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Before you can send or receive payments, you need to register your business and complete identity verification (KYB). This guide walks you through every step.

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Business types

Cleo Pay offers two business registration types:
TypeEndpointUse case
Full businessPOST /api/businessesSend and receive payments
Basic (receive-only)POST /api/businesses/basicReceive payments only
Choose the full business type unless you only need to accept inbound payments.
1

Register your business

Call POST /api/businesses with your business’s legal details. You need:
  • Legal name — the registered business name
  • Business type — sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation, partnership, etc.
  • EIN or SSN — your federal tax identification number
  • Business address — legal registered address
  • Controller information — the individual with significant control over the business
curl -X POST https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Acme Corp",
    "type": "llc",
    "ein": "12-3456789",
    "address": {
      "street1": "123 Main St",
      "city": "Austin",
      "state": "TX",
      "postalCode": "78701",
      "country": "US"
    },
    "controller": {
      "firstName": "Jane",
      "lastName": "Smith",
      "title": "CEO",
      "dateOfBirth": "1985-04-15",
      "ssn": "1234",
      "address": {
        "street1": "123 Main St",
        "city": "Austin",
        "state": "TX",
        "postalCode": "78701",
        "country": "US"
      }
    }
  }'
For a basic (receive-only) business, use POST /api/businesses/basic instead:
curl -X POST https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/basic \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Acme Corp",
    "ein": "12-3456789",
    "address": {
      "street1": "123 Main St",
      "city": "Austin",
      "state": "TX",
      "postalCode": "78701",
      "country": "US"
    }
  }'
The response includes your businessId. Save it — you’ll use it in every subsequent request.
2

Add tax information

Submit or update your business tax details using PATCH /api/businesses/{businessId}/tax. This is required for IRS TIN verification.
curl -X PATCH https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123/tax \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "federalTaxClassification": "LLC",
    "ein": "12-3456789"
  }'
To check the current tax info on file:
curl https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123/tax \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
3

Add business officers and beneficial owners

Add any individual who owns 25% or more of the business, plus your controlling officer, using POST /api/businesses/{businessId}/officers.
curl -X POST https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123/officers \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Doe",
    "role": "beneficial_owner",
    "dateOfBirth": "1980-06-01",
    "ssn": "5678",
    "ownershipPercentage": 50,
    "address": {
      "street1": "456 Oak Ave",
      "city": "Austin",
      "state": "TX",
      "postalCode": "78702",
      "country": "US"
    }
  }'
To list all officers added so far:
curl https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123/officers \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
You must add all individuals who own 25% or more of the business. If no individual owns 25% or more, you still need to add at least one controlling officer.
4

Certify beneficial ownership

Once all officers are added, certify the beneficial ownership information. This is a legal attestation required under FinCEN regulations.
curl -X POST https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123/officers/certify-beneficial-ownership \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "certifiedBy": "Jane Smith",
    "title": "CEO"
  }'
By submitting this request, you certify that the beneficial ownership information is accurate and complete. Providing false information may violate federal law.
5

Complete KYB verification

After submitting your business and officer information, Cleo Pay submits it for Know Your Business (KYB) verification. Verification typically completes within minutes but can take up to 1-2 business days.Check your verification status by retrieving your business details:
curl https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
The response includes a verificationStatus field with one of the following values:
StatusMeaning
pendingVerification is in progress
verifiedBusiness is fully verified
suspendedAdditional documentation required
failedVerification could not be completed
If your status is suspended, upload the requested verification documents to POST /api/businesses/{businessId}/tax/upload-verification-documents.
6

Add your company logo and profile

Upload your company logo to make your business recognizable to vendors and partners.
curl -X POST https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123/logo \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -F "file=@/path/to/logo.png"
You can also update your business alias — the display name shown to other Cleo Pay businesses:
curl -X PATCH https://api.cleo-pay.com/api/businesses/biz_abc123/alias \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "alias": "Acme"
  }'

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Next steps

Once your business is verified, connect a bank account to start sending payments.