You have successfully created a business verified Customer; however, there are cases where Dwolla will need more information to fully verify the identity of the Controller and/or Business. Read on to learn more.
As a developer, you will want to handle the various Customer statuses that can be returned.
Customer status | Event Topic Name(s) | Transaction restricted? | Description |
---|---|---|---|
verified | customer_verified | No | The identifying information submitted was sufficient in verifying the Customer account. |
retry | customer_reverification_needed customer_address_verification_failed | Yes - Cannot send funds | The initial identity verification attempt failed because the information provided did not satisfy Dwolla's verification check. You can make one additional attempt by changing some or all the attributes of the existing Customer with a POST request. All fields are required on the retry attempt. If the additional attempt fails, the resulting status will be either document or suspended . |
document | customer_verification_document_needed customer_address_verification_failed | Yes - Cannot send funds | Dwolla requires additional documentation to identify the Customer in the document status. Once a document is uploaded it will be reviewed for verification. |
suspended | customer_suspended customer_verification_pending_review | Yes - Cannot send or receive funds | The Customer is suspended and may neither send nor receive funds. This may also indicate that the Customer's verification requires manual review by Dwolla (often corresponding to the AdditionalReviewRequired directive), or that the account has been suspended for other reasons. Contact Account Management for more information or await further review. |
When further action is required for a Business Verified Customer to become verified, the Dwolla API includes Verification Directives in the _embedded.errors
array of the Retrieve a Customer response. These directives explain the outstanding requirements for verification, provide actionable instructions, and include hypermedia links (_links
) to enable resolution. By parsing and utilizing these directives, you can build a dynamic and user-friendly interface that guides your end-users through the necessary steps, minimizing onboarding friction and reducing support overhead.
Each object within the _embedded.errors
array represents a single Verification Directive and follows this structure:
{
"code": "ErrorCode",
"message": "Human-readable explanation and instructions for resolution.",
"_links": {
"action-link": {
// e.g., "update-customer", "upload-ein-document"
"href": "URL to perform the required action",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json"
}
}
}
_links
object may be returned if no direct API action corresponds to the directive (e.g., for AdditionalReviewRequired).The following table lists common verification directives you may encounter for Business Verified Customers, along with their meaning and typical required actions:
Code | Message | Primary Action(s) |
---|---|---|
Required | Full SSN required. | Update Customer Address |
POBoxNotAllowed | Business addresses must be physical street addresses. PO Boxes are not allowed. Please update to a physical address. | Update Customer Address |
AddressNotAssociatedWithBusiness | The business address provided does not match information in public records. Please update to a valid business address or upload proof of address documentation. | Update Customer Address OR Upload Proof of Address |
ResidentialAddressRequired | Invalid address type for controller. Residential address required. Please enter a valid residential address for the controller. Please note, PO Boxes cannot be used for verification purposes. | Update Controller Address |
AdditionalReviewRequired | Account verification is now under review. This review can take up to 2-3 business days. An account update event will detail the verification status and any required actions. | Wait for Update Event (No immediate API action) |
EINMismatch | The provided Employer Identification Number (EIN) does not match the EIN on the business documentation previously uploaded for verification. Please update the EIN to match the EIN letter or official business document provided. | Update Customer EIN |
LegalDBAMismatch | Business name and Doing Business As (DBA) do not match the uploaded documentation. Please correct the Legal/Registered Name and DBA fields to align with the documentation provided. | Update Customer Legal Name/DBA Name |
BusinessDBAMismatch | The provided Doing Business As (DBA) name does not match the business documentation. Please correct the DBA Name to align with the documentation provided. | Update Customer DBA Name |
BusinessAddressDocRequired | Proof of business address is required. Please upload a document showing the business name and address as registered (e.g., Utility Bill, Financial Statement, Tax Statement, Lease Agreement). | Upload Business Address Document |
