Account Setup
Create your Credo account, complete verification, and configure your dashboard for payments.
This guide walks you through setting up your Credo account from registration to activation. Credo offers two business categories designed to meet you where you are — whether you're just starting out or already registered with CAC.
Business categories
Choose the category that best describes your business:
Starter Business
For freelancers, side hustlers, and small businesses not yet registered with CAC. Start accepting payments immediately with a ₦2,000,000 settlement limit.
Registered Business
For businesses registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Access all features with no collection limits.
Starter Business
Who it's for: Freelancers, side hustlers, and small businesses just getting started who haven't registered with CAC yet.
Key features:
- Start accepting payments immediately
- ₦2,000,000 settlement cap (upgrade required after reaching limit)
- Quick setup with basic KYC requirements
- Easy upgrade path to Registered Business
Once you hit the ₦2,000,000 settlement limit, you'll need to upgrade to a Registered Business to continue receiving payouts. Your dashboard shows a progress countdown to help you track this.
Required documents
| Document | Accepted formats |
|---|---|
| Bank Verification Number (BVN) | Required for identity verification |
| Government-issued ID | NIN, Driver's License, International Passport, Permanent Voter's Card |
| Passport photograph | Clear, recent photo |
| Proof of address | Utility bill, bank statement, or other accepted document (not older than 3 months) |
Activation steps
Personal Information
Provide your personal details:
- First name and Last name
- Email address
- Phone number
- BVN (validated via OTP to phone or email linked to BVN)
- ID Document — Select type and upload
- Passport photograph
We ask for your BVN because it's mandatory — we are legally required to do so by the Central Bank of Nigeria as part of the Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
Verify Address
Enter your verifiable personal address:
- Search via Google Maps, or
- Input manually with: Country (Nigeria), State, City, Street Address, Closest Landmark
- Upload Proof of Address document
Your proof of address should match the address you provided and not be older than 3 months. Accepted documents include utility bill, bank statement, tax assessment, cable TV bill, or letter from a public authority.
Business Profile
Tell us about what you do:
- Business Name — Prefilled as "CREDO/FirstName_LastName" (uneditable)
- Business Description
- Business Industry — Select from alphabetically ordered list
- Website (optional)
- Social Profile (optional)
Business Industry options:
Agriculture • Automotive • Beauty and Personal Care • Construction • Creative Arts and Entertainment • Education and Training • Electronics and Appliances • Events and Hospitality • Fashion and Apparel • Financial Services • Food and Beverage • Health and Wellness • Home and Interior Design • Information Technology • Logistics and Transportation • Manufacturing • Media and Advertising • Professional Services • Real Estate • Retail and Wholesale • Telecommunications
Support Information
Let your customers reach you easily:
- Support email — Prefilled with your personal email
- Support phone number — Prefilled with your personal phone number
Personal Bank Account Details
Set up your bank account to receive payments:
- Bank Name
- Account Number
- Account Name
The name on your bank account must match your BVN provided. Personal accounts only — business accounts are not allowed for Starter Businesses.
Charges Information
Review the fee structure:
- Credo fees are charged at 1.5% per transaction amount
- For transactions ₦2,000 and above, there is an additional ₦100 charge
- You can only receive up to ₦3 million per transaction (contact us to increase this limit)
Summary
Review all details before submission. Edit button takes you to the exact page where details are missing. Missing details are highlighted in red.
Starter Business rules on Dashboard
Once activated, your dashboard displays:
- Settlement progress countdown — Shows amount received toward ₦2,000,000 cap
- "Upgrade Account" CTA — Appears beside the progress bar
- Upgrade prompt — When cap is reached, settlement pauses but transactions continue
When you click "Upgrade Account", you'll be taken to the business type selection to complete Registered Business onboarding.
Registered Business
Who it's for: Businesses officially registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with licenses to operate in their industries.
Key features:
- No collection limits
- Access to all Credo features
- Full business verification
- Multiple business types supported
Business types
When you select Registered Business, choose your business type:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Sole Proprietorship | Single owner business registered with CAC |
| Private Limited Company | Limited liability company with private shares |
| Public Limited Company | Company with publicly traded shares |
| Non-Profit Organization | Registered NGO, foundation, or charity |
| Government Entity | Technical partner to government projects |
Required documents by business type
Sole Proprietorship
| Document | Accepted formats | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CAC Registration Certificate | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Certificate of Business Name Registration |
| Form CAC/BN/1 or Status Report | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Status Report issued by CAC |
| Evidence of TIN | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Optional — 30-day grace period to provide |
For Sole Proprietorships, you have a 30-day grace period to provide Evidence of TIN. You can use an evidence from FIRS or JTB that you have generated a TIN — it does not have to be a tax certificate.
