At MetaLocator, we work with a wide variety of customers—from enterprise organizations with multiple brands to agencies managing locators on behalf of many clients. To ensure clarity in billing, data ownership, and account control, we’ve established a clear policy for when a separate MetaLocator account is required.
This article explains that policy, provides illustrative examples, and answers common questions—including details about our Agency Program.
Policy Summary
A separate MetaLocator account is required when:
The end customer is a different legal business entity from the one originally contracted with MetaLocator.
You are an agency creating a locator for a client under a different legal entity.
A separate account is not required when:
The locator is for a new brand, product, or initiative under the same legal business entity.
You are adding an additional locator to support another division or internal team within the same company.
Policy Rationale
This policy exists to protect the privacy and integrity of data between independent organizations. When separate legal entities share a single account, there is a risk of data being inadvertently accessed, modified, or misused across business boundaries. By requiring a distinct MetaLocator account for each legal entity, we ensure that each organization maintains sole ownership and control over its locator data, configurations, analytics, and user permissions. This separation supports compliance with data privacy laws and best practices, especially when agencies or parent companies are managing multiple clients or subsidiaries.
The MetaLocator Agency Program
For digital agencies, system integrators, and consultants, MetaLocator offers an Agency Program designed to streamline client management. Under this program:
Agencies can create and manage multiple stand-alone MetaLocator accounts—one per client.
Each client account remains legally distinct, and technically isolated, with its own billing, branding, and data governance.
The agency retains access across all client accounts via a single sign-on.
This model ensures compliance with our account policy while giving agencies the flexibility they need to scale.
To learn more or apply for the program, contact us.
Key Definitions
Business Entity: A legally recognized organization such as a corporation, LLC, or nonprofit. This is the entity that signs the contract, owns the data, and receives invoices.
Brand: A distinct marketing or product identity under a business entity.
Agency: A third party (e.g., marketing firm, web developer) managing locators for its clients.
Examples: When a Separate Account Is Not Required
Scenario | Separate Account Needed? | Why |
ABC Corp creates a locator for its XYZ Brand | ❌ No | Same business entity |
DEF Inc. launches a second locator for internal teams | ❌ No | Still DEF Inc. |
GHI LLC builds locators for its two product lines | ❌ No | Both under GHI LLC |
Examples: When a Separate Account Is Required
Scenario | Separate Account Needed? | Why |
ABC Corp creates a locator for its partner JKL Inc. | ✅ Yes | JKL Inc. is a different legal entity |
An agency builds a locator for Client A and Client B | ✅ Yes | Clients are different legal entities |
A franchisee of a national brand wants a locator | ✅ Yes | Franchisee is a separate legal entity |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What determines if an organization is a separate legal entity?
If it has its own tax ID, operates independently for legal and financial purposes, or requires separate billing, it is treated as a different entity and must have its own account.
Q2: How does the Agency Program help with account management?
Agencies in our program can:
Create a separate account for each client
Access all client accounts with a single login
Manage billing, branding, and permissions separately
Q3: Can different brands under the same company have separate locators?
Yes. As long as the legal entity is the same, you can create as many locators as needed, each with its own styling, data, and configuration.
Q4: Can an agency use one MetaLocator account for multiple clients?
No. Each client must have its own MetaLocator account under our policy, even if the agency is managing all of them. The Agency Program makes this easy to manage.
Q5: Is there a cost or approval required to join the Agency Program?
There is no additional cost to join. Interested partners should reach out to our team to ensure eligibility and account setup.
Summary Table
Use Case | Same Account | Separate Account |
Same legal entity, multiple brands | ✅ | ❌ |
Different legal entities (partners, franchisees, clients) | ❌ | ✅ |
Agencies managing multiple clients | ❌ | ✅ via Agency Program |
Still Not Sure?
If you're not sure which scenario applies to you, or if you're an agency interested in streamlining your client deployments, please contact our support or sales team and we’ll be happy to help.