> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.payluk.ng/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Onboarding

> Create an account, verify your business and get merchant API access.

Welcome to **Payluk**. Before you can create escrows through the API, your
account needs merchant access. Follow the four steps below to get there.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up" icon="user-plus">
    Create your Payluk account at **[app.payluk.ng](https://app.payluk.ng)** and
    complete the registration form with your basic account details.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete KYC verification" icon="id-card">
    All users must complete **Know Your Customer (KYC)** verification to meet
    regulatory and security requirements. This step:

    * Protects users against fraud
    * Ensures regulatory compliance
    * Unlocks access to financial features

    Make sure every detail you submit is accurate and up to date.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upgrade to a business account" icon="building">
    Once KYC is approved, upgrade your account to a **Business Account** to
    reach merchant-level features such as escrow creation, payments and
    withdrawals. The upgrade enables:

    * Business transaction management
    * Enhanced account limits
  </Step>

  <Step title="Request merchant access" icon="envelope">
    With a business account in place, email
    **[partners@payluk.ng](mailto:partners@payluk.ng)** to request merchant
    access. Include:

    * Your business name
    * Your registered email address
    * A brief description of your use case

    Our team reviews your request and notifies you once merchant access is
    approved.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Merchant access is what issues your API keys. Until it is approved, requests to
  `/v1` routes will fail authentication.
</Note>

## Next steps

Once approved, you can start integrating Payluk's APIs and Inline Checkout to
power secure escrow payments in your application.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/authentication">
    Learn how `sk_test_` and `sk_live_` keys and the `customer-id` header work.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Create your first escrow on staging and walk it through to settlement.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How it works" icon="route" href="/concepts/how-it-works">
    See every endpoint in the order a real integration calls them.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Inline Checkout SDK" icon="js" href="/sdk/introduction">
    Drop a hosted escrow checkout into your web app with a publishable key.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>