Since providing payment services is a regulated industry, we'll need to gather some more information about your business before you can start taking payments.

You'll see a step to complete verification when you log in. Select Complete verification (or Resume verification if you've already started).

If your business is registered as an organisation (for example a private limited company, public company, LLP or registered charity), verification asks for a bit more detail to comply with payment regulations.

We match your company's legal name and company number against Companies House, so these are filled in for you and can't be edited. You'll add a few details such as your website and contact details. Add your VAT number if you have one, make sure to use the format "GB123456789" so the country code is included. Certain organisation types are required to upload a document:

Use an original PDF or scan for the upload.

Your business's official registered address in the United Kingdom. We prefill this from your Companies House record, so usually you just need to check it's correct. Enter it exactly as it appears on Companies House. If you have a separate trading address, don't use that here, use your official registered address.

As part of the checks for an organisation, we also verify the identity of the people associated with it.

We group these people as directors/secretaries, representatives, owners and controlling persons. The table below explains who counts as each, and the minimum number you need to add:

For each decision-maker, you'll provide their details in this form:

Between your decision-makers, make sure the roles Controlling person, Representative, Director/Secretary are covered. For example, one person could fulfil all roles. If these roles aren't ticked by at least one person, you'll see this message:

Make sure every officer listed on Companies House is added with Director/Secretary ticked, and every person of significant control with ownership over 25% is added with Owner ticked.

Instead of uploading a photo ID for everyone, one of your decision-makers completes a quick identity check: they photograph their ID and take a short selfie. Choose who will do it from the dropdown. It should be one of your directors or owners.

Once you submit your application, that person receives a secure link with instructions to complete the check on their phone. You don't have to wait for them to finish before submitting.

Upload a PDF bank statement that matches the company name, address and bank details you gave us. If you entered the wrong bank details when you signed up, contact support and we'll help you put it right. It should be an original pdf document, not edited or cropped.

Check your information, accept our Privacy Policy and Terms, and submit. Then the chosen decision maker should complete their identity check via the link sent to them. The link will also be shown on the review page so you can copy and share it directly.

If you operate as a sole trader (that is, not registered with Companies House), these are the steps to follow:

As a sole trader, you'll provide some personal information, including your date of birth, address, contact details, website and business description.

We need these to comply with financial regulations and to verify everyone who uses our services. We check this information against official records as part of our due diligence.

Before you can submit, you'll upload:

Make sure all documents are an original photo, scan or pdf. Not edited or cropped. You'll confirm your identity with a quick identity check rather than uploading a photo ID here (see below).

Verify the bank account where you'll receive your funds. The account must be in your name. We require a recent bank statement matching your payout account. Ensure this is an original pdf document that has not been edited.

Check your information, accept our Privacy Policy and Terms, and submit. After you submit, we'll send you a secure link to complete a quick identity check: a photo of your ID and a short selfie.

Once you submit, your details go for review and you'll land on a review page that shows the progress of each check.

The identity check. The people who need to verify their identity appear here, each with a status:

You don't have to stay on this page. You can return to your dashboard and come back any time to check progress or resend a link.

Approved. When every check passes, you're verified. You'll see a confirmation that your account is fully unlocked and you can start creating and sending invoices.

Need to make a change? You can edit your application from the review page, but it will come out of review and you'll need to resubmit to send it back for checking.

If our checks find something that needs your attention, you'll see a message for each issue when you return to verification, explaining what to do and linking to the right place to fix it. Make the changes, resubmit, and your details go straight back for review. There's no need to start again.

The error messages show the changes to make and don't disappear when you update any details. If you have made changes / reviewed details and everything is in order, please click through and submit even as the error still shows.

Here's what to change for the most common issues.

This is the most common issue. Our checks compare each decision-maker against official records, and the message may name the person we couldn't match. On the Decision-makers step, check that:

If your business is a company or partnership, sometimes our checks can't automatically match your owners or directors against official records, even when everything you've entered is right. When that happens, you won't need to dig out any documents. Instead, you need to confirm the details are correct for a review.

You'll see a banner on the Decision-makers step asking you to review them. Check everyone's details as above, add anyone who's missing, and make sure each person has the right roles ticked. If the records point to specific people, the banner names them.

If you've reviewed everyone and the details are already correct, you don't need to change anything, even if the message still asks you to check them. Go ahead and submit the verification again.

If a document couldn't be read or verified, the message tells you which one. Whatever the document, the rule is the same: upload the original file, not a photo of a screen, a screenshot or a copy that's been edited, cropped or re-saved.

Sometimes a document can be rejected if it does not match the details you entered such as company address or list of decision-makers. In this case update the company address to match Companies House / the document, same for the list of decision makers.

Here's how to fix general issues with different types of documents:

If we ask another decision maker for an ID document, you will receive an email to let you know (we do not email the decision maker automatically). Log in to Adfin and go to the verification review page. From here copy the link and share it with the relevant decision maker for them to complete the ID check. Alternatively you can click "Resend verification email" to send the link via email to the decision maker. You can see the progress from the review page.

A decision maker can retry the ID check for a total of 3 times, click retry on the review page to try again. Use the link and make sure to use an up to date and supported ID document such as a passport or driving licence. Then ensure you are not wearing any glasses or hat for your face to be matched to your ID document.

Once you've submitted, the checks usually finish quickly. If the same issue comes back, or the message asks you to contact us, reach out at [email protected] or on live chat and we'll help you put it right.

Later on, we may occasionally ask you to confirm or update your details even though you're already taking payments. That's routine, and we cover it in Why am I being asked to verify my account again?

You don't have to wait to get set up. You can add your customers and prepare invoices as drafts before you're verified. Sending invoices for collection, taking payments from your customers and receiving payouts all switch on once your verification has been approved.