EINDocumentRequired | EIN Letter is required to verify the business. Please upload an EIN assignment letter or an official business document showing the full business name and EIN. | Upload EIN Document |
BusinessFormationDocRequired | Business formation documents are required to verify good standing. Please upload Articles of Organization/Incorporation from the state of registration. | Upload Business Formation Document |
PersonalIDRequired | Personal ID is required for account verification. Please upload a valid personal ID. | Upload Personal ID Document |
CoWorkingAddress | The provided business address is a co-working location. Please provide a proof of address document for this location or update to a residential address if operating remotely (e.g., Utility Bill, Financial Statement, Tax Statement, Lease Agreement). | Upload Business Address Document OR Update Address |
RegisteredAgentAddressNotAllowed | The provided business address leads to a Registered Agent, not the business itself. Please update to a physical business address or, if the business is remote, use the residential address of the Controller or a Beneficial Owner. | Update Customer Address |
SOSNotInGoodStanding | We could not verify that this business is in good standing with the Secretary of State for the registered state. All business entities must be active and in good standing to proceed. | Update Customer Information |
ForeignPassportNumberRequired | A foreign passport has been provided for verification of the controller. Please provide the foreign passport number to complete the verification process. | Update Controller Info |
SOSStateMismatch | We could not verify the state in which this business is registered. Please update the business address to ensure it matches the registered state. | Update Customer Address |
BusinessNameMismatch | The provided business name does not match the name on the uploaded business documentation. Please update the business name to match the uploaded document. | Update Customer Legal Name |
Here's an example of how the _embedded.errors
array might look in a GET /customers/{id}
response when multiple issues require attention:
// Example GET /customers/41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78
{
"_links": {
// ... other customer links
},
"_embedded": {
"errors": [
{
"code": "POBoxNotAllowed",
"message": "Business addresses must be physical street addresses. PO Boxes are not allowed. Please update to a physical address.",
"_links": {
"retry-verification": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78"
// type property omitted for brevity
}
}
},
{
"code": "Required",
"message": "Full SSN required",
"path": "",
"_links": {
"retry-with-full-ssn": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json",
"resource-type": "customer"
}
}
}
]
},
"status": "retry"
// ... other customer properties
}
As demonstrated in the example response above, the _embedded.errors
array can contain multiple Verification Directive objects simultaneously if several issues require attention. Your application should iterate through the entire errors array, presenting the guidance from each message to the end-user and providing access to all corresponding actions via the _links
. Addressing all listed directives is necessary for the user to successfully complete the verification process.
retry
status #A retry
status occurs when a Customer's identity scores are too low during a verification attempt. Typically, a retry
status occurs after the initial creation of a business-verified customer, however, a customer can also be placed into a retry status via the Dwolla Dashboard if the customer is in a document
status. When the customer is in the retry
status, your application needs to re-initiate the verification process by prompting the user via a form to resubmit their identifying information.
When a business verified Customer is placed in the retry
verification status, Dwolla will return a link in the API response after retrieving a Customer. The retry link contained within the _links
object of the response helps your application determine if a retry is needed and what type of retry is required. What data you need to request from the customer depends on the retry scenario:
Business-only retry: A retry-verification
link is returned. Include all fields required during initial customer but omit Controller information. For business verified Customers with Controllers, different links can be returned depending on whether retry is needed for just the business, or both the Controller and business.
Controller and business retry: A retry-with-full-ssn
link is returned. If the Controller information needs to be retried, all fields that were required in the initial Customer creation attempt will be required in the retry attempt, along with the full 9-digit SSN of the Controller in order to give our identity vendor more information in an attempt to receive a sufficient score to approve the Customer account (see example request below).
