What are Deals?
Deals are the foundation of the IOTA Repstation system. They represent agreements between two parties (Party A and Party B) that enable mutual rating after completion. Every rating in the system must be tied to a specific deal, ensuring accountability and preventing spam ratings.Deal Lifecycle
Deals follow a strict three-state lifecycle:1
PENDING
Deal is created by Party A but not yet accepted by Party B.
- Only Party A can modify or cancel
- No ratings allowed
- Party B can accept to move to ACTIVE
2
ACTIVE
Both parties have agreed to the deal terms.
- Deal is locked and cannot be modified
- No ratings allowed yet
- Either party can close the deal
3
CLOSED
Deal has been completed and closed.
- Both parties can now rate each other
- Deal cannot be reopened
- Ratings can be updated or revoked
Deal Components
Participants
Each deal has exactly two participants:- Party A: The deal initiator (usually the service requester)
- Party B: The deal acceptor (usually the service provider)
Subject Reference
Every deal includes a subject reference that identifies what the deal is about:NFT- Non-fungible token transactionsSERVICE- Service agreementsORDER- Purchase ordersLOAN- Lending agreementsESCROW- Escrow services
Deal Amount
The monetary value associated with the deal, stored as a string to handle large numbers:Creating Deals
Admin-Created Deals
Applications with admin capabilities can create deals directly:Client-Created Deals
Users with client capabilities can create deals:Deal Acceptance
Only Party B can accept a pending deal:Deal Completion
Either party can close an active deal:Deal States and Permissions
Best Practices
1. Clear Subject References
Use descriptive and unique subject references:2. Accurate Amounts
Always specify the correct deal amount:3. Timely Deal Closure
Close deals promptly when work is completed to enable rating:Error Handling
Common deal-related errors and solutions:Integration Patterns
E-commerce Integration
Service Platform Integration
Next Steps
Rating System
Learn how to create and manage ratings after deal completion.
Reputation Profiles
Understand how ratings build into reputation profiles.
API Reference
Explore the complete deal management API.
Integration Examples
See real-world implementation patterns.