Categories

Alongside Mangopay’s system of user types – Natural, Soletrader, Business, Organization, Partnership – there are two other key attributes that apply to all types.

These attributes govern a user’s ability to access Mangopay services.

User attributeDescription

UserCategory

PAYER by default or can become OWNER when the user:

An OWNER can request KYC/KYB verification.

KYCLevel

LIGHT by default (and for PAYER) and becomes REGULAR when the user:

  • Successfully completes the KYC/KYB verification process

The KYCLevel can be downgraded from REGULAR to LIGHT by Mangopay for two reasons:

A downgraded OWNER is subject to the same restrictions and limits as one who has not yet been verified. If the User’s KYCLevel is LIGHT, the restriction applies.


Combining these two attributes gives the following possible profiles that represent your platform’s community of end users:

PropertyPayerUnverified Owner without KYC/KYBVerified Owner with KYC/KYB
UserCategoryPAYEROWNEROWNER
KYCLevelLIGHTLIGHTREGULAR
Natural or LegalEitherEitherEither

This page focuses on the primary distinction between a Payer and an unverified Owner.

KYC/KYB verification for OWNER users is treated in a dedicated section of the documentation.

The is a third value for UserCategory, PLATFORM, which is a Legal User representing your platform, and that is detailed below.

Payers

The Payer category is designed for users who only need to make payments to other users (using the payment methods offered by Mangopay) – they don’t need to receive funds.

Possible actions

The following table summarizes the actions a Payer can and can’t take:

AllowedRefused
  • Make a pay-in to their wallet
  • Receive a pay-in refund (from their wallet to the payment method)
  • Transfer funds to a verified Owner’s wallet
  • Receive a transfer refund (from the verified Owner’s wallet to the Payer’s wallet)
  • Receive a transfer to their wallet from another user
  • Request KYC/KYB verification
  • Request a payout to their bank account

Required information

A Payer needs to provide the following information when they are registered or re-categorized:

User typeRequired information
Natural user
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email
Legal user – Business, Partnership, Organization
  • Registered name of the entity
  • Email
  • Legal representative’s first name and last name
Legal user – Soletrader
  • Registered name of the sole proprietor
  • Email
  • Sole proprietor’s first name and last name

Note – Payers can become Owners

A user must be created as either a Payer or an Owner. Your platform can re-categorize an existing Payer as an Owner using the dedicated endpoints:

Assigning the OWNER value to an existing Payer requires them to enroll in SCA.

Owners

The Owner category is intended for users who need to receive funds from another user, for example following the sale of a product or service.

When the OWNER value is assigned, these users must enroll in Mangopay’s SCA and accept Mangopay’s T&Cs.

To receive funds into a wallet they hold, and to request a payout to an external bank or payment account, the OWNER must successfully complete the KYC/KYB verification process.

Unless and until an Owner is successfully verified (meaning their KYCLevel becomes REGULAR), they are unable to receive funds. If at any time their KYCLevel is downgraded to LIGHT – either through periodic renewal or a change of key identity data – payment services are restricted.

Note – Unverified Owners can make pay-ins provided you declare beneficiaries

Unverified Owners can make pay-ins provided you declare the beneficiaries of the pay-in – who must be verified Owners (or PLATFORM users). This is necessary for models where sellers can also be buyers.

Read more about declaring pay-in beneficiaries

Possible actions

The following table summarizes the actions an Owner can and can’t take:

AllowedRefused
  • Make a pay-in to their wallet – provided you declare beneficiaries
  • Receive full and partial pay-in refunds
  • Transfer funds to a verified Owner’s wallet
  • Receive full and partial transfer refunds (from the verified Owner’s wallet to the unverified Owner’s wallet)
  • Request KYC/KYB verification

Until an Owner is KYC/KYB verified – or if at any time they are downgraded (to LIGHT) – they can’t:

  • Receive a transfer to their wallet from another user
  • Request a payout to their bank account

Required information

To create an Owner, or to transition an existing Payer into an Owner, you need to provide the following information:

User typeRequired information
Natural user
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email
  • Date of birth
  • Nationality
  • Country of residence
Legal user – Business
  • Registered name of the entity
  • Email for the entity
  • Registered address of the entity’s headquarters
  • Company registration number
  • Legal representative’s: first name, last name, email, date of birth, nationality, country of residence
Legal user – Partnership, Organization
  • Registered name of the entity
  • Email for the entity
  • Registered address of the entity’s headquarters
  • Legal representative’s: first name, last name, email, date of birth, nationality, country of residence
Legal user – Soletrader
  • Registered name of the sole proprietorship
  • Email for the sole proprietorship
  • Registered address of the sole proprietorship
  • Sole proprietor’s: first name, last name, email, date of birth, nationality, country of residence

Note – Owners must accept Mangopay’s terms and conditions (T&Cs)

Mangopay’s T&Cs apply to Owners on your platform. An Owner must accept the T&Cs and you must provide confirmation that they have accepted them when you create the Owner user.

The relevant T&Cs for your users are provided when your platform signs the contract with Mangopay.

Platform

The third possible value for UserCategory, PLATFORM, is a user that represents your platform (that is integrating Mangopay in your app or website). Depending on your platform’s workflow and implementation, this value may be assigned to a single user by Mangopay as part of the approved and validated workflow.

The PLATFORM value:

  • Can only be applied by Mangopay
  • Is generally only applied to one user per platform (one per ClientId), but more than one is possible
PropertyPlatform user
UserCategoryPLATFORM
KYCLevelREGULAR
Natural or LegalLegal

Before the PLATFORM value is assigned, the User must be an OWNER. On these users, the KYCLevel is typically always REGULAR in the API but your platform’s company documentation is also renewed periodically in a separate process.

In addition to the PLATFORM user, there may be other users that are implemented for technical reasons in the context of approved and validated workflows. These may need to be categorized as PAYER or OWNER, depending on the workflow.