{
"_links": {
"self": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/20c2d8e2-8ccf-42fd-bd9e-757c396f342d",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json",
"resource-type": "customer"
},
"retry-verification": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/20c2d8e2-8ccf-42fd-bd9e-757c396f342d",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json",
"resource-type": "customer"
},
"retry-with-full-ssn": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/20c2d8e2-8ccf-42fd-bd9e-757c396f342d",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json",
"resource-type": "customer"
}
},
"_embedded": {
"errors": [
{
"code": "Required",
"message": "Full SSN required",
"path": "",
"_links": {
"retry-with-full-ssn": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/20c2d8e2-8ccf-42fd-bd9e-757c396f342d",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json",
"resource-type": "customer"
}
}
}
]
},
"id": "20c2d8e2-8ccf-42fd-bd9e-757c396f342d",
"firstName": "Account",
"lastName": "Admin",
"email": "accountAdmin@email.com",
"type": "business",
"status": "retry",
"created": "2024-02-20T22:53:00.727Z",
"address1": "9876 Million Dollar St",
"address2": "Unit 123",
"city": "Des Moines",
"state": "IA",
"postalCode": "50265",
"phone": "5555555555",
"businessName": "Jane Corp",
"doingBusinessAs": "This is the DBA name",
"website": "https://www.dwolla.com",
"correlationId": "CID-bc3b6cd8-fca0-471d-b6f2-4b10abb20956",
"controller": {
"firstName": "Jane",
"lastName": "Doe",
"title": "CEO",
"address": {
"address1": "1749 18th st",
"address2": "apt 12",
"address3": "Ste 123",
"city": "Des Moines",
"stateProvinceRegion": "IA",
"country": "US",
"postalCode": "50266"
}
},
"businessType": "llc",
"businessClassification": "9ed38155-7d6f-11e3-83c3-5404a6144203"
}
retry-verification
) - Request and response #POST https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/62c3aa1b-3a1b-46d0-ae90-17304d60c3d5
Content-Type: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json
Accept: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json
Authorization: Bearer 0Sn0W6kzNic+oWhDbQcVSKLRUpGjIdl/YyrHqrDDoRnQwE7Q
{
"firstName": "Business",
"lastName": "Owner",
"email": "solePropBusiness@email.com",
"ipAddress": "143.156.7.8",
"type": "business",
"dateOfBirth": "1980-01-31",
"ssn": "123-45-6789",
"address1": "99-99 33rd St",
"city": "Some City",
"state": "NY",
"postalCode": "11101",
"businessClassification": "9ed3f670-7d6f-11e3-b1ce-5404a6144203",
"businessType": "soleProprietorship",
"businessName":"Jane Corp",
"ein":"00-0000000"
}
retry-verification
) - Request and response #POST https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/62c3aa1b-3a1b-46d0-ae90-17304d60c3d5
Content-Type: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json
Accept: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json
Authorization: Bearer 0Sn0W6kzNic+oWhDbQcVSKLRUpGjIdl/YyrHqrDDoRnQwE7Q
{
"firstName": "Jane",
"lastName": "Merchant",
"email": "accountAdmin@email.com",
"ipAddress": "143.156.7.8",
"type": "business",
"address1": "123 Corrected Address St",
"city": "Some City",
"state": "NY",
"postalCode": "11101",
"businessClassification": "9ed3f670-7d6f-11e3-b1ce-5404a6144203",
"businessType": "llc",
"businessName":"Jane Corp",
"ein":"00-0000000"
}
retry-with-full-ssn
) - Request and response #POST https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/62c3aa1b-3a1b-46d0-ae90-17304d60c3d5
Content-Type: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json
Accept: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json
Authorization: Bearer 0Sn0W6kzNic+oWhDbQcVSKLRUpGjIdl/YyrHqrDDoRnQwE7Q
{
"firstName": "Jane",
"lastName": "Merchant",
"email": "accountAdmin@email.com",
"ipAddress": "143.156.7.8",
"type": "business",
"address1": "123 Corrected Address St",
"city": "Some City",
"state": "NY",
"postalCode": "11101",
"controller": {
"firstName": "John",
"lastName": "Controller",
"title": "CEO",
"dateOfBirth": "1980-01-01",
"ssn": "123-45-6789",
"address": {
"address1": "1749 18th st",
"address2": "apt 12",
"city": "Des Moines",
"stateProvinceRegion": "IA",
"postalCode": "50266",
"country": "US"
}
},
"businessClassification": "9ed3f670-7d6f-11e3-b1ce-5404a6144203",
"businessType": "llc",
"businessName":"Jane Corp",
"ein":"00-0000000"
}
document
status #If the Customer has a status of document
, the Customer will need to upload additional pieces of information in order to verify the account. Use the create a document endpoint when uploading a colored camera captured image of the identifying document. The document(s) will then be reviewed by Dwolla; this review may take up to 1-2 business days to approve or reject.
You can provide the following best practices to the Customer in order to reduce the chances of a document being rejected:
When a business verified Customer is placed in the document
verification status, Dwolla will return a link in the API response after retrieving a Customer, which will be used by an application to determine if documentation is needed. For business verified Customers, different links can be returned depending on whether or not documents are needed for a Controller, the business, both the Controller and business, or for the DBA (Doing Business As). Additionally, embedded errors are included in the Customer resource which include information about the next steps required to get the Customer verified (see example response below). Refer to the table below for the list of possible links and their description.
