# Merchant Onboarding

Merchant onboarding registers and verifies a business so it can accept payments. Pick the flow based on how much UX control and engineering time you want.

### Pick an Onboarding Flow

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Hosted Merchant Onboarding</strong></td><td>Fastest launch. Hosted, configurable, and white-labelled.</td><td><a href="/pages/8abc482e1d83d64111cc30e7349759d9786cf092">Learn more</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Merchant Onboarding via Partner Portal</strong></td><td>No build. Submit applications in a portal workflow.</td><td><a href="/pages/650ae64cb8e85074d9129658270148523b9bc58f">Learn more</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Merchant Onboarding via API</strong></td><td>Most control. Embed onboarding into your product.</td><td><a href="/pages/7b2477bf62e612ddc7447d0c4489afa948fe4f52">Learn more</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
Rule of thumb:

* Need the quickest go-live: use **Hosted**.
* Need zero engineering: use **Partner Portal**.
* Need full UX + data flow control: use the **API**.
  {% endhint %}

### Comparison Matrix

| Criteria               | [Hosted Merchant Onboarding](/getting-started/getting-started/our-products/merchant-onboarding/hosted-merchant-onboarding.md) | [Merchant Onboarding via Partner Portal](/getting-started/getting-started/our-products/merchant-onboarding/merchant-onboarding-via-partner-portal.md) | [Merchant Onboarding via API](/getting-started/getting-started/our-products/merchant-onboarding/merchant-onboarding-via-api.md) |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Primary goal**       | Launch a configurable onboarding flow with minimal build.                                                                     | Submit applications manually in a portal.                                                                                                             | Build a fully embedded onboarding experience.                                                                                   |
| **Best for**           | Partners who want speed and consistency.                                                                                      | Teams who want a simple process and no integration.                                                                                                   | Platforms who need full control and deep integration.                                                                           |
| **Integration effort** | Low                                                                                                                           | None                                                                                                                                                  | High                                                                                                                            |
| **Who owns the UX**    | Xplor Pay hosted UI (configurable, white-labeled)                                                                             | Partner Portal UI                                                                                                                                     | You (your app/UI)                                                                                                               |
| **Customization**      | Field and workflow configuration                                                                                              | Fixed experience                                                                                                                                      | Full control                                                                                                                    |

### Next Step

Once merchants are approved, move on to [Payment Processing](/getting-started/getting-started/our-products/payment-processing.md).

### Need Help (or want it fully managed)?

{% hint style="success" %}
If you want a hands-off rollout, we can support onboarding setup and go-to-market planning.

<a href="https://xplorpay.com/getting-started/" class="button primary">Get in touch</a>
{% endhint %}


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