Submit Merchant for Approval

Submits a merchant's application into the approval workflow and triggers automated underwriting based on the API user's ISO configuration. The request requires a completed underwriting checklist and optionally accepts risk flag thresholds that the system monitors during processing. On success, the response returns the new merchant status.

Endpoint

POST /api/v1/merchant/approve

Authentication

Basic HTTP Authentication required.
Encode username:password in Base64 and pass in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Basic {base64(username:password)}

When to use

Use this endpoint after the merchant application has been fully completed and all required documentation has been reviewed. The underwriting checklist captures what documents and checks have been completed by the underwriter. The optional riskFlagsSetting block configures automated monitoring thresholds (such as large transaction alerts and chargeback percentage limits) that will apply to the merchant once approved. This is a critical step in the boarding flow — merchants cannot be fully onboarded without passing through this approval gate.

Request Body

Top-level fields

UnderwritingChecklist fields

RiskFlagsSetting fields

{
  "id": 48291,
  "checklist": {
    "underwritersApprovalNotes": "All required documentation received and verified. Merchant is a low-risk retail business with 3 years of clean processing history.",
    "lowVolumeLowRisk": true,
    "signedandCompleteMerchantApplication": true,
    "preprintedCheckorBankReferenceLetter": true,
    "matchInquiry": true,
    "ofacQuery": true,
    "creditReportforPrincipal": true,
    "pcidssCompliant": true,
    "thirdMonthsBankStatements": true,
    "thirdMonthsProcessingStatements": true,
    "bankStatementsReceivedMonths": "ThreeFour",
    "processingStatementsReceivedMonths": "ThreeFour",
    "reserve": false,
    "reserveType": "NA"
  },
  "riskFlagsSetting": {
    "largeTransaction": 5000.00,
    "averageTicket": 85.00,
    "monthlyVolume": 50000.00,
    "maxMonthlyVolume": 75000.00,
    "chargebacksPercentageTransactionByVolume": 1.0,
    "chargebacksPercentageTransactionByCount": 1.0,
    "enableForeignTransaction": false,
    "enableDeclinedTransaction": true
  }
}

Response

200 OK

Possible data.status values include: Approved, PreApproved, Declined, Pending, UnderReview, Underwriting, ConditionallyApproved, RequestChanges, and others.

{
  "data": {
    "status": "Underwriting",
    "success": true
  },
  "status": "OK",
  "error": null,
  "warning": null,
  "validationResults": [],
  "requestId": 90512
}

Error Codes

Common Mistakes

• Omitting underwritersApprovalNotes inside the checklist object — it is the only required field within the checklist and cannot be blank.
• Setting reserveType without setting reserve: true — if a reserve applies, both fields should be populated consistently.
• Using an invalid enum value for reservePeriod (e.g., passing "4" instead of "For") — use the exact enum string values.
• Not completing the merchant application data before calling this endpoint — the merchant record must be fully populated before approval can succeed.

Related Endpoints

• GET /api/v1/merchant/status — check the current merchant status
• GET /api/v1/merchant/underwritingNotes — retrieve existing underwriting notes
• POST /api/v1/merchant/note — add notes to the merchant record before submitting for approval

Example

curl -X POST https://hq.staging.netevia.dev/api/v1/merchant/approve \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(echo -n 'username:password' | base64)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "id": 48291,
    "checklist": {
      "underwritersApprovalNotes": "All documentation verified. Low-risk retail merchant approved.",
      "lowVolumeLowRisk": true,
      "signedandCompleteMerchantApplication": true,
      "matchInquiry": true,
      "ofacQuery": true,
      "reserve": false,
      "reserveType": "NA"
    },
    "riskFlagsSetting": {
      "monthlyVolume": 50000.00,
      "maxMonthlyVolume": 75000.00,
      "chargebacksPercentageTransactionByCount": 1.0
    }
  }'