Key concepts
The mental model for organizations, activation, wallets, identity verification, roles, API keys, and child accounts on PayMongo.
Organization (merchant account)
An organization is your PayMongo merchant account for one business (or one sole operator). After sign-in, almost everything you do belongs to that organization.
Core parts of an organization include:
- Business profile (KYB) - your official business identity and operating information (name, address, industry, tax details, and related records)
- Activation status - the current account-level onboarding state
- Wallet - your account balance container used to hold and move funds within your allowed scope
- Members and roles - users who can access the account and their permissions
Activation status (account-level)
Activation status is the organization-wide onboarding state. It determines whether your account can use live mode and baseline production functionality.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Required onboarding steps are still incomplete. |
| Under review | PayMongo is reviewing information tied to account-level activation. |
| Activated | Basic KYC checks passed. Your account can use live mode for supported baseline flows (for example Dashboard live operations, QR Ph payments, and Wallet usage). |
| Declined | This activation path did not succeed. Follow in-app messages or support. |
Activation status does not automatically enable all premium capabilities. Those are handled in capability-specific onboarding and approvals.
Wallet: Closed-loop vs Enabled
Wallet type determines how broad your balance movement permissions are. The Dashboard typically shows these types as cards:
- Closed-loop Wallet - wallet operations are limited to the allowed in-network scope
- Enabled Wallet - includes closed-loop scope and additional approved external payout scope where available
Identity verification (KYC)
Identity verification is the automated KYC process used during onboarding. It can include:
- Liveness check
- Government ID verification
- Face match verification
If identity verification is incomplete or fails validation, activation and other sensitive flows can be delayed.
Business type
Business type defines your legal structure and how the business is registered (for example Individual, Sole Proprietor, Partnership, Corporation, or OPC). It also affects supporting requirements and onboarding paths.
Linked accounts
Linked accounts describe account relationships where one account is associated with another in a managed setup. Each linked account keeps its own lifecycle for onboarding, verification, and capabilities.
Linked accounts were previously referred to as "platforms" or "child accounts" in older materials.
Roles and permissions
Members sign in with roles (for example account_owner). Owners usually perform sensitive actions such as business information updates. If a menu is missing, your role may not include that permission.
Payment method onboarding
Payment method onboarding is the process of enabling a specific payment rail by completing that provider's requirements.
This is separate from account activation and may involve additional review before a method becomes active.
Updated about 4 hours ago