Question 1

What is Lumavel?

Accepted Answer

Lumavel is a family-built company that makes honest tools for independent creators and small shops. Our main public product today is Lumavel Shopping Plaza — a handmade-focused marketplace with fair fees and real seller control.

Around the Plaza we offer supporting tools: QR codes for in-person marketing, SEO helpers, printable generators, Prism (our digital resource library), and portfolio pages for creators. Everything is designed so a real person can run a real business without getting buried by platform games.

Question 2

Who runs Lumavel? Are you a big corporation?

Accepted Answer

Lumavel is operated by Golden Bloom Studios, LLC — a family-owned company in the United States. We are not a faceless tech giant. Tracy Oppermann founded Lumavel; his mother serves as Director of Operations, and the rest of the family is part of why the company exists.

When you buy from a Plaza shop or apply to sell, you are dealing with real people who answer email and care how the platform treats sellers.

Question 3

Where is Lumavel located?

Accepted Answer

We are based in the United States and operate online at lumavel.co. We do not run a public walk-in retail store; Shopping Plaza shops are independent sellers with their own shipping and policies.

Legal entity: Golden Bloom Studios, LLC. For formal contact, use the email on our Contact page.

Question 4

When was Lumavel founded?

Accepted Answer

Lumavel grew out of years of family projects — printables, games, and seller tools — before Shopping Plaza became the flagship. The company is actively building in 2025–2026 with a long-term view (we talk about a 100-year mindset in our vision docs), but day to day we focus on what helps sellers this month.

If you want the human story, visit About Us. If you want what we believe, read Our Stand.

Question 5

How does Lumavel make money?

Accepted Answer

On Shopping Plaza we earn a 1% platform maintenance fee on sales when Stripe Connect is set up (we only win when sellers win). Sellers also prepay small shelf credits for listing slots — about $0.20 per product slot for listing and renewal, explained plainly in seller docs.

Some tools (like extra QR analytics slots) have small optional paid add-ons. We do not sell your data. We do not run predatory ads on seller shops.

Question 6

How do I contact Lumavel?

Accepted Answer

Use the Contact page on lumavel.co or email lumavel.mailbox@gmail.com for platform questions, applications, or partnerships.

For a specific order (tracking, damaged item, refund), contact the seller shop first — their email is on your receipt and shop page. Lumavel hosts the marketplace; each seller fulfills their own orders unless stated otherwise on the listing.

Question 7

Why did you build Shopping Plaza instead of just using Etsy?

Accepted Answer

Because too many creators are tired of rising fees, mystery algorithms, and platforms that treat shops like ad inventory. We wanted a place where a mom making candles or a dad printing shirts keeps more of each sale and owns the customer relationship.

We are invite-only on purpose — quality and alignment matter more than millions of random listings. We would rather grow slowly with sellers we are proud to stand behind.

Question 8

Is Lumavel a "faith-based" company?

Accepted Answer

We are family-rooted and faith-informed in how we treat people — honesty, dignity, and long-term thinking. We do not require sellers or buyers to share our beliefs.

Seller applications ask how your goals align with Lumavel values (people first, no exploitation, sustainable success). That is about fit and trust, not a theology test.

Question 9

What is "Our Stand"?

Accepted Answer

Our Stand is our public statement of what we refuse to compromise on: fix what is broken, heal what is hurtful, keep promises, and build technology that serves humans instead of farming them.

It is the moral backbone behind Lumavel, separate from day-to-day FAQ mechanics. Read it at lumavel.co/stand.

Question 10

Why is the Plaza invite-only?

Accepted Answer

We review applications so the directory stays curated — handmade, intentional shops rather than mass-imported junk listings. It protects buyers and serious sellers alike.

Apply at lumavel.co/lumavelshoppingplaza/apply. Approval requires a free Lumavel account and thoughtful answers about your mission and alignment.

Question 11

What is Lumavel Shopping Plaza?

Accepted Answer

Shopping Plaza is our handmade-focused online marketplace. Each approved seller gets a shop page at lumavel.co/lumavelshoppingplaza/your-shop-name with products, optional blog posts, policies, and checkout powered by Stripe.

Think of it as your booth in a shared hall — you control your brand, prices, and customer emails; Lumavel provides the building, tools, and fair fee structure.

Question 12

What is the difference between Shopping Plaza and Emporium?

Accepted Answer

Shopping Plaza is for independent seller shops (like Etsy shops). Emporium is Lumavel's own product lines and print-on-demand catalog — Lumavel as the merchant.

If you bought from a named seller page, that is Plaza. If you are browsing Lumavel-branded goods or POD templates, that is Emporium.

Question 13

How do I find shops and products?

Accepted Answer

Start at lumavel.co/lumavelshoppingplaza to browse the directory, featured shops, and search. Each shop has its own URL you can bookmark or share.

Search looks across listings so you can find items without knowing the shop name first.

Question 14

How do I apply to sell?

Accepted Answer

Create a free Lumavel account, then complete the seller application at lumavel.co/lumavelshoppingplaza/apply. Tell us about your shop, how you found us, and how your work fits our values.

