> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.spherepay.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customers & Onboarding in SpherePay

> Before any transfer can occur, customers must be created and verified. Learn about KYC for individuals and KYB for businesses in SpherePay.

Before a customer can send or receive funds through SpherePay, they must be created and verified. SpherePay operates under anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations, which means every customer who initiates or receives a transfer must have their identity confirmed before any funds move. This applies to both individuals and businesses.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/spherepayco/44liVCgXNR_t5YRR/images/customer-overview.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=44liVCgXNR_t5YRR&q=85&s=b239ea7f6722dba11336aee3dcb888ec" alt="Customer onboarding in SpherePay" width="777" height="416" data-path="images/customer-overview.png" />
</Frame>

## What is a customer?

In SpherePay, a **customer** is an entity — either an individual person or a registered business — that your platform onboards to send or receive funds. You create a customer record via the API, then complete the required verification steps before that customer can participate in any transfer.

<Warning>
  A customer whose verification profile is not `approved` cannot initiate or receive transfers. Complete onboarding before building any transfer logic.
</Warning>

## Customer types

SpherePay supports two customer types. Choose the type that matches your end user.

|                          | Individual                                      | Business                                                 |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Verification process** | KYC (Know Your Customer)                        | KYB (Know Your Business)                                 |
| **Identity documents**   | Government-issued ID, tax identification number | Incorporation certificate, shareholder registry, UBO IDs |
| **UBO verification**     | Not applicable                                  | Required for all individuals with ≥ 25% ownership        |
| **Typical review time**  | 0–2 business days                               | 2–7 business days                                        |

## Onboarding models

SpherePay supports two onboarding models that determine how compliance steps — identity verification, liveness checks, legal agreements, and contact verification — are handled.

|                                                                  | Sphere-Managed                              | Platform-Managed                                    |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Availability**                                                 | Default — available to all new integrations | Opt-in — requires Sphere Compliance approval        |
| **Liveness verification**                                        | In-flow face liveness check via Sumsub SDK  | Upload a liveness report from your own KYC provider |
| **[Terms of Service](https://spherepay.co/terms)**               | Hosted TOS link generated by Sphere         | Embedded in your platform's own terms               |
| **Contact verification (OTP)**                                   | Sphere manages phone and email OTP          | Handled by your platform upstream                   |
| **[MSA (business only)](https://spherepay.co/legal/msa/latest)** | In-flow MSA signing via hosted link         | Completed with Sphere prior to onboarding           |

<Note>
  All new API integrations use Sphere-Managed by default. Platform-Managed onboarding is opt-in and requires qualification — contact your dedicated Solutions Engineer to initiate the approval process.
</Note>

## Integration methods

Both customer types support two integration methods. Pick one and use it consistently — mixing methods for the same customer is not supported.

|                     | API                                           | Hosted Link                                    |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **You control**     | Every data collection and submission step     | Only the redirect — SpherePay handles the rest |
| **Frontend effort** | High                                          | Minimal                                        |
| **Best for**        | Custom onboarding UX embedded in your product | Fastest time to integration                    |

## After approval

Once a customer's verification profile status reaches `approved`, they can:

* Register a bank account to send or receive funds via bank rail
* Register a crypto wallet to enable on-ramp and off-ramp transfers
* Initiate a transfer

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Individual KYC" icon="user" href="/concepts/onboarding/individual-kyc">
    Onboard individuals through identity verification. Choose between API-based or hosted link integration, with Sphere-Managed or Platform-Managed compliance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Business KYB" icon="building" href="/concepts/onboarding/business-kyb">
    Onboard businesses with company documents, UBO registration, and identity verification via API or hosted link.
  </Card>

  <Card title="KYC via hosted link" icon="link" href="/concepts/onboarding/kyc-via-link">
    Use SpherePay's hosted onboarding link to verify customers without building a custom UI.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Verification profile" icon="shield-check" href="/concepts/onboarding/verification-profile">
    Understand what each verification status means and what triggers transitions between states.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>