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Doss uses a role-based access control (RBAC) system to determine what each user can see and do inside the platform. Every user account has a single role stored in the role_id column of the users table. Roles are defined in the roles table and linked to permissions through the permission_role pivot table.

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User types

There are seven distinct user types in Doss. Each maps to a customer_type value in the roles table.
Typecustomer_typeDescription
Regular UseruserEnd-customers who hold a wallet, send money, and pay merchants.
MerchantmerchantBusinesses that accept payments via the merchant payment flow.
CashiercashierMerchant staff who process in-person payments and manage shifts.
ManagermanagerMerchant managers who oversee cashiers, view shift reports, and monitor transactions.
Doss UserdossInternal Doss platform operators with elevated access to fund distribution.
InspectorinspectorAuditors assigned by a Doss user to review distributed payment records.
AdminadminPlatform administrators who manage the entire system through the admin panel.

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Role details

Regular users register through the public registration flow at /register. After verifying their phone number via OTP, they receive the default role where customer_type = 'user'.Capabilities:
  • Hold one or more currency wallets
  • Send and receive money via transfer
  • Pay merchants by QR code or merchant payment link
  • Request payments from other users
  • Deposit and withdraw funds
  • Submit KYC documents (identity and address proof)
  • Enable two-factor authentication (SMS OTP or Google Authenticator)
  • Open and manage support tickets
  • View personal transaction history and activity logs
Restrictions:
  • Cannot access the admin panel
  • Cannot manage other users
  • Cannot start or end cashier shifts
Merchants register through the same public flow but select the merchant account type. The system assigns the default role where customer_type = 'merchant'.Capabilities:
  • Everything a Regular User can do
  • Accept payments through the merchant payment gateway
  • Manage merchant apps and API keys
  • Create and send invoices
  • View merchant-specific payment reports
  • Create and manage Cashier accounts under their merchant ID
  • Create and manage Manager accounts under their merchant ID
Restrictions:
  • Cannot access the admin panel
  • Cannot view other merchants’ data
Cashier accounts are created by a Merchant or an Admin. The account is linked to the merchant via the merchant_id field on the users table. The default role is where customer_type = 'cashier'.Capabilities:
  • Log in via the dedicated cashier login page (/cashier_login)
  • Start and end work shifts
  • Accept Payment_Received transactions during an active shift
  • View their own shift history and per-shift transaction details
  • Export shift transaction reports as XLSX or PDF
  • View a cashier-specific QR code for accepting payments
Restrictions:
  • Cannot send money or make transfers
  • Cannot access merchant settings
  • Cannot view transactions outside their own shifts
  • Cannot manage other users
Manager accounts are created by a Merchant. The account is linked to the merchant via merchant_id. The default role is where customer_type = 'manager'.Capabilities:
  • Log in via the dedicated manager login page (/manager_login)
  • View shift history and transaction reports for all cashiers under the same merchant
  • Export cashier shift reports (XLSX and PDF) on behalf of any cashier
  • View the manager dashboard with an overview of merchant activity
Restrictions:
  • Cannot process payments directly
  • Cannot start or end shifts
  • Cannot modify merchant settings
Doss users are internal platform operators. They are created through the admin panel and log in via /doss_login. The role maps to customer_type = 'doss'.Capabilities:
  • Access the Doss-specific dashboard (user.doss_dashboard)
  • Distribute funds to end users via Doss_payments
  • Create and manage Inspector accounts (inspectors are linked to their creator via doss_id)
  • View fund distribution history
Restrictions:
  • Cannot access the main admin panel
  • Cannot modify platform-wide settings
Inspectors are created by a Doss user. Each inspector is linked to their creating Doss user via the doss_id field on the users table. The role maps to customer_type = 'inspector'.Capabilities:
  • Access the inspector dashboard (user.inspector_dashboard)
  • View all fund distributions made by the associated Doss user
  • Monitor payment status across the assigned distribution records
Restrictions:
  • Read-only access to distribution data
  • Cannot initiate payments or transfers
  • Cannot manage other users
Admins access the platform through a separate admin authentication guard (admin). Admin accounts are stored in the admins table, not the users table.Capabilities:
  • Full access to the admin panel at /admin/home
  • Manage all users, roles, and permissions
  • Create and assign roles with specific permission sets
  • Review and approve or reject KYC documents
  • Configure fees, limits, currencies, and payment methods
  • Manage platform-wide preferences and settings
  • View all transactions across all users
  • Export shift reports for any cashier
Restrictions:
  • Admin accounts cannot hold user wallets or perform end-user transactions

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How roles are assigned

Role assignment depends on how the user account is created: Self-registration (users and merchants) When a user registers at /register, the system looks up the default role for the selected account type: 
// Regular user
$role = Role::where(['customer_type' => 'user', 'user_type' => 'User', 'is_default' => 'Yes'])->first();

// Merchant
$role = Role::where(['customer_type' => 'merchant', 'user_type' => 'User', 'is_default' => 'Yes'])->first();
After saving, a record is inserted into the role_user pivot table: 
RoleUser::insert(['user_id' => $user->id, 'role_id' => $user->role_id, 'user_type' => 'User']);
Admin-created accounts (cashiers, managers, Doss users, inspectors) When an admin creates a cashier, manager, Doss user, or inspector, the role_id is passed directly in the request and set on the user record. The system also sets the type field to the appropriate value (cashier, manager, doss, inspector).

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Permission system

Permissions are stored in the permissions table and associated with roles through the permission_role pivot table. Each permission has:
FieldDescription
groupLogical grouping, e.g. user, transaction, merchant
nameUnique machine-readable identifier
display_nameHuman-readable label shown in the admin UI
user_typeWhether the permission applies to User or Admin accounts
To check which permissions a role has, the system queries permission_role by role_id: 
$permissionIds = DB::table('permission_role')->where('role_id', $roleId)->pluck('permission_id');
Admins can configure role permissions from the admin panel under Roles & Permissions. Changes take effect immediately on the next request by any user holding that role.
The is_default flag on a role determines which role is automatically assigned during self-registration. Only one role per customer_type and user_type combination should be marked as default.

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