After approval you will get a welcome email with your shop link and steps to open the seller dashboard, customize your shop, connect Stripe for payouts, and list products.

Question 15

What is the 1% platform fee?

Accepted Answer

When your shop has Stripe Connect active, Lumavel collects a 1% maintenance fee on the gross sale (item + shipping charged in checkout, before Stripe's own card processing). On a $50 sale that is about fifty cents to Lumavel — compared to several dollars on platforms charging 6% or more.

Until Connect onboarding is finished, payments may temporarily flow through platform hold mode; finish Stripe setup in your dashboard so payouts land in your connected account and the 1% fee splits correctly.

Question 16

What are shelf credits and listing fees?

Accepted Answer

Shelf credits are prepaid wallet balance in your seller dashboard. Listing a product uses a small shelf charge (about $0.20 per listing event) so we can keep the marketplace spam-free without charging huge monthly rent.

You can top up credits in packs ($5, $10, $25, $50). Launch partners and promo codes may credit your wallet — check your dashboard. Out-of-stock slots have generous free tiers so you are not punished for selling out.

Question 17

How do I get paid as a seller?

Accepted Answer

Buyers pay by card through Stripe Checkout. You connect your own Stripe account in the seller dashboard (Stripe Connect). Money flows to you according to Stripe's payout schedule minus Stripe processing and the 1% Lumavel fee.

Lumavel does not hold your money hostage after Connect is complete — we are not the merchant of record for your handmade sales; you are.

Question 18

How does the seller referral program work?

Accepted Answer

Every shop gets a referral link like lumavel.co/lumavelshoppingplaza/apply?ref=your-shop-slug. When someone applies with that link, gets approved, and starts selling, you are tracked as their referrer.

You earn a $5 wallet credit when they list their first product, plus 10% of Lumavel's 1% platform fee on their sales for the first year (about 0.1% of each sale to you). See Referrals in your seller dashboard.

Question 19

What are Launch Partners / Founding Members?

Accepted Answer

The first five approved shops can receive launch partner benefits: founding member badge, extended fee relief window, and welcome credit toward shelf fees after first sale (see current program terms in seller docs).

This is our way to thank early believers while we grow the directory carefully.

Question 20

Can I customize my shop page?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Upload a banner and logo (files upload directly — no need to host images elsewhere), pick accent colors, write About and Policies pages, choose grid or list layout, and run a shop blog for SEO.

Go to Seller Dashboard → Settings (Customize) after approval.

Question 21

Can I offer discount codes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sellers can create percentage, fixed amount, free shipping, or BOGO-style codes with optional usage limits from the dashboard Discounts section.

Codes apply at Stripe checkout on your listings.

Question 22

Does Lumavel include email marketing?

Accepted Answer

Plaza sellers get tools to collect buyer emails (with opt-in at checkout), send campaigns, and recover abandoned carts. You own the list for your shop — export and use it responsibly per our policies and applicable law (CAN-SPAM, etc.).

Question 23

How do I buy something on the Plaza?

Accepted Answer

Open a product page, add to cart or buy now, and pay securely through Stripe. You will receive a confirmation email when the seller's checkout completes.

Shipping and returns follow each shop's policies — read the shop Policies section before you order.

Question 24

Who ships my order?

Accepted Answer

The individual seller ships (or fulfills digitally) unless the listing clearly says otherwise. Lumavel provides the marketplace; sellers handle fulfillment, tracking, and customer service for their goods.

Question 25

How do returns and refunds work?

Accepted Answer

Each shop sets its own return policy on its Policies page. Contact the seller through the email on your receipt for damaged items, wrong sizes, or refunds.

If you cannot reach the seller, contact Lumavel support and we will help route the issue — but the seller is responsible for their goods in most cases.

Question 26

Can I leave a review?

Accepted Answer

Where reviews are enabled on a listing, verified buyers can rate and comment. Sellers may respond publicly. Reviews help the community trust handmade shops.

Question 27

What are Lumavel QR tools?

Accepted Answer

We give sellers free QR code generation for shop links, product links, or any URL you choose. Print them on business cards, table tents, packaging, or show posters so in-person customers can jump straight to your online shop.

Access QR tools from the public lumavel.co/qr hub or from your Plaza seller dashboard.

Question 28

How does a Lumavel QR code work when someone scans it?

Accepted Answer

Scanning opens the destination you encoded — usually your Plaza shop or a product page. Lumavel-hosted short links can route through our redirect service so you can change the destination later without reprinting (when using dynamic codes from your account).

Basic scan counts may show on free codes. Deeper analytics are optional (see next question).

Question 29

What are QR analytics slots?

Accepted Answer

Analytics slots let you turn on detailed tracking per saved QR code: scan counts over time, geographic area (when available), device type, and a per-code analytics view in your dashboard.

Each code with analytics turned on uses one slot. Free tier includes basic creation; extended analytics is a one-time purchase of 10 slots for $4.99 (price set in product, no hidden tiers).

Question 30

What data do QR analytics collect?

Accepted Answer

We record scan events — timestamp, which code was hit, and technical info like browser/device type and coarse location derived from the network (not GPS from your phone camera). We use this so sellers know whether a flyer at a craft fair actually drove traffic.

