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For company customers

This article provides a comprehensive summary of the required fields, document types, identity verification requirements, and applicable conditions for onboarding company customers to our platform.

To onboard a company to the BVNK platform, submit the following information.

Overview

Requirements differ along two dimensions:

  • Jurisdiction: the BVNK entity that contracts with the customer:

    • US — System Pay Services (US), Inc., a Delaware-incorporated company (NMLS ID 2531294), registered as a Money Services Business with FinCEN and licensed as a money transmitter in various US states.
    • EU — System Pay Services (Malta) Ltd (C66961), authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) as an Electronic Money Institution and as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under MiCA (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114).
  • Onboarding model:

    • BVNK-Managed: you provide documents and structured data, BVNK performs ID&V.
    • Self-managed: you perform ID&V and pass verification metadata + risk attestations to BVNK.

    The applicable onboarding model depends on the type of business and the licensing setup of the Embedded Partner. Contact the BVNK Solutions team to confirm which model applies to your integration.

For the technical integration, payload structures, and endpoint reference, see the companion API Integration Guide.

Business entity information

Company profile

FieldUSEUValidation / why we collect it
Legal Entity Name
company.name
Verified against business registry records. Must match formation documents exactly.
Registration Number
company.registrationNumber
☑️Cross-referenced with the relevant national business registry. Optional for US if EIN is provided.
Entity Type
company.entityType
Determines downstream document and ownership disclosure requirements. See the Appendix for the list of supported entity types.
Incorporation Date
company.incorporationDate
Entities incorporated <2 years ago may trigger additional scrutiny (business plan, SoW, supporting invoices).
Industry
company.industryReference
UUID from Industry API (NAICS supported). Determines whether vertical-specific requirements apply. Refer to available Industry reference codes.
Tax ID
company.taxNumber
☑️Mandatory for US entities (EIN). Verified against IRS records.
Tax Residence Country
company.taxResidenceCountryCode
Mandatory for US entities. Establishes US tax nexus and triggers US-specific associate requirements.

Registered address

FieldUSEUValidation / why we collect it
Street Address
address.addressLine1
Verified against business registry.
City
address.city
Part of full address verification.
Post / Zip Code
address.postalCode
Part of full address verification.
State / Province
address.stateCode
Required for US addresses.
Country
address.countryCode
Decline if in a controlled or prohibited jurisdiction. To get the list of countries, use the Fetch Country Codes endpoint.
Operational Address
company.operationalAddress
☑️☑️Required if different from registered address.

Business profile

The businessProfile object captures business context, CDD data, and nature-of-business information at customer creation.

FieldUSEUValidation / why we collect it
Description
businessProfile.description
Brief narrative of business activities. Used by Compliance to assess consistency with declared industry.
Website
businessProfile.website
Reviewed for risk indicators, consistency with declared activity, and exposure to prohibited content.
Regulated Status
businessProfile.isRegulated
Triggers requirement for AML Policy and Proof of Regulatory License if true.
Source of Funds
businessProfile.sourceOfFunds
Structured enum. Documentary evidence may be requested during compliance review. See the Appendix for the list of supported values.
Intended Use of Account
businessProfile.intendedUseOfAccount
Screened for high-risk purposes (e.g. third-party money transmission). Must align with declared business model. See the Appendix for the list of supported values.
Monthly Expected Volume
businessProfile.monthlyExpectedVolumes
Volume range provided as a string enum (e.g. FROM_0_TO_10K). See the Appendix for supported values. A UUID-based reference via the Volumes API (company.monthlyExpectedVolumesReference) will replace this field in a future release.
Nature of Business Questionnaire

Previously required for business customers in v1. Deprecated in v2. All business context is now captured via the structured businessProfile fields above.

Associates

Associates are individuals linked to the business.

Business customers must include associated natural persons. The following minimum roles must be declared:

  • One Authorised Signatory / Representative
  • One Director (EU) or Control Person (US)
  • At least one and all UBOs above the applicable threshold (25% for onboarding and CDD, 10% for EDD)

Associate roles

The following values are accepted in the associate roles field. Each associate must be assigned at least one role.

