Razorpay says merchants may avoid a live video check when CKYC retrieval succeeds, but authorised signatories must still meet strict identity, document and review requirements before payments go live.
Razorpay’s merchant onboarding flow in India now treats video verification as one possible route, not a universal requirement. The company says the step is used when a Central KYC, or CKYC, record cannot be retrieved or when consent for the digital check fails, and it describes the process as a live, consent-based identity review for the authorised signatory. Under the Reserve Bank of India’s framework, that sort of remote identification is known as Video-based Customer Identification Process, or V-CIP, and it is meant to stand alongside face-to-face verification only when the prescribed safeguards are met.
That distinction matters because many founders assume a video call is interchangeable with a document upload or a selfie check. It is not. Razorpay’s guidance says the merchant journey can shift to a fallback route if CKYC retrieval does not work, but the verification still remains tied to a regulated identity process, complete with document review, device permissions and an audit trail. The company also stresses that a completed call does not by itself mean the account is ready to take live payments.
Who has to join the call depends on the structure of the business. Razorpay says the authorised signatory is the person who should attend the live video session, while beneficial owners do not join that step, although their identity and ownership documents may still be needed elsewhere in the onboarding flow. If someone else begins the application, the documented process allows the link to be handed over to the signatory, which is useful for founders or operations staff managing the paperwork behind the scenes.
Preparation is central to avoiding delays. Razorpay instructs applicants to keep the original physical PAN card ready and says printed copies, screenshots and an e-PAN shown on a phone screen will not be accepted during the call. The company also asks users to allow camera, microphone and location access, and to keep proxy tools, VPNs and TOR disabled. Its onboarding guidance adds that applicants should follow the official route shown in their own dashboard rather than assuming a general rule applies to every business type.
The company’s wider onboarding material helps explain why some applicants move faster than others. Razorpay says successful CKYC retrieval can remove the need for a video step for the identities covered by that record, while registered entities may still have separate checks for the business and the signatory. Its broader onboarding guidance also highlights that merchants should prepare supporting documents early, verify name consistency across PAN, bank and registration records, and expect a mix of automated and manual review before activation.
Even after the verification call is completed, the work is not necessarily over. Razorpay’s onboarding materials make clear that an account can remain under review, request clarification or require additional documents before it is switched to Live mode. That is an important distinction for businesses eager to start collecting money quickly: a finished video session is one milestone in the approval process, not the final green light.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
