Use this article to understand Know Your Customer (KYC) verification at Kustom: why Kustom must verify your business, who and what needs to be verified, which documents are accepted in your country and what happens if you do not complete it.
For step by step instructions on submitting your information in the Kustom Portal, see How to complete KYC verification in the Kustom Portal.
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 follows the same rules. The framework exists to prevent fraud, money laundering and other financial crime. Your KYC information is processed by Kustom's payment partner, Stripe.
What triggers a KYC request?
You may be asked to verify your information for KYC 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 notifies you directly in the Kustom Portal if action is required. You will see a "Stores are missing information" prompt when you sign in.
Who and what needs to be verified?
KYC verification covers both your business and the individuals connected to it. Depending on your business structure, Kustom may need to verify:
The business representative. The person authorized to act on behalf of the company in the Kustom account.
Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs). Individuals who own 25% or more of the company, directly or through another company.
Directors. If there are no UBOs, directors should be added instead. These are the individuals who control the company, for example the CEO.
Your business. Your company name, address and registration number.
Kustom first tries to verify people and your business automatically, using official registers. If that is not possible, you may be asked to provide updated information or upload documents:
Identity verification. Proof of identity, such as a passport or driver's licence, and proof of home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement.
Legal entity verification. A proof of business document showing your company name, address and registration number, such as a registration certificate.
UBO and director verification. An official legal or government document, or an attestation, showing who owns or controls your business.
When completing the KYC form in the Kustom Portal, you might see suggested individuals. These come from official records to make the process easier, but they are only suggestions. You may need to add all, some or none of them. Only add people who are actually connected to your business and hold the roles we are asking for.
KYC document requirements
These rules apply to every document you submit for KYC verification:
Documents must not be expired.
Copies and scans must be in PDF format taken directly from the original. They cannot be processed, converted or embedded in other files.
Photos of physical documents must be the original, unprocessed image in JPEG or PNG format.
Screenshots are not accepted.
Photos and scans of photo IDs must be in color.
Images must be clear, readable and in focus, not blurry or low quality.
Documents must not be cropped. All borders must be visible.
The name and address on the document must match what is in your Kustom account. See Matching information to your uploaded documents below.
Documents showing proof of address must be dated within the last 6 months, unless a different period is listed for your country below.
Proof of address for a business representative must show their personal home address, not the company address.
Common errors to avoid:
Submitting a document in someone else's name.
Submitting a document with a company address when a personal home address is required.
Uploading a screenshot instead of the original file.
Submitting an expired or incomplete document.
Accepted KYC documents by country
Open your country below to see which documents Kustom accepts for proof of address, identity and business verification. Documents do not need to be translated. What matters is that the image is clear, all borders are visible, no pages are missing and the document meets the requirements above.
Sweden
Sweden
Proof of address
Hushållsräkning (utility bill)
Bankkontoutdrag (bank statement)
Myndighetsdokument (government-issued letter)
Uppehållstillståndskort (residence permit card)
Identity documents
Pass (passport)
Körkort (driver's licence)
Nationellt ID-kort (national ID card), front and back required
Personbevis (birth certificate)
ID-kort (SIS-approved ID card)
Business or organisation documents
Momsregistreringsnummer (VAT registration)
Registreringsbevis (registration certificate)
Registreringsbevis from Skatteverket (document from the Swedish Tax Agency showing the organisation number)
Bolagsordningsintyg (articles of association)
Bankårsbesked (financial statements)
Inskrivningsbevis (notice from the Registration Office in the Official Gazette)
Norway
Norway
Proof of address
Oppholdskort (resident permit ID), dated within 12 months
Vann- eller strømregning (utility bill), dated within 6 months
Kontoutskrift fra en finansinstitusjon (bank statement), dated within 6 months
Offentlig utstedt brev (government-issued letter), dated within 12 months
Bostedsattest (proof of residence)
Identity documents
Pass (passport)
Førerkort (driver's licence), front and back required
ID-kort (ID card)
Oppholdskort (resident permit ID), dated within 12 months
Note: If you live in a different country than the country of your Kustom account, a valid passport is the only accepted form of ID.
Business or organisation documents
Kontoutskrift fra en finansinstitusjon (bank statement), dated within 6 months
Firmaattest (articles of incorporation)
Offentlig utstedt dokument (government-issued document)
Finansregnskap (financial statement)
Finland
Finland
Proof of address, dated within the last 6 months
Utility bills (electricity, water, gas, phone, internet or cable)
Tax authority letter (for example a preliminary tax decision or income tax return)
Voting notification from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (suomi.fi)
Proof of residence from todistukset.dvv.fi (fee: €14)
Bank or credit card statement
Pension, insurance or mortgage statement
Identity documents
Passport
Driver's licence, both sides scanned
National ID card, both sides scanned
Residence permit, both sides scanned
Business or organisation documents
Financial statements
Articles of association
Trade register extract
VAT registration
Other countries
Other countries
If your country is not listed above, the following documents are accepted as proof of address:
A utility bill issued within the last 6 months
A bank statement issued within the last 6 months
Exceptions:
A US driver's licence is accepted as proof of address when a US person is added to a non-US account.
Credit card statements are accepted for China-based owners and directors.
A CN ID Card is accepted as proof of address for Singapore-based accounts.
A Turkish Resident Certificate is accepted for Turkey-based account representatives.
For the full list of accepted documents by country, see Stripe's documentation. If an identity document is not accepted, see Stripe's guide to uploading a photo of a government-issued ID.
Matching information to your uploaded documents
The details on any document you submit for KYC verification must match the details registered in your Kustom account.
For identity documents (passports, national IDs and driver's licences), the name must match your official legal name exactly. The date of birth must also match.
For proof of address (utility bills and bank statements), minor differences are usually acceptable, for example a middle name that is shortened or left out. As long as the surname and enough identifying information match, the document can generally still be accepted.
For business documents, the company's legal name, tax ID and address must match what is in your Kustom account.
If there is a mismatch, update your details in the Kustom Portal under Administration, on the Business details tab, before uploading the document. If your submission is rejected and you believe a name difference is the cause, contact our support team.
Example: If a utility bill is addressed to "John Doe" but the Kustom Portal lists "John Eric Doe", update the name in the portal to match before uploading.
What happens if you do not complete KYC?
If the required KYC information is not submitted by the deadline shown in the Kustom 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 about KYC
Frequently asked questions about KYC
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 (Ownership and Representative Requirements) review 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 the Kustom Portal under Administration, on the Business details tab, to reflect your current details. If your organisation number has changed, a new onboarding application is required. Read more in When do you need to apply for a new agreement?
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 and EEA. Does this apply to me?
No. The ORR review only concerns merchants registered within the EU and EEA (European Economic Area), which includes Norway.
What is an Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO)?
A UBO is any individual who directly or indirectly owns 25% or more 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 25% or more, a business can have a maximum of 4 UBOs. All individuals who meet this threshold must be added.
What if my company has no UBOs?
If no individual owns 25% or more 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.
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 (General Data Protection Regulation) 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.
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 Administration, on the Business details tab. See Update account and business information. Contact our support team if you need help reviewing your setup or starting a new onboarding process.