Get ready to apply · ShieldBill Pay
Your merchant account application checklist.
Prepare a clear account of what you sell, how customers pay and how you deliver. A complete brief makes it easier to ask useful questions and respond to the provider’s own underwriting requirements.
Use this checklist to prepare. The PSP sets its own eligibility rules, document requirements, commercial terms and approval process.
1. Write the business profile once.
Create a short description that a person outside your business can understand. Explain the products or services, customer type, fulfilment model and countries involved. Use the same legal entity and website throughout the application.
Keep the initial matching brief concise. ShieldBill Pay asks for your industry, company country, approximate monthly volume and current payment situation. The provider may request supporting documents later through its secure process.
2. Gather the information the provider needs to verify.
Ask the provider for the exact documents and accepted formats for your entity and country. Business registration, ownership, identity and bank-account information can form part of verification, but a universal document list will not fit every application.
Use the provider’s secure upload channel. Our public enquiry form does not request raw card details, processor credentials or identity documents. Keep sensitive onboarding files with the team and provider responsible for handling them.
3. Make the volume and fulfilment story consistent.
Bring processing statements if you already accept payments. Separate actual volume from forecasts, and explain seasonality, expected growth and unusually large orders. A new business should say clearly which figures are forecasts.
Describe delivery times, subscription frequency, refunds and customer support. If you have had reserves, disputes or an account review, explain the relevant history accurately when requested. A provider should assess the business you will operate after approval.
| Prepare | Why it helps your brief |
|---|---|
| Monthly volume and average/largest order | Defines the size and shape of the proposed processing. |
| Processing, refund and dispute history | Explains existing activity and operational questions. |
| Delivery timing and recurring schedules | Shows when you fulfil and when customers are charged. |
| Growth forecast | Distinguishes future requirements from current volume. |
4. Review the customer journey on your website.
Open the website as a customer would. Can someone identify the seller, understand the product and price, contact support and find the relevant cancellation, delivery and refund information? Make sure the live site matches your application.
Check that customer communications and statement descriptors fit the trading name your customers recognize. Stripe’s account checklist specifically calls out public information and statement descriptors. Review your selected provider’s own website requirements as well.
5. Ask the commercial questions before signing.
Keep a comparison sheet for each proposal, using the same expected volume and order values. Ask which fees are fixed, which depend on transactions and what may change as activity grows.
Record what has been approved, what remains conditional and who owns the integration. A complete application supports a review; it does not guarantee approval or remove the need to test the payment flow.
- Settlement schedule, reserves and release conditions.
- Processing, gateway, minimum, refund, dispute and currency fees.
- Contract length, cancellation and volume limits.
- Supported checkout, recurring billing and migration requirements.
Common questions.
Does every PSP ask for the same documents?
No. Requirements depend on the provider, entity, country, business activity and application. Use the provider’s current list and secure submission channel.
Can a new business apply without processing history?
Discuss this with the provider. Clearly separate forecasts from actual activity and explain the fulfilment and funding model. Eligibility is the provider’s decision.
Should I send identity documents through ShieldBill Pay’s form?
No. Start with the business brief requested by the form. Do not include identity documents, raw card information or processor credentials. Any later document exchange needs an agreed secure process.
Does completing this checklist mean my account will be approved?
No. It helps you prepare an accurate application. The PSP independently reviews eligibility, documents, risk and commercial terms.
Sources & editorial approach.
Published by ShieldBill Pay. Provider-specific information is based on the official material below, reviewed on . Check current requirements with your provider. Our checklists and planning examples are editorial guidance; examples are illustrative and do not report merchant results.
- Stripe: set up your account ↗
- Stripe: account checklist ↗
- Adyen: verification process for platform users ↗
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