Domain verification is a requirement under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), and it confirms that your website meets the standards needed for online payments. If your domain's stuck in review or it’s been rejected, here's how to fix it and get back to taking live payments.
What your website needs to include
Your website must meet these requirements before the domain can be approved:
Business details
Your business name and contact information must be visible on the site.
Product pages or catalogues
There must be at least one publicly accessible page showing what you sell.
Policies
There must be a privacy policy and returns/refund policy. Both need to be accessible without logging in.
Live site
The website must be finished and live. It cannot not be under construction, or sitting behind a password. We can only verify your domain if we can see your content.
❗ Important: These requirements exist to comply with FICA regulations. We can't approve incomplete or inaccessible websites for live payment processing.
Shortened links or URLs that redirect to a login page will cause verification to fail or stall. Always use your full, direct website URL.
What to do if your domain is rejected
If your domain is rejected, you have two options:
Fix the issues on your site and resubmit the same domain.
Submit a different domain for review if your primary site isn't ready yet.
What should you fix?
One of the most common reasons for your domain being rejected is too little content on your website. So, if you decide to resubmit the same domain, make sure your site:
Shows your business name and contact information
Includes at least one page, open to the public, that shows what you sell
Has a privacy policy and returns/refund policy available without needing to log in.
Is live and fully working; not under construction or behind a password.
Once you’ve updated your site, you can resubmit your domain for review.
💡 Good to know: Verification is fully automated – no one reviews it manually. Your site needs to meet the requirements above for the system to recognise it as a legitimate business.
❗Important: Some domains are rejected based on Yoco’s risk assessment and can’t be resubmitted. If you’re not sure why yours was rejected, contact Yoco Support.
Resubmitting a rejected domain
If you've made changes to your site, like adding product pages, making content public, or updating your policies, follow these steps to trigger a new review:
Go to the Manage tab.
Select the Yoco Connect tile.
Select the Checkout API tile.
Select the How to connect button.
Scroll down to Verified domains and find the rejected domain.
Select the trash icon to remove it.
Select the Add domain button.
Enter your updated URL and select the Verify domain button.
Resubmitting on Shopify?
If you're using Shopify, the process is slightly different:
In your Shopify admin, go to Sales channels → Yoco Connect → eCom.
Select your platform and add your domain in the field provided.
Submit for review.
FAQs
Why does Yoco verify my domain?
Why does Yoco verify my domain?
Domain verification is a compliance requirement under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA). It confirms your website is legitimate and that your business meets the requirements for processing live payments online.
Where do I find the Domain Verification section in the app?
Where do I find the Domain Verification section in the app?
Go to Manage → Connect → Checkout API → How to connect, then scroll down to Domain Verification.
Can Yoco manually bypass the verification process?
Can Yoco manually bypass the verification process?
No, domain verification is fully automated and can't be manually overridden. Live payment keys are only enabled once the automated review approves your domain.
Need more help?
If you've followed the steps above and your domain still isn't verifying, please start a conversation with a Yoco Support consultant via our in-app chat.