What is KYC and why does it apply to your account?
KYC stands for Know Your Customer. It is a set of requirements that financial institutions and payment companies must follow to verify the identity of the businesses and individuals they work with. For Kustom, this means we are required by national and EU legislation to confirm who you are, that your business is legitimate, and that the information we hold about you is accurate and up to date.
This is not unique to Kustom. Any regulated payment provider operating in Europe operates under the same rules. The framework exists to prevent fraud, money laundering, and other financial crime.
What triggers a KYC request?
You may be asked to verify your information at several points:
When you first set up your Kustom account
When your account undergoes a periodic review
When changes are made to your business structure, ownership, or legal details
When regulations change and updated verification is required across all merchants
Kustom will notify you directly in the Kustom Portal if action is required. You will see a "Stores are missing information" prompt when you log in.
What does this mean for your account?
You will be asked to provide updated or additional verification in the Kustom portal. Depending on your business structure, this may include:
Identity verification Individuals linked to your account might need to verify their identity. First we will try to verify their identity automatically without needing to request any additional information from you. If that is not successful, you may be asked to provide updated personal information or upload two documents:
Proof of identity — e.g. passport or driver's license.
Proof of home address — e.g. utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 6 months
Legal entity verification Your company name, address, and registration number may need to be confirmed. If this cannot be verified automatically via government registries, you may be asked to upload a proof of business document showing all three — for example, a company registration certificate.
UBO and director verification You will need to declare and verify the individuals who own or control your business. We will first attempt to look this up automatically. If that is not possible, an official legal or government document, or an attestation, may be required.
The exact documents that are accepted might vary from country to country. For a full breakdown of approved documents, see: Business verification
What happens if you do not complete KYC?
If the required information is not submitted by the deadline shown in the portal, Kustom will suspend payouts to your account until verification is complete. This may also affect your ability to use your checkout. This is a regulatory obligation, not a discretionary decision.
Acting on KYC requests promptly is the easiest way to avoid any disruption to your payments.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
I already completed KYC when I signed up. Why do I need to do it again?
Regulations have changed. EU and UK law now requires payment processors to collect more detailed information — particularly around business ownership — than was required at the time of your original onboarding. The ORR brings your account in line with the current requirements.
Will my payments be paused while my documents are being reviewed?
No. Once you have submitted your information, your account enters a pending review state and your stores continue to operate as normal. There is no disruption during the review period, which can take up to 48 hours.
I am in the process of restructuring my company — can I delay submitting?
No. It is not possible to delay submission of KYC information. If you are unsure what to submit given your current situation, contact our support team for guidance.
My business has recently changed its legal name, address, or ownership — what should I do?
Update the information in your account settings to reflect your current details. If your organisation number has changed, a new onboarding application is required. Read more about how to submit a new application here.
I have the same business registered across multiple stores — do I need to verify again for each?
In some cases, yes. Requirements can vary depending on the country of the account and the role of the individual. We are working with Stripe to reduce duplicate requests where the same person appears across multiple stores. Contact our support team if you have questions about a specific case.
I am based outside the EU — does this apply to me?
No. The ORR only concerns merchants registered within the EU.
How will my documents and personal data be stored?
Your documents are processed securely by our payment partner Stripe. Data is encrypted in transit and stored in compliance with applicable financial regulations.
Who has access to the information I submit?
Our payment partner Stripe may share your data with sub-processors, financial partners, and regulatory authorities where required by law. All third parties are contractually bound before any data is shared.
How long do you retain my KYC documents?
Our payment partner Stripe generally retains personal data for five or more years from the end of the business relationship or the date of the last transaction, whichever is later.
Is this process GDPR-compliant?
Yes. Stripe operates under GDPR through its Irish entity, Stripe Technology Company, Limited, and Business Users enter into a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with Stripe to govern how personal data is handled
What is an Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO)?
A UBO is any individual who directly or indirectly owns more than 25% of your business. This includes:
Direct ownership — owning shares in the company directly
Indirect ownership — owning shares through another company or ownership structure
Because each UBO must own more than 25%, a business can have a maximum of 3 UBOs. All individuals who meet this threshold must be added.
What if my company has no UBOs?
If no individual owns more than 25% of the business, you must add the company's directors or individuals with equivalent decision-making authority. This can include:
Directors
CEOs
Managing Directors
Other individuals with significant control
What if my company is publicly listed?
If your company is publicly listed on a regulated stock exchange, you do not need to add any owners or UBOs. You can proceed by adding only a Company Representative. To do this, click "Proceed with no owners" in the verification flow.
What if my parent company is publicly listed?
If your parent company is publicly listed, you do not need to add UBOs. However, you must still add directors or individuals with significant control over your company. In this case, adding only a Company Representative is not sufficient. Up to 5 directors or controlling individuals can be added
Netherlands-specific requirements
From 2026, our payment processor Stripe no longer supports the "Individual" business type for Netherlands-based accounts. If your account is currently registered as Individual, you will need to update your business type to Company > Sole Proprietorship.
If you see an unsupported_business_type error, this is the reason.
Important:
If changing your business type requires a new or different KVK organisation number, a new onboarding process is required
The organisation number connected to an existing account cannot be changed
Businesses without a registered KVK organisation number are no longer supported under this company type
You can update your business details under Settings > Business details. Contact our support team if you need help reviewing your setup or starting a new onboarding process.