RoleRequirementValidation / why we collect it
Authorised Signatory
REPRESENTATIVE

At least one
Person legally authorised to bind the company and execute agreements. If not a director, evidence of signing authority is required (Board Resolution, PoA, or Articles provision).
Director / Control Person
DIRECTOR

At least one
EU: verified against the company registry. US: person with significant management control. Sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening applied.
UBO / Beneficial Owner
BUSINESS_OWNER

At least one above threshold
CDD threshold: ≥25%. EDD threshold: ≥10%. If no individual above threshold, the most senior executive must be designated as Person with Significant Control.
Account Representative
ACCOUNT_REPRESENTATIVE
Operational point of contact for the partnership.

The same person can hold multiple roles, for example, Authorised Signatory + UBO + Director.

Personal information (all associates)

FieldUSEUValidation / why we collect it
First Name
firstName
Must match government-issued ID exactly. Used for sanctions and adverse media screening.
Last Name
lastName
Must match government-issued ID exactly.
Date of Birth
dateOfBirth
Used for identity matching and screening disambiguation.
Nationality
nationality
☑️US: required for Control Persons. EU: all nationalities including dual must be declared. Screened against prohibited nationality lists.
Country of Birth
birthCountryCode
☑️US: required for Control Persons. Used for sanctions screening.
Country of Residence
address.countryCode
To get the list of countries, use the Fetch Country Codes endpoint.
Email Address
emailAddress
Primary communication channel for verification flows.
Residential Address
address
Full address required. Must be a physical residential address.
State / Province
address.stateCode
☑️Required for US addresses.

Tax identification (all associates)

FieldUSEUValidation / why we collect it
Tax ID Number
taxIdentification.number
SSN mandatory for US persons, verified against database. EU: national tax ID.
Tax ID Country
taxIdentification.country
Establishes tax residency.

Identity verification (associates)

Under the BVNK-Managed model, raw documents are uploaded for BVNK to check via verification partners.

CheckUSEUValidation / why we collect it
ID Document UploadFront/back image of passport, national ID card, driver's license, or residence permit. Verified via Sumsub: authenticity, data extraction, expiry, and name/DOB matching.
Selfie / Liveness UploadBiometric selfie matched against ID document photo. Liveness detection prevents spoofing.
Address Document UploadUtility bill, bank statement, or government correspondence dated within 3 months. Address must match declared residential address.

Individual CDD

When associates are onboarded as standalone individual customers (not in a business context), additional CDD fields apply.

FieldUSEUValidation / why we collect it
Employment Status
cdd.employmentStatus
Used to assess plausibility of declared source of funds. See the Appendix for the list of supported values.
Source of Funds
cdd.sourceOfFunds
High-risk sources trigger SoF documentary request. See the Appendix for the list of supported values.
Intended Use of Account
cdd.intendedUseOfAccount
Screened for high-risk use cases. See the Appendix for the list of supported values.
Expected Monthly Volume
cdd.expectedMonthlyVolume
☑️ QuestionnaireEU BVNK-Managed: covered in questionnaire or defaults.
PEP Status
cdd.pepStatus
☑️ Questionnaire☑️ QuestionnaireCollected via questionnaire. Positive PEP triggers EDD.

UBO-specific requirements

UBOs above the ownership threshold must complete identity verification.

CheckUSEUValidation / why we collect it
Basic data + residential address❌ (address)EU always requires full residential address. Sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening applied.
ID VerificationUS: SSN mandatory for US residents, verified against database. EU: full ID verification (document or metadata under Self-managed).
Ownership threshold25% (std) / 10% (high)25% (std) / 10% (high)Standard CDD: ≥25% ownership or voting rights. EDD (high-risk): ≥10%. Full ownership chain required if held through intermediaries.

Business documents (KYB)

Documents are uploaded via POST /onboarding/v1/applications/{id}/documents (company) or via Portal.

