Account types
accountID. The type determines what the account can do and what Moov requires before it can move money.
| Account type | Common role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Partner | Integrator | SaaS payment platform |
| Business (merchant) | Business, accepting payments | Online store or restaurant |
| Individual | End-user, consumer | Cardholder or payee |
Connected account
Throughout our documentation, you may see the phrase connected account. A connected account is any account that is linked to another Moov account through shared scopes. A connected account can be a business or individual account.
A partner account can grant scopes, such as transfers.read and transfers.write, to any account it's connected to, through the API or a hosted onboarding link. See account connections.
Partner account
Partners are Moov’s direct customers—the platforms, SaaS providers, or marketplaces integrating with Moov’s API. Partners are responsible for initiating API calls, managing webhooks, and facilitating the overall user experience for their downstream users. An example of a partner account is a gig platform using Moov to pay their drivers and accept payments from customers.
As a partner, when you sign up for Moov, we'll create an account for you. Your partner account has different access to Moov's platform than other types of Moov accounts. A partner account:
- Holds Moov API keys and acts as the technical integrator
- Undergoes full underwriting and has a commercial agreement with Moov
- Controls onboarding, compliance flows, and payment initiation for users
- Provides embedded payments for users
- Can sell its own products: it collects payments directly, with or without connected accounts
Your partner account is hidden from your list of accounts, can be the source or destination of a transfer, and is managed under Settings in the Dashboard.
Our API might explicitly ask for a partnerAccountID, or it might just ask for an accountID. For example, when interacting with POST /accounts/{accountID}/transfers, you must specify your (partner) accountID. Client-side integrations such as Moov.js also need it in the /accounts/{accountID}/transfers.write and /accounts/{accountID}/transfers.read scopes.
Find your account ID
In the Dashboard, open Settings. Your account ID is at the top of Business details, below your account name and logo; click it to copy. Requests fail if scopes name the wrong account ID or if your account isn't verified yet.
Business accounts
The partner account creates and onboards additional Moov accounts. An example of a business account is a merchant that's a restaurant using a food delivery platform that runs on Moov to accept card payments. A merchant is typically the business end of the transaction, accepting payments or sending payouts.
The partner account is responsible for onboarding all merchant and connected accounts. If an account requires anything beyond the transfers capability, they must:
- Accept Moov's platform agreement
- Pass verification (KYB for the business, KYC for its representatives)
- Complete underwriting
Merchant accounts may pay for processing directly, depending on their corresponding platform agreement with you (the partner) and Moov. You can set different processing fees per merchant.
Individual accounts
An individual account is an end-user or consumer who receives a payout or pays for goods and services. An example of an individual account is a delivery driver receiving payouts or a customer paying for a good or service through a merchant checkout flow.
Individual accounts:
- Represent the final party in a transaction flow
- Do not directly hold API credentials or control money movement
- May be charged processing fees (surcharges or transaction fees) depending on the partner or merchant’s configuration
Capabilities
Each account needs capabilities for what it does, and requirements differ for individual and business accounts. You can request capabilities when you create the account or later. The capabilities reference lists what each one unlocks and requires.
Beneficial ownership
If you add business accounts yourself through the Dashboard or API (rather than hosted onboarding), you collect and send Moov the business's representatives: all beneficial owners and at least one control officer. Moov must verify them before the business can send or collect funds. The business representatives guide covers who counts, the data required, and the ownersProvided step.
Hosted onboarding
The easiest way to onboard accounts is hosted onboarding: send a prefilled, co-branded link from the Dashboard or the onboarding API and the business or individual completes it on their own device.
Next steps
Familiarize yourself with Moov's capabilities and account requirements. When you're ready to create user accounts, see our create accounts or hosted onboarding guide.