Can easyAML invoice end-customers directly for KYC/KYB fees?

Overview

Yes. easyAML supports an end-customer-pay model where the person being verified pays for their own KYC/VOI directly, instead of the firm being billed. This is the standard model in many conveyancing and real estate sales contexts and can help keep the firm's compliance costs down.

How payment works

The end customer enters payment details when they start the KYC/VOI - by card, or via Apple Pay or Google Pay. A hold is placed on the funds at the start, and the charge is only taken once verification completes. The funds appear as "Pending" in the customer's account for 7 days and the verification must be completed within that window; if it isn't, the hold is released and the customer re-authorises (they are never charged twice). Failed or abandoned VOIs simply release the hold without charging. The verification link is valid for 28 days. Payment is processed through Stripe.

The firm sees the same KYC result in its platform either way - the end-customer-pay model only changes who the invoice goes to. The per-transaction cost on this model is $20 per KYC.

How to set it up

Default for all transactions - set at account level in Account Settings → Billing. Speak to us if you'd like this configured as your default.
Per transaction - the staff member chooses firm-pay or end-customer-pay when creating the transaction.

When each model makes sense

End-customer-pay suits high-volume real estate sales, where the firm doesn't want compliance costs on its P&L and the buyer can absorb a small fee, and voluntary verifications the customer has requested. Firm-pay is usually better for legal and accounting matters, where the cost is small relative to fees and rolls into client invoicing cleanly.

Apple Pay postcode issue

Apple Pay payments can occasionally fail at the postcode validation step. The billing postcode tied to the Apple Pay credentials must match the postcode the issuing bank holds for that card; if they differ (common when a customer has moved, or has a card linked to another address) Stripe declines the payment and the error references the postcode mismatch. The fix is for the customer to update the billing postcode in their Apple Wallet to match the bank, or to pay with a card entered directly into the payment form.

KYB is not yet supported

End-customer-pay is not available for KYB today. KYB flows are more complex and we are working on the best way to push payment to the end customer.

If a customer has any questions about payment, they can contact our support team.