Link name | Description |
---|---|
verify-with-document | Identifies if documents are needed only for a Controller. |
verify-business-with-document | Identifies if documents are needed only for a business. |
verify-controller-and-business-with-document | Identifies if documents are needed for both the Controller and business. |
upload-dba-document | Identifies if documents are needed for a business's DBA (Doing Business As). |
{
"_links": {
"self": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json",
"resource-type": "customer"
},
"document-form": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78/documents",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json; profile=\"https://github.com/dwolla/hal-forms\"",
"resource-type": "document"
},
"upload-dba-document": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78/documents",
"type": "application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json",
"resource-type": "document"
}
},
"_embedded": {
"errors": [
{
"code": "Required",
"message": "DBA (Doing Business As) document upload required",
"_links": {
"upload-dba-document": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78/documents"
}
}
}
]
},
"id": "41432759-6d65-42e5-a6be-400ddd103b78",
"firstName": "Account",
"lastName": "Admin",
"email": "accountAdmin@email.com",
"type": "business",
"status": "document",
"created": "2018-05-10T19:59:22.643Z",
"address1": "66 Walnut St",
"city": "Des Moines",
"state": "IA",
"postalCode": "50309",
"businessName": "Jane Corp",
"controller": {
"firstName": "document",
"lastName": "Controller",
"title": "CEO",
"address": {
"address1": "1749 18th st",
"address2": "apt 12",
"city": "Des Moines",
"stateProvinceRegion": "IA",
"country": "US",
"postalCode": "50266"
}
},
"businessClassification": "9ed3f670-7d6f-11e3-b1ce-5404a6144203",
"businessType": "llc"
}
US persons: A colored camera captured image of the Controller's identifying document can be specified as documentType: license
(state issued driver's license), or idCard
(U.S. government-issued photo id card).
Supported Document Examples:
Unsupported Document Examples:
Non-US persons: A colored camera captured image of the Controller's identifying document can be specified as documentType: passport
. Examples include:
Documents that are used to help identify a business are specified as documentType other
. Note: A DBA document should be issued by the government and should include the DBA name along with the state registered business name. Business Identifying documents we recommend uploading can include the following:
Partnership, General Partnership: EIN Letter (IRS-issued SS4 confirmation letter).
Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), Corporation: EIN Letter (IRS-issued SS4 confirmation letter).
Sole Proprietorship: Sole Proprietorships can be verified by uploading Business documents as well as Personal IDs. Personal IDs need to be specified as documentType idCard
, license
or passport
depending on the type of the ID. Business documents need to be specified as documentType other
. Acceptable documents include one or more of the following, as applicable to your sole proprietorship:
other
):license
, passport
or idCard
):Note: Trusts should be created as Sole Proprietor accounts and will require signed trust documents that include the trust and username that are on file.
Other business documents may be acceptable on a case by case basis with Dwolla approval. These include any US government entity (federal, state, local) issued business formation or licensing exhibiting the name of the business enrolling with Dwolla, or; Any business formation documents exhibiting the name of the business entity in addition to being filed and stamped by a US government entity. Examples include:
If Dwolla's Compliance team is unable to find an external connection to confirm the user does in fact conduct business at their provided business address, a "proof of address" will be required. Proof of address are any of the following, current documents that show the address in question:
To upload a color photo of the document, you'll initiate a multipart form-data POST request from your backend server to https://api.dwolla.com/customers/{id}/documents
. The file must be either a .jpg, .jpeg, or .png. Files must be no larger than 10MB in size. Additionally, Business Documents can also be uploaded in a .pdf format.
You'll also get a webhook with a customer_verification_document_uploaded
event to let you know the document was successfully uploaded.
curl -X POST
\ -H "Authorization: Bearer tJlyMNW6e3QVbzHjeJ9JvAPsRglFjwnba4NdfCzsYJm7XbckcR"
\ -H "Accept: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json"
\ -H "Cache-Control: no-cache"
\ -H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW"
\ -F "documentType=passport"
\ -F "file=@foo.png"
\ 'https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/customers/132681fa-1b4d-4181-8ff2-619ca46235b1/documents
If the document was successfully uploaded, the response will be a HTTP 201 Created with the URL of the new document resource contained in the Location header.
HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Location: https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/documents/11fe0bab-39bd-42ee-bb39-275afcc050d0
Once created, the document will be reviewed by Dwolla. When our team has made a decision to approve or reject, which may take up to 1-2 business days, we'll create either a customer_verification_document_approved
or customer_verification_document_failed
event.
If the document was sufficient, the Customer may be verified in this process. If not, we may need additional documentation. Note: Reference the determining verification documents needed section for more information on determining if additional documents are needed after an approved or failed event is triggered.
