Onboarding checklist
This is the information and documents a merchant needs to complete the onboarding form, step by step. A merchant who has everything ready in advance can complete the form in one sitting.
The form has 7 steps. Where the business is found in a business register, most fields are prefilled and the merchant only confirms them.
The same checklist is available as a printable page that can be handed to the merchant or saved as a PDF from the browser's print dialog.
Documents to prepare
These are uploaded during onboarding, as a PDF or image, up to 10 MB each.
| Document | Required | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Business registration | Yes | A current registration document for the company, for example a trade register extract or chamber of commerce extract. |
| Passport or ID | Yes | A valid passport or official ID for every beneficial owner and for the person signing the form. |
| Ownership structure | Optional | A UBO register or ownership structure document. The structure can also be described in the form instead. |
Step 1: Activate payment account
Find the company in the business register and select its legal form.
| Field | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Company search | Enter the company name. Rootline searches the register and prefills most fields in step 2. | Required |
| Legal form | Sole trader, partnership, limited company, or other. | Prefilled |
When the company is found in the register, most fields in steps 1 and 2 are prefilled. The merchant reviews them for accuracy and completes anything missing.
Step 2: Company information
General details about the company.
| Field | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Company name | The legal name of the company. | Prefilled |
| Trade name | The name the company does business under, if different from the legal name. | Optional |
| Street and house number | Business address of the company. | Prefilled |
| City | City of the registered office. | Prefilled |
| State | State or province of the registered office. | Prefilled |
| Postal code | Postal code. | Prefilled |
| Country of registration | Country where the company is registered. | Prefilled |
| Trade register number | The company's registration number at the trade register. | Prefilled |
| Website URL | The company's website. | Prefilled |
| VAT ID number | The VAT identification number. Where no VAT ID is available, a tax number can be given instead. | Required |
Step 3: Registration document
Upload a registration document and describe the ownership structure.
| Field | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Registration document | Trade register extract, chamber of commerce extract, or a comparable document. PDF or image, up to 10 MB. | RequiredUpload |
| UBO register or ownership structure | Documents showing the ownership structure and the UBO register. Multiple files allowed. | OptionalUpload |
| Describe ownership structure | Who owns the company, the ownership percentages, and any parent or subsidiary relationships. | Required |
If ownership structure documents cannot be uploaded, a short text description in the form is enough, for example "John Doe holds 100% of the shares".
Step 4: Owners or directors
List the beneficial owners. At least one person is required, and up to four can be entered.
Each person provides:
| Field | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| First name | Official first name as shown on the ID document. | Often prefilled |
| Last name | Official last name as shown on the ID document. | Often prefilled |
| Date of birth | Date of birth of the person. | Required |
| Country of residence | Current country of residence. | Required |
| Country of birth | Country where the person was born. | Required |
| Role | Role in the company, for example managing director or shareholder. | Required |
| Email address of the person. | Required | |
| Phone | Phone number, for example +49 176 12345678. | Required |
| Ownership percentage | Percentage of shares held, between 25% and 100%. | Required |
| Passport or ID | Copy of a passport or official ID. For non-European passports, a residence permit is also uploaded. | RequiredUpload |
A beneficial owner is a natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company. Every beneficial owner must be listed. See Beneficial owners for the full definition.
Step 5: Personal information
Details about the person signing the form. Most fields carry over from the beneficial owner marked as the signer in step 4.
| Field | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| First name | Carried over from the signer's details. | Auto |
| Last name | Carried over from the signer's details. | Auto |
| Email address | Email of the person signing. | Required |
| Phone number | Phone number of the person signing. | Required |
| Date of birth | Carried over from the signer's details. | Auto |
| Country of residence | Carried over from the signer's details. | Auto |
| Country of birth | Carried over from the signer's details. | Auto |
| Role in company | For example managing director or director. Not required for sole traders. | Required |
| Passport or ID | Carried over from the signer's details. | AutoUpload |
Step 6: Bank account details
The account Rootline sends payouts to.
| Field | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Account holder name | Should match the legal company name. | Required |
| IBAN | The payout IBAN. Verified in real time. | Required |
The IBAN is verified in real time and the account holder name is checked against the business name. See Fast onboarding.
Step 7: Final steps
Review and confirm.
| Field | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant agreement | Confirm acceptance of the Rootline Merchant Agreement. | Required |
| Signing authority | Declare that the signer is authorized to sign on behalf of the company. | Required |