Idea: Optional public inquiry reference in a marketplace extension

[PerchAnton]

I maintain RefMint, a TypeScript library for public references with type prefixes and a Bech32m checksum.

Use case

A buyer asking about one part of a marketplace order could provide a reference that points to the relevant vendor-side inquiry.

Proposed change

Evaluate an optional public inquiry reference in a marketplace extension; preserve native order IDs, seller isolation and payment references.

Alternatives

Keeping the current identifiers and lookup flow, or using a simple local alias, are valid alternatives. The extra field is worthwhile only if manual lookup is a real need.

Compatibility and validation

v0.1.0-alpha.1 is a GitHub package archive, not an npm release. It targets Node 22+ and Web Crypto browsers, with no runtime dependencies. The format may change; the checksum adds six characters and does not provide authorization.

I checked generation, formatting, parsing and typo rejection in the released package. I have not tested an integration here or measured benefits for your users. Would this optional workflow be useful?