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Overview

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Why Create Customer Profiles?

• Payment History Tracking: Maintain a complete record of all customer transactions
• Saved Payment Methods: Enable customers to store payment methods for faster checkout
• Personalized Experience: Customize payment flows based on customer preferences
• Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements for customer identification and verification
• Analytics: Generate insights on customer payment behavior and preferences

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Required Parameters

• name: Customer’s full name (required)
• email: Customer’s email address (required)
• phone: Customer’s phone number (optional)
• address: Customer’s billing address (optional)
• memberId: Customer member identifier for integration with existing systems (optional)

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Customer Data Structure

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Essential Information

• Personal Details: Name, email, phone number, date of birth
• Contact Information: Primary email and phone for notifications
• Unique Identifier: System-generated customer ID for tracking

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Optional Information

• Address Details: Billing and shipping addresses for payment verification
• Member Integration: Connection with existing membership or loyalty systems
• Preferences: Payment method preferences, currency, and notification settings

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Security & Privacy

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Data Protection

• PCI Compliance: All payment data handled according to PCI DSS standards
• Encryption: Customer data encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access Control: Role-based access to customer information
• Audit Trail: Complete audit log of customer data access and changes

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Privacy Controls

• Data Retention: Configurable data retention policies
• Right to Deletion: Support for customer data deletion requests
• Consent Management: Track and manage customer consent preferences
• Data Export: Provide customer data exports upon request

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Integration Examples

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Update Customer Information

// Update customer profile
const updateData = {
  email: 'newemail@example.com',
  phone: '+1234567890',
  preferences: {
    currency: 'USD',
    notifications: true
  }
};

const response = await fetch('/api/customers/12345', {
  method: 'PUT',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + accessToken,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify(updateData)
});

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Get Payment Methods

// Retrieve user's saved payment methods
const paymentMethods = await fetch('/api/users/payment-methods/12345', {
  method: 'GET',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + accessToken,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

const methods = await paymentMethods.json();
console.log('Saved payment methods:', methods);

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Error Handling

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Common Error Scenarios

• Customer Not Found: HTTP 404 when customer ID doesn’t exist
• Unauthorized Access: HTTP 401 for invalid authentication
• Validation Errors: HTTP 400 for invalid customer data
• Server Errors: HTTP 500 for internal processing errors

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Error Response Format

{
  "error": {
    "code": "CUSTOMER_NOT_FOUND",
    "message": "Customer with ID 12345 not found",
    "details": {
      "customerId": "12345",
      "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
    }
  }
}

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Best Practices

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Customer Data Management

1. Regular Updates: Keep customer information current
2. Validation: Validate all customer data before storage
3. Deduplication: Prevent duplicate customer records
4. Segmentation: Use customer data for targeted experiences

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Performance Optimization

1. Caching: Cache frequently accessed customer data
2. Pagination: Use pagination for large customer lists
3. Selective Loading: Load only required customer data fields
4. Async Processing: Handle bulk operations asynchronously

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Security Best Practices

1. Access Control: Implement proper role-based access
2. Data Minimization: Store only necessary customer data
3. Regular Audits: Conduct regular security audits
4. Incident Response: Have procedures for data breaches

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Compliance Considerations

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GDPR Compliance

• Lawful Basis: Ensure lawful basis for data processing
• Data Subject Rights: Support all GDPR data subject rights
• Privacy by Design: Implement privacy-first architecture
• DPO Consultation: Consult with Data Protection Officer

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PCI DSS Requirements

• Secure Storage: Never store sensitive payment data
• Access Logging: Log all access to customer payment data
• Network Security: Secure network transmission of data
• Regular Testing: Conduct regular security testing

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Monitoring & Analytics

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Key Metrics

• Customer Growth: Track new customer registrations
• Profile Completeness: Monitor customer profile completion rates
• Payment Method Usage: Analyze payment method preferences
• Customer Lifetime Value: Calculate customer value metrics

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Reporting

• Customer Demographics: Age, location, and preference analysis
• Payment Behavior: Payment method and frequency analysis
• Support Metrics: Customer service interaction tracking
• Retention Analysis: Customer retention and churn analysis

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Next Steps