Entity documents

DocumentUSEUWhy we collect it
Certificate of IncorporationConfirms legal formation. Must show filing stamp or registration date. Legal name must match declared name.
Memorandum of AssociationConfirms governance structure, powers, and objects of the entity.
Articles of AssociationConfirms internal governance and signatory authority. Submitted as a separate document type; may be combined with Memorandum where jurisdictionally equivalent.
Source of Funds (Entity)Bank statements (3 months activity) or equivalent.
Proof of Address (Entity)Utility bill, lease, tax statement, or official government correspondence. Dated within 3 months. Required if operational address differs from registered.
Proof of DirectorshipOfficial registry extract or certified register of directors. Not older than 6 months.
Corporate / Group StructureOwnership chart showing all corporate shareholders through to UBOs. Certified by legal counsel or CA. Not older than 6 months.
Source of Wealth (Entity)☑️☑️Triggered by high-risk rating or EDD. Audited accounts, financial statements, loan agreements, or bank statements showing capitalisation history.
Proof of Regulatory License☑️☑️Required if entity operates in a regulated industry. Must be current and match declared jurisdiction.
Proof of Business Activity☑️☑️Triggered when web presence is limited, entity is newly incorporated (<2 years), or nature of business is unclear.
Shareholder Ownership Doc☑️☑️Required when ownership is complex (trusts, foundations, nominees, >3 layers, offshore entities).

Enhanced due diligence

Enhanced due diligence (EDD) requirements apply when the BVNK customer risk rating is HIGH and EDD has not been completed by the Embedded Partner (reliance.attestation.eddCompleted: false).

Company EDD

RequirementUSEUWhat we accept
Company Source of WealthLoan agreements, financial statements, tax returns, bank statements, or commercial database verification (e.g. Creditsafe).
Source of Funds (Entity)Document required when EDD applies (replaces the CDD attestation sufficient for standard risk).
Director & UBO Address VerificationCommercial database check or documentary evidence (utility bill, bank statement).
UBO Source of WealthTax returns, investment portfolio statements, share certificates, or open-source research.
Verification of Professional ActivityPayslips, employment contracts, invoices (if self-employed), or open-source review.
Proof of Entity AddressBank statement or other documentary evidence showing the entity's physical address.

Review process

Application review

BVNK reviews applications once all required data, documents, and associate verification have been submitted. Onboarding completes automatically when all conditions are satisfied — there is no separate “submit” call. See the API Integration Guide (Section 10) for completion mechanics.

Decisioning

Applications result in one of three outcomes: VERIFIED, REJECTED, or remain in SUBMITTED state pending additional information. BVNK sends webhook notifications at each status transition.

Requests for information (RFI)

When BVNK requires additional information, a consolidated RFI is issued. To minimise RFIs:

  • Submit all formation, ownership, and address documents upfront.
  • Clearly substantiate the nature of business, especially where web presence is limited.
  • For regulated entities, include AML policy and license documentation with the initial submission.
  • Pre-screen business physical addresses for virtual or registered agent addresses.

Best practices

  • Pre-screen addresses. Confirm the physical address is not a virtual office or registered agent. Wyoming and Delaware addresses in particular require scrutiny.
  • Collect ownership attestation early. Have the control person certify UBOs above the threshold to avoid follow-up document requests.
  • Document the nature of business. Ensure the website or supporting documents substantiate what the business does. For new businesses, provide a business plan or pitch deck.
  • Source of funds upfront. Proactively submit bank statements showing 3 months of transactional activity for BVNK-Managed; provide attestation for Self-managed CDD.
  • Web presence. If the business has limited or no web presence, attach invoices, contracts, marketing materials, or bank statements as supplementary evidence.
  • Use structured businessProfile fields. The Nature of Business Questionnaire is deprecated in v2 — all business context is captured via structured fields.

Appendix

Supported document types

Document types used in POST /documents calls. See the API Integration Guide for the upload format.

TypeDescription
CERTIFICATE_OF_INCORPORATIONCertificate of incorporation or business formation
MEMORANDUMMemorandum of Association
ARTICLE_OF_ASSOCIATIONArticles of Association
PROOF_OF_DIRECTORSHIPDirectors' registry or proof of directorship
CORPORATE_STRUCTURECorporate/group structure or shareholder registry
PROOF_OF_OPERATIONAL_ADDRESSUtility bill, lease contract, or equivalent
SOURCE_OF_FUNDSBank statements or equivalent SoF evidence
SOURCE_OF_WEALTHAudited accounts, tax returns, loan agreements
PROOF_OF_REGULATORY_LICENSECurrent regulatory licence
AML_POLICYAML policy signed by Director/MLRO/Compliance Officer
SHAREHOLDER_OWNERSHIPOwnership documentation for complex structures
PASSPORT / ID_CARD / DRIVERS / RESIDENCE_PERMITGovernment-issued ID for associates
SELFIEBiometric selfie/liveness for associate verification
UTILITY_BILLProof of residential address for associates

