When setting up a new Payment Sender account within the Horizon Payment Center, a user with Administrator permissions within the organization must perform certain verifications before the account is enabled and eligible to conduct financial transactions. The third-party financial provider, Dwolla Inc., conducts this verification process and powers and operates the financial transactions associated with the Horizon Payment Center.

Identity & Business Verification is only required for Payment Sender accounts (for your business) and is not required for Receive-Only personal accounts (for your users).

It's also important to note that this Dwolla identity verification process is performed after you open a business payment sender account within the Horizon Payment Center. It is a separate verification process from the Horizon identity verification process, which is required prior to opening a Payment Center account and every six months.

To comply with US financial regulations & laws, you will be required to verify your personal identity as well as the identity and your affiliation with the business you are representing. When prompted, the verification documentation process must be performed, and exceptions cannot be granted. Most business accounts will be required to supply documentation for verification. In some cases, the automated systems may be able to perform that verification without additional documentation, but this is usually rare. Some additional documentation will be required in most circumstances.

If additional documentation is required, you will see a pop-up message when navigating to the Payment Center that states, "Documentation Required: You must supply additional verification documents as our automated system was unable to verify your identity."

Below is a screenshot of this pop-up message:

To start the document upload process, click on the Add Document button.
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Alternatively, you may also see a notice at the top of the Payment Center page that states "Additional Identity Documentation Required" or "Additional Documentation Required".

Below is a screenshot of these notices:

To start uploading identity verification documents, you may click on the words "Additional Documentation Required" next to the orange dot.

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This process will verify the identity of the user in control of a business Payment Sender account. It is not required for Receive-Only accounts. To complete this verification, when prompted, you must supply one identity verification document in the following format:

This process will verify that your business is a legitimate entity and that you are authorized to conduct business on behalf of this entity. To complete this verification, when prompted, you must supply one business document in the following format:

The accepted documents for verifying your business vary, depending on the type of business

The most commonly provided business verification document is an IRS-issued EIN confirmation letter, otherwise known as IRS Form SS-4 Confirmation Letter, as this is acceptable for any business type. This is issued by the IRS when they issue you a new Employer Identification Number (EIN). The IRS can issue copies to you upon request if necessary. Occasionally, the banking institution that is operating your current business bank account may also be able to provide you with a copy.

For reference, IRS Form SS-4 Confirmation Letter looks like this example:

If your business address does not match your personal home address, then the financial provider may require verification of your registered business address during the account verification process. In these cases, you may need to provide one of the following documents to verify your address:

Verification involves multiple, independent items that each have to be approved before your account is fully verified and payments can be issued. It often involves a little back-and-forth with the financial provider as they work through the verification process. For example, your EIN document must first be reviewed and approved. If other steps, such as address verification, are required, those would proceed only after the completion of prior steps. Each step functions independently, meaning that unresolved requirements won't affect the progress of others.

The approval process for the EIN document can take up to 10 business days; however, many reviews are completed within one or two business days. Some are even completed within less than 1 business day. Note that business days do not include weekends or public holidays observed in the U.S. Once the documentation is approved, your account status will be updated accordingly, unless further verifications, such as address verification, remain pending.
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By understanding these requirements and timelines, you can better plan for a smooth verification process for your Payment Center business payment sender account.
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