The Fast Track Onboarding API is designed for partners who want to provide financing to their merchants using their own capital. Partners manage the merchant experience end-to-end through their own platform, while YouLend handles KYC/AML checks and fund disbursement. This page covers onboarding a merchant via the Fast Track API.

Unlike the standard Onboarding API, where YouLend provides capital and carries the risk of potential defaults, the Fast Track API is for partners who bring their own capital and take on the risk themselves.

Regulatory Compliance

YouLend performs all required KYC and AML checks to meet regulatory requirements

Operational Infrastructure

YouLend handles fund disbursement

Partner Capital

You bring the capital and take the funding risk, while YouLend provides the platform

Flexible Integration

Fully API-driven integration into your existing merchant experience

Overview

Most integrations with the Fast Track Onboarding API will cover the following steps:

1. Create a Fast Track lead

Create a financing application for the merchant. This includes submitting the merchant's company details and information about significant persons (directors and beneficial owners). Fast Track leads are processed entirely via API — merchants do not need to interact with YouLend directly.

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Be aware
YouLend expect partners to have adequate justification for sharing personal details about a merchant and that the merchant has agreed that their personal details will be shared with YouLend and processed in line with YouLend's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

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Good to know
Partners can use the variable thirdPartyCustomerId to share their own internal customer ID for the merchant, making it easier to match the lead to your internal systems

2. Submit KYC and supporting documents

Provide YouLend with the documentation required to perform KYC and AML checks on the merchant. This includes identity verification documents for the business and its significant persons:

Submit KYC documents for the merchant (e.g. government-issued ID such as passports or driver's licenses)
Submit KYC documents for significant persons (Directors and Ultimate Beneficial Owners of the business)
Submit additional supporting documents as required

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Good to know
You can use the Update a lead endpoint to update the merchant's details at any point before KYC checks are completed

3. Submit financing agreement documents

Submit the signed financing agreement between the partner and the merchant. This document is retained by YouLend for record-keeping purposes.

4. YouLend performs KYC and AML checks

YouLend performs the required KYC and AML checks on the merchant. This includes identity verification, company registration validation, and anti-money laundering screening. This is the only validation step YouLend performs — the partner retains full control over the funding decision.

When KYC checks are completed successfully, the lead moves to an "Accepted" state. If checks fail, the lead is marked as "Rejected" and the reason is communicated back via webhook.

You can track the progress of these checks either by polling the Retrieve lead status endpoint or by subscribing to webhooks.

5. Approve funding

Once KYC checks have been completed successfully, approve funding for the merchant. The funding approval request includes the merchant's bank account details and the funding amount, authorising YouLend to proceed with disbursement.

The partner fully owns the funding decision — YouLend executes the payout.

6. YouLend creates the loan and disburses funds

Once funding is approved, YouLend automatically creates the loan and disburses the funds to the merchant's designated bank account. No manual intervention is required once the partner has approved funding.

As the capital provider, the partner takes on the full credit risk. Partners manage repayments directly through their own mechanisms. Loans remain on YouLend's platform for record-keeping and data visibility.