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Onboard sub-entities with the Accounts API (lite)

Beta

Last updated: March 1, 2023

This process should be followed for those on the lite account type for our Platforms solution. We have another page for full sub-entity onboarding.

On this page, we will walk through the complete onboarding of a sub-entity:

  • Onboard a sub-entity
  • Update a sub-entity
  • Retrieve a sub-entity
  • Handle due diligence notifications
  • Testing

Tip

Don't want to use code? You can onboard sub-entities using our friendly user interface in the Dashboard.

Before you begin

Configure your webhooks and subscribe to:

  • sub_entity_created
  • vmss_passed and vmss_failed
  • match_passed and match_failed
  • payments_enabled and payments_disabled
  • status_changed

To get a detailed view of all required and optional fields, see our API reference.

Onboard a sub-entity

post

https://api.checkout.com/accounts/entities

Request examples

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{
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  "reference":"678910",
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  "contact_details":{
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    "phone":{
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      "number":"111222333"
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    },
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    "email_addresses": {
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      "primary": "hello@thecakeshop.com"
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    }
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  },
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  "profile":{
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    "urls":[
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      "https://www.thecakeshop.com"
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    ],
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    "mccs":[
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      5814
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    ]
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  },
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  "company":{
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    "legal_name":"The Cake Shop Inc.",
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    "trading_name":"The Cake Shop",
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    "principal_address":{
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      "address_line1":"90 Tottenham Court Road",
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      "city":"London",
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      "zip":"W1T4TJ",
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      "country":"GB"
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    }
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  }
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}

Response examples

A successful response includes a unique sub-entity id, which you should store for future requests.

Additionally, the response has the capabilities object, which shows you whether the sub-entity’s capabilities are enabled or not. Capabilities only get enabled once specific due diligence checks have been run and passed.

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{
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  "id":"ent_aotj3m5ggi2ecpfmxu4su5ctx4",
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  "reference":"MnuaOoPZanDbJwT",
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  "status":"requirements_due",
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  "capabilities":{
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    "payments":{
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      "available":true,
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      "enabled":false
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    },
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    "payouts":{
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      "available":false,
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      "enabled":false
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    }
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  },
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  "requirements_due":[
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    {
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      "field":"individual.date_of_birth",
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      "reason":"required"
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    }
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  ],
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  "_links":{
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    "self":{
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      "href":"https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/accounts/entities/ent_aotj3m5ggi2ecpfmxu4su5ctx4"
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    }
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  }
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}

Webhook notification example

Once your sub-entity has been successfully created, we will send you a sub_entity_created webhook notification, which will look similar to:

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{
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  "id": "evt_jqv4f6zedawetlilolhqun6m4m",
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  "type": "sub_entity_created",
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  "timestamp": "2020-08-20T16:48:17.142+00:00",
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  "version": "1.0.0",
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  "data": {
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    "sub_entity_id": "ent_gavuonbau65upa75f77rar4yuu",
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    "reference": "5uperher01234",
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    "legal_name": "Super Hero Masks Inc."
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  },
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  "_links": {
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    "self": {
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      "href": "https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/workflows/events/evt_jqv4f6zedawetlilolhqun6m4m"
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    }
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  }
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}

Update a sub-entity

You can update all fields under the contact_details, profile, and company objects.

Note

When you update a sub-entity, we may conduct further due diligence checks when necessary. During these checks, your payment capabilities will remain unchanged.

put

https://api.checkout.com/accounts/entities/{id}

Request examples

To get a detailed view of all required and optional fields, see our API reference.

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{
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  "reference":"78910",
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  "contact_details":{
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    "phone":{
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      "number":"111222333"
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    },
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    "email_addresses": {
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      "primary": "hello@thecakeshop.com"
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    }
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  },
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  "profile":{
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    "urls":[
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      "https://www.thecakeshop.com"
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    ],
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    "mccs":[
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      5814
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    ]
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  },
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  "company":{
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    "business_registration_number":"452349600005",
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    "legal_name":"The Cake Shop Inc.",
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    "trading_name":"The Cake Shop",
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    "principal_address":{
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      "address_line1":"90 Tottenham Court Road",
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      "city":"London",
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      "zip":"W1T4TJ",
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      "country":"GB"
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    }
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  },
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  "registered_address":{
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    "address_line1":"90 Tottenham Court Road",
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    "city":"London",
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    "zip":"W1T4TJ",
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    "country":"GB"
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  },
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  "representatives":[
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    {
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      "first_name":"Chrisi",
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      "last_name":"Webster",
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      "address":{
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        "country":"GB"
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      }
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    }
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  ]
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}

Response example

If the request was successful, you will receive 200 - Sub-entity updated successfully .