If the document was found to be fraudulent or doesn't match the identity of the Customer, the Customer will be suspended.
A document can fail if, for example, the Customer uploaded the wrong type of document or the .jpg
or .png
file supplied was not readable (i.e. blurry, not well lit, not in color, or cuts off a portion of the identifying image). If you receive a customer_verification_document_failed
webhook, you'll need to upload another document. To retrieve the failure reason for the document upload, you'll retrieve the document by its ID. Contained in the response will be a failureReason
field which corresponds to one or more of the following values. In case of a failure due to multiple reasons, an additional allFailureReasons
of reason
s and description
s is also returned:
Failure reason | Description | Detailed description |
---|---|---|
BusinessDocNotSupported | Business document not supported | The business document provided is not supported for verification. Please request approved business documentation from the end user for verification. |
BusinessNameMismatch | Business name on account does not match document | The legal business name listed in the documentation uploaded does not match the Registered Business Name on the account. The account has been moved to retry so that the business name listed at the account level can be adjusted to match the business documentation which was uploaded. |
BusinessTypeMismatch | Business type chosen does not match document | Based on the documentation provided, the entity type for this business should be created as a/an (LLC, Corporation, Sole Prop). The account has been moved to retry so that the correct business type (LLC, Corporation, Sole Prop etc.) can be submitted. |
ScanDobMismatch | Scan DOB does not match DOB on account | The DOB listed on the ID uploaded does not match the DOB on the user's account. The account has been placed in retry so that the user can adjust the DOB listed on the account to match the ID which was provided. |
ScanFailedOther | ID may be fraudulent or a generic example ID image | The ID uploaded may be fraudulent or a generic example of an ID. The user needs to upload a valid ID to proceed with account verification. |
ScanIdExpired | ID is expired or missing expiration date | The ID uploaded by the user is expired. The user will need to upload a non-expired ID. |
ScanIdTypeNotSupported | ID may be a military ID, firearm license, or other unsupported ID type | The uploaded ID is not an acceptable form of ID. Here is a list of ID types that Dwolla accepts for account verification. |
ScanIdUnrecognized | ID is not recognized | The ID which has been uploaded is unreadable. The user will need to upload a new image of their ID to proceed with verification. |
ScanNameMismatch | Scan name does not match name on account | The name listed on the ID which has been uploaded by the user does not match the name which is listed at the account level. The account has been placed in retry so that the user can adjust the name on the account to match the ID which was provided. |
ScanNotReadable | Image blurry, too dark, or obscured by glare | The uploaded ID is blurry, cutoff, or unreadable. The user will need to upload a clear, color, camera-captured image of their ID to proceed with verification. Here are some best practices related to document uploads. |
ScanNotUploaded | Scan not uploaded | The uploaded image is not an ID. The user will need to upload an image of a valid ID to proceed. Here is a list of valid ID's that Dwolla accepts for account verification. |
GET https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/documents/11fe0bab-39bd-42ee-bb39-275afcc050d0
Accept: application/vnd.dwolla.v1.hal+json
Authorization: Bearer tJlyMNW6e3QVbzHjeJ9JvAPsRglFjwnba4NdfCzsYJm7XbckcR
...
{
"_links": {
"self": {
"href": "https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com/documents/11fe0bab-39bd-42ee-bb39-275afcc050d0"
}
},
"id": "11fe0bab-39bd-42ee-bb39-275afcc050d0",
"status": "reviewed",
"type": "license",
"created": "2016-01-29T21:22:22.000Z",
"failureReason": "ScanNotReadable",
"allFailureReasons": [
{
"reason": "ScanDobMismatch",
"description": "Date of Birth mismatch"
},
{
"reason": "ScanIdExpired",
"description": "ID is expired"
}
]
}
If the Customer is suspended
, there's no further action you can take to correct this using the API. You'll need to contact support@dwolla.com or your account manager for assistance.
The successful creation of a business verified Customer and Controller doesn't necessarily mean the Customer is fully verified and eligible to transfer. After successfully creating your business verified Customer, you will need to check to see if the beneficial ownership requirements apply to you. To learn how to add beneficial owner(s) to your Customer, read on in the next step.
All funds transfers made using the Dwolla Platform are performed by a financial institution partner, and any funds held in a Dwolla Balance are held by a financial institution partner. Learn more about our financial institution partners.