Merchant Updated April 2026
Getting Started as a Merchant
A step-by-step walkthrough of signing up, completing verification, and accepting your first payment.
What it is
Onboarding is a four-stage flow: apply, verify, activate, and transact. Most merchants complete signup in 10 minutes and reach active status within 1–2 business days.
When to use it
Start the moment you're ready to accept payments. You can keep working in limited mode (test transactions, configuration) while underwriting reviews your application.
Step-by-step
- Create your account. Go to the merchant signup and provide:
- Legal business name and DBA
- Business address and contact
- EIN or Tax ID
- Beneficial-owner information for KYC
- Complete verification. Underwriting typically takes 1–2 business days. You'll receive an activation email when approved.
- Activate & configure. Click the activation link, then set up payment methods, webhooks, API keys, and team members.
- Start accepting payments. Create transactions in-app, share payment links, or integrate via the API — see the Quick Start.
Common pitfalls
Activation links expire after 7 days. If yours lapses, your assigned partner or APT support can issue a fresh one.