FAQ: Merchant Application
List of questions
- How can I apply for your merchant account?
- How long will I have to wait for a reply to my application?
- What paperwork needs to be done before my merchant account is set up?
- How long does it take to have the merchant account up and running?
- Can I have more than one merchant account?
- Are there any pre-conditions to becoming a PayLane Merchant?
- What merchants’ countries do you accept?
- Do you accept all types of businesses?
- I'm currently using another Payment Processor. Do I have to terminate the contract with them once I decide to use PayLane services?
- What documents am I required to provide?
- Do I have to translate documents into English?
- Who signs the Merchant Contract?
- The country in my passport is different from my registered company country
(still both are in the European Union). Will it be a problem in establishing a relationship
with your company?
- I have a company registered in one country and a bank account in another country.
Is it a problem?
- My business is brand new, I have never processed credit card payments before, so I have no idea about the monthly volume that I can achieve. What figures should I declare?
- I have no processing history at all. Is it a problem?
- Do you accept sole traders?
- Are there any costs of the verification process for an applying merchant?
- My business has been registered in one country, but is being operated from another one. What documents should I provide?
- My business is registered outside your list of accepted countries, but its branch is located in Europe. Can I still apply?
- I conduct an offshore company, but my customers are located in your accepted countries. Is it OK with PayLane’s requirements?
Q1: How can I apply for your merchant account?
First, please fill out
the application form on our
website. We will contact you within 3 business days with further instructions.
To find comprehensive information on the procedure, please
read our application process description.
Q2: How long will I have to wait for a reply to my application?
We will give you an answer within 3 business days.
Q3: What paperwork needs to be done before my merchant account is set up?
After you apply for our merchant account, we ask you to fill out the Merchant Questionnaire
and provide all the necessary documents. As soon as we receive them, we shall assess the risk
and prepare a merchant contract for you.
For detailed information about the procedure and requirements,
see our Application Process.
Q4: How long does it take to have the merchant account up and running?
The completion of the entire procedure may take even 5 business days, depending on how quickly we can receive all the required documents and information from you.
Usually it takes from 2 to 4 weeks and depends on various factors – please refer to
the information
about the merchant account application process.
Q5: Can I have more than one merchant account?
Yes, this is possible. If you have different websites and sell different products it
is recommended and in some cases even required, to have separate merchant accounts.
Note that if you already have a merchant account with PayLane, setting up another
merchant account would be very easy.
We strongly recommend you to contact PayLane before applying for another
merchant account, to check if it is really necessary. We will be happy to advise
you the best solution.
Q6: Are there any pre-conditions to becoming a PayLane Merchant?
We welcome all merchants, however we offer our services mainly to those, whose companies are officially
registered in Europe. For all other businesses we recommend them to our Payment Processing Partners worldwide.
We accept a wide range of businesses, however there are certain restrictions imposed
and a few business types that are entirely excluded. For a detailed list of businesses
accepted or accepted under certain conditions review
the list of restricted businesses.
Beside the requirements concerning the business type and its country of registration,
the process of merchant's approval includes the documents’ verification and the
merchant's website(s) check. Please note that the website must be compliant with
the Credit Card Organizations (VISA and MasterCard) requirements. For more information,
review
Merchant Website Compliance Rules.
For detailed information about the procedure and the requirements,
check our Application Process.
Q7: What merchants’ countries do you accept?
Review our
Accepted
Countries List.
If your country is not on the list you may still apply for our services and we will
try to arrange a merchant account and processing gateway with one of our partners.
Q8: Do you accept all types of businesses?
There are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled in order for a business to
be approved. For a detailed list of businesses that are not accepted or are accepted
please check our
Restricted Businesses
Information.
Q9: I'm currently using another Payment Processor. Do I have to terminate the contract with them once I decide to use PayLane services?
We do not require moving all your payment processing to PayLane. If you are not sure
whether to move your payment processing to PayLane, just give us a try and open a merchant
account with us while still working with your current payment processing company.
We are sure that you will find our solution most satisfying and switch to us once
you are ready.
Naturally, we also invite all merchants who would like to backup their payment processing
or reduce the risk level by processing some of their payment traffic with PayLane.
Q10: What documents am I required to provide?
To find comprehensive information, please review
the list of
required documents.
Please note that depending on your business type or corporate structure, our
Risk Department may ask you to provide additional information and/or documents.
High-risk businesses are usually asked to support their Applications with a few additional documents.
Furthermore, for mail (or telephone) order account some further clarification of the business concept and structure might be necessary.
Q11: Do I have to translate documents into English?
If your documents are not in English, you may be asked to provide us with their sworn English translation.
In some circumstances we may also accept originals in German or sworn German translations.
Q12: Who signs the Merchant Contract?
The contract is signed by three parties:
- the merchant
- PayLane
- the Acquirer (a financial company affiliated with a bank or a bank).
As a merchant, you are required to ensure that the contract is signed by
a person authorized to represent the merchant company according to the
registration documents (a person who signs the Contract has to be
referenced in the company’s registration document).
Q13: The country in my passport is different from my registered company country
(still both are in the European Union). Will it be a problem in establishing a relationship
with your company?
If your company is registered in a different country than your citizenship country
(as stated in your National ID / Drivers License / Passport), you will be asked
to provide the proof of residence confirming that you live and conduct your business
in the same country where your company is registered.
The general rule says that at least one of the Company Officials (Directors, Members
of the Board or the Company Secretary) stated in the registration document has to be
a resident (not necessarily a citizen) of the country where the company is registered.
A proof of residence is any legal form of identification with your name and street
address on it, e.g. utility bill.
Q14: I have a company registered in one country and a bank account in another country.
Is it a problem?
It is not a problem provided that the bank account is a corporate one (not a private one)
and was opened for your company needs, under your company name. Please make sure that
the country where you have your bank account is not on our
list of excluded
countries.
Q15: My business is brand new, I have never processed credit card payments before, so I have no idea about the monthly volume that I can achieve. What figures should I declare?
The most viable would be to base your projections on your business plan and make them as realistic as possible.
It is recommended to be as exact and accurate as possible, although we fully understand that initial forecast might not be the same in reality – that is not a big problem whatsoever.
Q16: I have no processing history at all. Is it a problem?
No – we accept both start-ups and well established companies. Processing history is advantageous, but not obligatory.
If you don't have any processing history we will apply a
special pricing category for three months.
Q17: Do you accept sole traders?
Yes we do.
Q18: Are there any costs of the verification process for an applying merchant?
PayLane does not charge anything for the pre-check of applications.
Q19: My business has been registered in one country, but is being operated from another one. What documents should I provide?
A general requirement is that at least one of the Company Officials lives in the country of a company’s incorporation. If none of the Directors has a registered address there, you may appoint a Secretary with applicable country of residence.
Q20: My business is registered outside your list of accepted countries, but its branch is located in Europe. Can I still apply?
Due to our European license it is necessary that the merchant has to be based in Europe in principle.
It has to be a legally independent entity with a registration in the register of companies. We would accept your business on this condition, but to be sure about that, please contact PayLane and describe your business construction in more detail.
Q21: I conduct an offshore company, but my customers are located in your accepted countries. Is it OK with PayLane’s requirements?
Your business has to be registered in one of the currently accepted countries. In terms of your customers, there are no limitations regarding countries of residence.
