# Review and approval (/merchants/review-and-approval)

Every Fianto account is reviewed by the Fianto team before it can take payments. You fill in your
details, submit them, and an admin approves the account, asks for changes, or does not approve it.
Fianto does not promise a review time.

**How a merchant account is reviewed**

1. A new account starts in SETUP: you fill in the business profile, turn on two-factor sign-in and prove your wallet.
2. Submitting moves it to IN_REVIEW and freezes a copy of the profile, the newest proven wallet and the two-factor state. A submitted application cannot be withdrawn.
3. An admin decides: APPROVED, CHANGES_REQUESTED or REJECTED.
4. APPROVED: you can take payments. Before approval, dashboard data, applications and products are refused with `merchant_not_approved`, and the v1 API answers 401 `invalid_api_credentials`, so no checkout can be created.
5. CHANGES_REQUESTED comes with a note. Edit your details and submit again, which returns the account to IN_REVIEW.
6. Details are editable only in SETUP and CHANGES_REQUESTED.
7. REJECTED is final and comes with a note. To follow up, write to support@fianto.xyz.
8. Decision emails are best effort; the setup page always shows the latest status.

## Statuses [#statuses]

Your status shows on the setup page and as **Account status** on **Account and security**. The
dashboard labels are in quotes.

| Status | Meaning | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| `SETUP` | "Setting up": you are filling in the setup steps. | Edit your details, turn on two-factor sign-in, prove your wallet, then submit. |
| `IN_REVIEW` | "In review": you submitted, and the Fianto team is reviewing a frozen copy of your details. | Wait. Your details cannot be changed, and a submitted application cannot be withdrawn. |
| `CHANGES_REQUESTED` | "Changes requested": the Fianto team asked for changes, with a note. | Read the note, update your details and click Submit for review again. The account goes back to In review. |
| `APPROVED` | "Approved": your account can take payments. | Use the whole dashboard: create applications, add products and take payments. |
| `REJECTED` | "Not approved": the account cannot take payments. The decision is final and comes with a note. | If you think it is wrong, write to support@fianto.xyz. |

## What you can do before approval [#what-you-can-do-before-approval]

Until your account is approved, the menu shows only **Setup** and **Account and security**. You can
see your account details, log out, change your password, manage two-factor sign-in, and work on
the setup steps. The rest of the dashboard (its data, applications and products) is refused with
`merchant_not_approved`. Your API keys do not work until the account is approved: every API request
answers 401 `invalid_api_credentials`, so no checkout can be created.

> **Your details are editable only while setting up:**
>
> You can change your details only in "Setting up" and "Changes requested". Once you submit, they are
> frozen for the review, and after approval they cannot be edited. Check everything on the
> **Submit for review** step before you click it.

## Notes from the Fianto team [#notes-from-the-fianto-team]

"Changes requested" and "Not approved" come with a note of 1 to 2,000 characters. It shows at the
top of the setup page, introduced by a line that names the decision and its date and ends "A note
from the Fianto team:". The decision email quotes it too. An approval has no note.

## Decision emails [#decision-emails]

Fianto tries to email you when your account is decided:

| Decision          | Email subject                             |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Approved          | Your Fianto account is approved           |
| Changes requested | Changes needed on your Fianto application |
| Not approved      | Your Fianto application was not approved  |

These emails are best effort and may not arrive. The setup page always shows the latest status, so
check it there.

## When your account is not approved [#when-your-account-is-not-approved]

"Not approved" is final. There is no way to resubmit the application. The page shows the note and
the contact address, [support@fianto.xyz](mailto:support@fianto.xyz), if you think the decision is a mistake.

## See also [#see-also]

- [Set up your business](/merchants/set-up-your-business): The setup steps you complete before you submit.

- [Security](/merchants/security): Two-factor sign-in and changing your receiving wallet after approval.

- [Products and prices](/merchants/products-and-prices): What to set up once you are approved.