Accepted entity types

ValueDescription
LLCLimited Liability Company
CORPORATIONCorporation
PARTNERSHIPPartnership
SOLE_PROPRIETORSole proprietor
PUBLICLY_LISTED_COMPANYPublicly listed company
TRUSTTrust
PRIVATE_FOUNDATIONPrivate foundation
CHARITYCharity
NON_PROFIT_ORGANIZATIONNon-profit organization
PUBLIC_AGENCIES_OR_AUTHORITIESPublic agencies or authorities

Parameter values

Business: Source of Funds (businessProfile.sourceOfFunds)

ValueDescription
COMMERCIAL_ACTIVITIESRevenue from commercial activities
SHAREHOLDER_CAPITALShareholder capital contributions
VENTURE_CAPITALVenture capital funding
SALE_OF_ASSETSProceeds from sale of assets
CRYPTO_FUNDRAISINGCrypto fundraising proceeds
CRYPTO_TRADING_REVENUERevenue from crypto trading
CORPORATE_LOANSCorporate loans
OTHEROther sources

Business: Intended Use of Account (businessProfile.intendedUseOfAccount / cdd.intendedUseOfAccount)

ValueDescription
SUPPLIER_VENDOR_PAYMENTSSupplier and vendor payments
INTERCOMPANY_TRANSFERSIntercompany transfers
PAYROLLPayroll
CUSTOMER_PAYMENTS_RECEIVEDCustomer payments received
CUSTOMER_PAYOUTS_REFUNDS_SETTLEMENTSCustomer payouts, refunds, and settlements
OPERATING_EXPENSESOperating expenses
DIVIDEND_PROFIT_DISTRIBUTIONSDividend and profit distributions
LOAN_REPAYMENT_FINANCIAL_ACTIVITIESLoan repayment and financial activities

Business: Monthly Expected Volume (businessProfile.monthlyExpectedVolumes)

ValueDescription
FROM_0_TO_10K0 to 10,000 USD equivalent
FROM_10K_TO_50K10,000 to 50,000 USD equivalent
FROM_50K_TO_100K50,000 to 100,000 USD equivalent
FROM_100K_TO_1M100,000 to 1,000,000 USD equivalent
FROM_1M_TO_10M1,000,000 to 10,000,000 USD equivalent
ABOVE_10MAbove 10,000,000 USD equivalent

Individual: Intended Use of Account (cdd.intendedUseOfAccount)

ValueDescription
TRANSFERS_OWN_WALLETTransfers to or from own wallet including bank accounts
TRANSFERS_FAMILY_FRIENDSTransfers to or from family and friends
INVESTMENTSInvestments
GOODS_SERVICESPurchases of goods and services
DONATIONSDonations

Individual: Source of Funds (cdd.sourceOfFunds)

ValueDescription
SALARYSalary and employment income
PENSIONPension and retirement income
SAVINGSSavings and investments
SELF_EMPLOYMENTSelf employment and business income
CRYPTO_TRADINGCrypto trading
GAMBLINGGambling and lottery winnings
REAL_ESTATEReal estate sales

Individual: Employment Status (cdd.employmentStatus)

ValueDescription
SALARIEDSalaried
SELF_EMPLOYEDSelf employed and freelancer
UNEMPLOYEDUnemployed
RETIREDRetired

PEP Status (cdd.pepStatus)

ValueDescription
NOT_PEPNot a PEP
FORMER_PEP_2_YEARSFormer or inactive PEP (within 2 years)
FORMER_PEP_OLDERFormer or inactive PEP (older than 2 years)
DOMESTIC_PEPDomestic PEP
FOREIGN_PEPForeign PEP
CLOSE_ASSOCIATESClose associates
FAMILY_MEMBERSFamily members
STATE_OWNEDState-owned entity (entity only)
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