person can take, like editing prices or issuing refunds. An API key is a secret code used by integrations, and you should treat it like a password.

Why this matters

Without clear roles, people can change settings, move money, or expose customer details by mistake. Tight permissions prevent accidents, reduce fraud risk, and speed up work because each person sees only what they need. I use the least privilege rule, which means give only the access needed to do the job.

Core roles to set up

• Owner. Full control, including payments, users, tax and shipping settings, and API keys.
• Store manager. Runs catalog, orders, and promotions. No bank settings or API keys.
• Order manager. Processes orders, prints tickets or pick lists, updates status. Refunds with approval.
• Catalog manager. Adds or edits products, pricing, inventory, and categories. No access to orders or payments.
• Customer service. Views orders and customer profiles. Can issue store credit or replacements with approval. No data export.
• Marketing. Creates coupons, site banners, and product copy. Can view performance. No payment access or data export.
• Accountant. Views payouts, taxes, and financial exports. Read only on catalog and orders. No settings edits.
• Kitchen staff. Sees the kitchen display and incoming tickets. No customer data or store settings.
• Fulfillment. Prints pick lists and shipping labels. Marks orders shipped. No pricing or discount changes.

Set this up this week

• List tasks for each job title. Note what they must do and must not do.
• Create the roles in your store. Start tight, then add access when needed.
• Turn on two factor authentication for every user. A code from a phone or app plus a password.
• Limit who can edit payments, refunds, taxes, shipping rates, API keys, or delete orders.
• Enable audit logs if available. Review who changed access on a schedule.
• Require approval for high value refunds or for older orders.
• Review users quarterly and remove anyone who no longer works there.
• Test by logging in as each role. Try a blocked action to confirm it fails.
• For restaurants, give kitchen screens access to the order queue only.

How I can help

I set up roles and workflows as part of E-Commerce and Store Management, and I can connect AppWT Ordering for restaurants. It is browser based online ordering with a kitchen display and table reservations, and it fits the website you already have. There is nothing to install and no terminal to buy.