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{
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  "id":"ent_wxglze3wwywujg4nna5fb7ldli",
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  "reference":"superhero1234",
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  "status":"pending",
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  "capabilities":{
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    "payments":{
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      "available":true,
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      "enabled":false
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    },
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    "payouts":{
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      "available":false,
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      "enabled":false
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    },
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    "requirements_due":[],
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    "_links":{
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      "self":{
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        "href":"https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/accounts/entities/ent_wxglze3wwywujg4nna5fb7ldli"
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      }
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    }
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  }
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}

Retrieve a sub-entity

If you need to retrieve a sub-entity's details, you can use our Get sub-entity details endpoint. Just include the id of the sub-entity returned during the initial onboarding in your request. For example, https://api.checkout.com/accounts/entities/ent_wxglze3wwywujg4nna5fb7ldli.

get

https://api.checkout.com/accounts/entities/{id}

Response examples

The response allows you to retrieve all data that has been provided about the sub-entity, including its capabilities, which informs you whether this sub-entity can process payments or not.

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{
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    "id": "ent_vv2jjkuf2gzj5tcw2x7ptua7zy",
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    "reference": "0123456",
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    "status": "active",
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    "capabilities": {
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        "payments": {
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            "available":true,
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            "enabled": true
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        },
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        "payouts": {
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            "available":false,
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            "enabled": false
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        }
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    },
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    "profile": {
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        "default_holding_currency": "GBP",
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        "urls": ["https://www.daniels-donuts.com"],
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        "mccs": ["5814"]
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    },
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    "individual": {
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        "first_name": "Daniel",
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        "last_name": "Yubi",
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        "trading_name": "Daniel's Donuts",
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        "legal_name": "Daniel Yubi",
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        "national_tax_id": "1234567",
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        "registered_address": {
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            "address_line1": "90 Tottenham Court Road",
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            "city": "London",
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            "zip": "W1T4TJ",
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            "country": "GB"
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        }
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    },
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    "contact_details": {
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        "phone": {
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          "number": "2345678910"
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        },
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        "email_addresses": {
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          "primary": "hello@thecakeshop.com"
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        }
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    },
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    "instruments": [],
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    "requirements_due": [],
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    "_links": {
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        "self": {
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            "href": "https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/accounts/entities/ent_vv2jjkuf2gzj5tcw2x7ptua7zy"
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        }
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    }
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}

Handle due diligence notifications

Once we have conducted our due diligence checks, we will inform you of the outcome via webhook notifications. You should expect to receive the following event types:

  • vmss_passed / vmss_failed
  • match_passed / match_failed

Due diligence will always pass in the Sandbox environment, unless one of our legal_name fail triggers is used for simulation.

On occasion, our team will need to manually review a sub-entity. Please see our onboarding page for more information.

The following diagram shows the possible sub-entity statuses and webhooks you may receive during the onboarding process on the lite account type:

Lite onboarding flow

Due diligence webhook example

Tip

We've described the different webhook notifications on our webhook event type page.

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{
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  "id": "evt_htielsmgcwgejgqaunl4yb2pou",
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  "type": "vmss_passed",
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  "version": "1.0.0",
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  "created_on": "2020-08-20T15:24:13.8431084Z",
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  "data": {
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    "sub_entity_id": "ent_wxglze3wwywujg4nna5fb7ldli",
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    "reference": "123456789101112",
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    "legal_name": "The Cake Shop Inc."
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  },
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  "_links": {
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    "self": {
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      "href": "https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/workflows/events/evt_htielsmgcwgejgqaunl4yb2pou"
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    }
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  }
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}

If due diligence is passed (VMSS and Match), we will enable the sub-entity’s payments capability. You should expect to receive the payments_enabled event type.

Information

We will re-trigger due diligence checks if legal_name, trading_name and profile.urls is later updated. If any subsequent checks fail and you receive the vmss_failed or match_failed notification, this will be followed by a payments_disabled webhook notification.

Payments enabled webhook example

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{
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  "id": "evt_htielsmgcwgejgqaunl4yb2pou",
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  "type": "payments_enabled",
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  "version": "1.0.0",
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  "created_on": "2020-08-20T15:24:13.8431084Z",
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  "data": {
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    "sub_entity_id": "ent_wxglze3wwywujg4nna5fb7ldli",
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    "reference": "123456789101112",
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    "legal_name": "The Cake Shop Inc."
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  },
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  "_links": {
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    "self": {
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      "href": "https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/workflows/events/evt_htielsmgcwgejgqaunl4yb2pou"
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    }
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  }
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}

Testing

You can simulate different scenarios when onboarding sub-entities. Similar to simulating payment scenarios using specific card numbers, you can use certain values in the legal_name field of your onboarding request. This will trigger specific outcomes regarding card scheme screening, as well as the payment capabilities of a sub-entity.

Including a company name in the legal_name field will trigger positive VMSS and MATCH checks, and will enable payment capabilities. The simulator only accepts fail triggers:

Trigger to be added in legal_nameCard scheme screeningPayment capabilities

simulator_match_fail simulator_vmss_fail

Both the VMSS and the MATCH checks fail.

Remain disabled.

simulator_vmss_fail

The VMSS check fails, but the MATCH check passes.

Remain disabled.

simulator_match_fail

The VMSS check passes, but the MATCH check fails.

Remain disabled.

Next steps

Accept a payment

Process payments on behalf of your sub-entities.

Find out more

Status types

Find out more about status types during the onboarding process.

Find out about statuses

On this page

Before you begin
Onboard a sub-entity
Update a sub-entity
Retrieve a sub-entity
Handle due diligence notifications
Testing
Next steps
Find out more