Incomplete or incorrect information at submission is the most common cause of application delays and KYC holds. Walk through this checklist with your merchant before submitting. The labels below indicate the likely impact of a missing or incorrect item.

🔴 BLOCKER — Legal name matches government registration exactly. Typos, abbreviations, or punctuation differences ("LLC" vs "L.L.C.", "&" vs "and") cause EIN verification to fail. The name must be copied verbatim from the CP575, 147C, SS-4, or certificate of incorporation.

🔴 BLOCKER — Tax ID document is government-issued, not self-reported. A W-9 or 1099 is self-reported and will not be accepted. Required: CP575 (original EIN confirmation), 147C (replacement letter), or SS-4 confirmation. Outside the US, provide the equivalent government-issued tax certificate.

🟡 HIGH RISK — Trading name (DBA) is entered and matches the merchant's public-facing brand. If the merchant trades under a different name from their legal name, both must be populated in separate fields. A mismatch between the application and their website or signage will trigger a manual review.

🔴 BLOCKER — Registered address matches the government document exactly. Suite numbers, floor references, and abbreviations ("St" vs "Street") must be identical. Address discrepancies are one of the most common causes of a KYC hold.

🟡 HIGH RISK — Entity type is correctly selected. Choose the type that matches the legal registration: LLC, Corporation, Sole Proprietor, Government entity, or equivalent. Selecting the wrong type sends the application down the wrong verification path. Government or public agencies should be flagged before submitting.

🔴 BLOCKER — All individuals owning 25% or more of the business are listed. Every person owning 25% or more must be included with their full legal name, date of birth, residential address, and a valid government-issued ID. Missing or incomplete UBO information is one of the most common KYC blockers.

🔴 BLOCKER — Names on the government ID match the names entered exactly. Middle names, suffixes (Jr., Sr.), and nicknames must match the ID document exactly. A single character difference causes verification failure.

🟡 HIGH RISK — The person signing the application is listed as a decision maker. The signatory must appear as a decision maker even if they own 0% of the business. Missing this field causes the application to appear incomplete in the system.

🔴 BLOCKER — Government-issued ID is valid, unexpired, and clearly legible. Blurry uploads, expired IDs, and screenshots of ID photos are rejected. Provide a clear scan or photo. Passport or national ID is preferred over a driver's licence for businesses outside the US.

🔴 BLOCKER — Bank document shows the legal name, account number, and routing or sort code. A voided cheque, bank letter, or official bank statement is required. Screenshots from mobile banking apps are frequently rejected. The name on the bank account must match the legal entity name on the application.

🟡 HIGH RISK — The bank account is held in the legal entity's name. A sole proprietor's personal account can be used, but the name must match exactly. A company account held in a different name will require a bank letter confirming the relationship.

🔴 BLOCKER — No stop payment or ACH block is active on the account. If a stop payment is in place, the first deposit attempt will fail and trigger an account suspension. Confirm this with the merchant's bank before submitting.

🟡 HIGH RISK — The bank account is active and in good standing. Closed, dormant, or very recently opened accounts with no transaction history can cause ACH verification failures.

🔴 BLOCKER — Website URL is live, publicly accessible, and reflects the actual business. The URL is checked automatically on submission. A site that is under construction, password-protected, or returns an error will fail automated verification.

🟡 HIGH RISK — If no website, the website field is left blank. Do not enter a generic link (Facebook page, Google Maps listing) in place of a real business website. Entering a non-business URL causes verification failures. If the merchant genuinely has no website, leave the field empty.

🔴 BLOCKER — The eCommerce toggle reflects the merchant's actual setup. The eCommerce toggle does not mean "my business has a website." It means there is a live online checkout where customers can complete a payment. If the merchant is point-of-sale only, this toggle must be off. Turning it on incorrectly triggers additional scrutiny and configuration requirements.

🟡 HIGH RISK — If eCommerce is enabled, the URL contains a live checkout or cart page. A brochure website or contact form does not satisfy this requirement. The submitted URL will be checked for a functioning payment flow.

🟢 BEST PRACTICE — Website includes product/service description, pricing, refund policy, and contact information. These elements are reviewed during compliance checks. Missing pages or incomplete terms of service commonly trigger a manual review.

🟡 HIGH RISK — The merchant category code (MCC) accurately reflects the primary revenue-generating activity. An incorrect MCC can result in restricted category flags, wrong pricing tiers, or scheme-level rejections. Choose the MCC that best describes what customers are actually paying for.

🔴 BLOCKER — Restricted categories are identified and flagged before submission. Categories such as travel, vehicle sales, cryptocurrency, and firearms require acquirer pre-approval. Submitting without approval results in an automatic hold. Always confirm with ValPay before submitting any application in a potentially restricted category.

🟡 HIGH RISK — The business description in the application matches the website and MCC. A mismatch between the stated business activity, the website content, and the MCC selected is a top trigger for compliance review.

🔴 BLOCKER — Postal code is populated for all applicable jurisdictions. American Express rejects records with missing postal codes. If the merchant is in a jurisdiction without postal codes (such as Hong Kong), confirm the workaround with ValPay before submitting.

🔴 BLOCKER — The legal name on the Amex record matches the government registration exactly. Amex name matching is strict. Any variation from the registered legal name will cause record rejection and block Amex transactions.

🔴 BLOCKER — Store-level Amex configuration is completed before going live. Amex must be configured at each individual store, not just at the merchant account level. Missing store-level configuration will block Amex card transactions.

Merchant not yet open: Establish an online presence first. Reviewers check that a business is actually operating. If a merchant has no website, no Google Business listing, and no other online footprint, the application will likely be held. Before submitting, ensure the merchant has at least one of: a live website, a Google Business listing, social media profiles, photos of premises or signage, a commercial lease, or a confirmed opening date with supporting material.

Store names are permanent. Once a store is created in the system, its name cannot be changed — there is no override. Before creating the store record, confirm the exact spelling, capitalisation, and whether the legal name or the trading name should be displayed.

Trust structures (Australia): If a merchant operates as a trust, the Account Holder name must be entered as "The Trustee for [Trust Name]" — not the trust name alone. The Store (trading name) field should contain the name the merchant's customers see. Trust verification requires the trust deed and beneficial owner identification. Confirm the full document list before submitting.