Private & Public Limited Companies
| Document | Accepted formats | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CAC Registration Certificate | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Certificate of Company Registration |
| Memorandum & Articles of Association | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Issued by CAC |
| Form CAC 2 & 7 or Status Report | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Status Report issued by CAC |
| Evidence of TIN | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Compulsory for this category |
| Business License | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Optional — if regulated by a body |
| Other Documents | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Optional |
Government Entity (Technical Partner)
All requirements from Limited Liability Companies, plus:
- Mandate Letter — Mandate for collection services authorization
Non-Profit Organizations
| Document | Accepted formats | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CAC Registration Certificate | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Certificate of Incorporation of Trustees |
| Constitution as approved by CAC | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Constitution issued by CAC |
| Status Report | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Status Report issued by CAC |
| Proof of Address | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Utility bill, bank statement, or tenancy agreement |
| SCUML Certificate | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Special Control Unit against Money Laundering certificate from EFCC |
| Foundation Profile | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Organization profile |
| Mandate Letter | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Authorization for collection services |
| Other Documents | PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG (max 10MB) | Optional |
Organization Industry options (different from business list):
Agriculture and Rural Development • Anti-Corruption Advocacy • Arts, Culture, and Heritage Preservation • Child Rights and Protection • Community-Based Health Initiatives • Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding • Disaster Management and Flood Relief • Education Access and Literacy Improvement • Environmental Sustainability and Reforestation • Faith-Based Organization • Gender Equality and Women Empowerment • Job Creation and Youth Employment • Maternal and Child Health • Mental Health Awareness and Support • Poverty Reduction and Economic Empowerment • Renewable Energy and Climate Action • Road Safety and Accident Prevention • Rural Water Supply and Sanitation • Slum Upgrading and Housing Development • Technology for Development • Others
Activation steps for Registered Businesses
Personal Information
Provide the owner's details:
- First name and Last name
- Email address
- Phone number
- BVN
- ID Document — Select type and upload
- Passport photograph
Check the "I am the owner of this business" checkbox. If unchecked, you'll need to provide Business Representative details.
Business Profile
Enter your business information:
- Business Number (BN) — Use BN to lookup TIN via Mono
- Tax Identification Number (TIN) — Populated if Mono lookup succeeds; manual input if Mono fails
- Business Name — Populated if Mono lookup succeeds
- Business Description
- Business Email
- Business Industry — Select from alphabetically ordered list
- Website
- Social Profile
- Address — Google Maps or manual input
- Proof of Address document
TIN Grace Period
If Mono TIN lookup fails, you can check "I will provide this later" for Sole Proprietorships. You have a 30-day grace period to provide Evidence of TIN.
Support Information
Add customer support details:
- Support email — Prefilled with business email
- Support phone number — Prefilled with business phone number
Business Registration Documents
Upload required documents based on your business type (see tables above).
Business Representative (if applicable)
If you are not the business owner, provide:
- Owner's personal details
- Owner's ID document
- Owner's passport photograph
For Limited Companies with multiple shareholders/directors, add details of all shareholders/directors.
Charges Information
Same as Starter Business requirements.
Summary
Review all details. Edit button takes you to the exact page where details are missing. Missing details are highlighted in red.
Post-activation dashboard features
For Sole Proprietorships (pending TIN)
If you selected "I will provide this later" for TIN:
- 30-day countdown displayed prominently on dashboard
- TIN input field and document upload field for Evidence of TIN
- "Don't have a TIN? Let's help you get it asap" link
When you submit TIN:
- Mono validates TIN automatically
- If validation fails, TIN goes to Compliance for review
- Status shows "TIN in Review" (business status remains "Activated")
- Compliance approves → countdown removed
- Compliance rejects → TIN field returns to dashboard with reason
For Starter Businesses
- Progress countdown to ₦2,000,000 settlement limit
- "Upgrade Account" CTA beside countdown
- 80% threshold notification — Email alert sent at 80% of limit
- Settlement paused at ₦2,000,000 with message: "Your settlement has been paused until you upgrade your account to a registered business."
Getting your API keys
Once your account is activated, get your API keys:
- Go to Settings → Developer → API Keys
- Copy your Public Key and Secret Key
| Key | Prefix | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Public Key | 0PUB... | Initializing payments (safe for client-side) |
| Secret Key | - | Verifying transactions (server-side only) |
Keep your secret key safe
Your secret key should never appear in frontend code, mobile apps, or version control. Store it in environment variables on your server.
Configure webhooks
Webhooks notify your server when payment events occur:
- Go to Settings → Webhooks
- Enter your webhook URL (must be HTTPS)
- Save the configuration
Your endpoint receives POST requests for events. See the Webhooks guide for implementation details.
Enable two-factor authentication
Secure your account with 2FA:
- Go to Settings → Security
- Click Enable 2FA
- Scan the QR code with an authenticator app
- Enter the 6-digit code to confirm
Kindly note that Credo shall not be liable for any unauthorized access due to the failure to activate 2FA.
Invite team members
Add colleagues with role-based access:
- Go to Settings → Team
- Click Invite Member
- Enter email and assign role
| Role | Access level |
|---|---|
| Admin | Full access to all settings and transactions |
| Developer | Access to API keys, webhooks, transaction data |
| Finance | Access to transactions, settlements, reports |
| Support | Read-only access to transactions |
Next steps
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