We do not sell scan data to ad brokers. Use analytics to improve your marketing, not to spy on individuals.

Question 31

Are QR codes included for Plaza sellers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Approved sellers can generate shop and product QR codes from the seller dashboard without a separate account. Analytics slots still follow the slot limits above if you want deep stats.

Question 32

What SEO tools does Lumavel offer?

Accepted Answer

Plaza shops get SEO-friendly URLs, structured data, sitemaps, per-shop blogs, and keyword suggestions in the seller SEO dashboard. The broader lumavel.co/seo app helps audit sites — crawl issues, indexability, metadata — for creators who want to improve search visibility.

SEO is a long game: good photos, clear titles, honest descriptions, and regular blog posts beat tricking an algorithm.

Question 33

How does the shop blog help SEO?

Accepted Answer

Each seller can publish blog posts on their shop subdomain path. Posts create extra indexable pages linking to your products — great for storytelling, tutorials, and seasonal keywords.

RSS feeds are available for readers and tools that follow your shop.

Question 34

What is the SEO Wiki & FAQ inside the SEO app?

Accepted Answer

That wiki is documentation for the SEO tool itself — how audits work, reports, exports — separate from this site-wide FAQ. Sellers doing marketplace SEO should still read the Plaza sections here; power users auditing arbitrary websites should use the in-app wiki at lumavel.co/seo/wiki.

Question 35

What is Prism?

Accepted Answer

Prism is Lumavel's digital library — PDFs, printables, and creative assets we produce or license for sellers and customers. It supports the ecosystem but is not our main marketplace.

Shopping Plaza is the economic engine; Prism is foundation mode — a growing archive and identity layer, not a clone of Creative Market or Envato.

Question 36

Should I sell on Prism or Shopping Plaza?

Accepted Answer

If you sell physical handmade goods or your own shipped products, Shopping Plaza is the right home. Prism is for browsing Lumavel-made or licensed digital goods; seller-uploaded digital marketplaces are not the current focus.

Plaza sellers can still use Prism resources where offered as part of the ecosystem.

Question 37

What is the Prism lifetime pass?

Accepted Answer

Occasionally we offer a lifetime Prism access pass during launch campaigns (pricing and slots shown on the Prism page when active). It is a separate product from Plaza seller fees.

Check lumavel.co/prism for current offers — if no banner is showing, standard per-item pricing applies.

Question 38

What is the Generator Suite?

Accepted Answer

Free and paid browser tools at lumavel.co/generators that create printable PDFs — coloring pages, mazes, sudoku, worksheets, and more. Many outputs include commercial use rights for sellers who want to make products.

Generators run in your browser; you download the PDF. They complement Selling on Plaza; they are not a replacement for your shop listings.

Question 39

What are Lumavel portfolios?

Accepted Answer

Portfolio pages at lumavel.co/portfolio showcase creators (artists, authors, etc.) with a Lumavel-hosted presence. They are separate from Shopping Plaza shops but share the same design values.

For commerce-specific needs, apply for a Plaza shop; for a personal creative hub, explore portfolio hosting via our portfolio inquiry flow.

Question 40

What is custom print / print-on-demand?

Accepted Answer

Custom print lets you upload a design and order Lumavel-fulfilled merchandise (like tees) through our POD partners. It is Lumavel as merchant, similar to Emporium physical goods — not your independent Plaza shop unless you list your own products there.

Question 41

What are Nexus and Explore pages?

Accepted Answer

Nexus and Explore are directories of Lumavel apps and experiments — some active, some legacy. Shopping Plaza, Prism, QR, Generators, and SEO are the main seller-facing tools today.

If a link redirects you to Plaza or About, that experiment is archived in favor of our current focus.

Question 42

Is it safe to pay on Lumavel?

Accepted Answer

Checkout uses Stripe, a major payment processor used worldwide. We do not store your full card number on Lumavel servers.

Look for HTTPS and Stripe branding on checkout. If anything feels wrong, stop and contact us.

Question 43

How do you handle my personal data?

Accepted Answer

Read our Privacy Policy and Policy & Trust pages for details. Short version: we collect what we need to run accounts, shops, and orders; we do not sell personal data to ad networks.

Sellers receive buyer emails only when buyers opt in or complete a purchase per shop policies.

Question 44

Why do I need a Lumavel account?

Accepted Answer

Accounts (powered by Clerk) let you apply to sell, manage a shop, save QR codes, and sign in across tools. Buyers can often checkout as guests for small purchases, but sellers must sign in with the email they used to apply.

Question 45

How do I report a shop or listing that violates policy?

Accepted Answer

Email lumavel.mailbox@gmail.com with the shop URL, listing link, and what is wrong (counterfeit, hate, illegal goods, etc.). We take acceptable use seriously and can remove sellers who break trust.

Question 46

I did not find my answer here — what now?

Accepted Answer

Email us at lumavel.mailbox@gmail.com with your question and links (shop, order, or screenshots). We read mail as humans, not bots.

For order-specific issues, always try the seller first — they know your package.

About Lumavel