Before carriers exchange traffic, each side checks who the other is: company registration, ownership, licences where required, bank details, traffic type and references. This KYC (know your customer) step protects both sides against fraud, unpaid invoices and regulatory trouble. Having the documents ready can cut onboarding from weeks to days.
Why carriers do KYC
- Fraud: wholesale voice and SMS attract fraud such as IRSF, SMS pumping and robocalling. Knowing the partner is the first defence.
- Credit risk: a carrier extending postpaid terms needs to know the company is real and solvent.
- Regulation: depending on the country, carriers may have to verify partners, keep records, respect sanctions lists and follow caller ID or sender ID rules.
- Upstream requirements: operators and large carriers often require their wholesale partners to know who sends the traffic.
Documents usually requested
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Certificate of incorporation or company register extract | Proves the company exists |
| Tax or VAT registration | Correct invoicing and tax treatment |
| List of directors and beneficial owners | Sanctions and fraud screening |
| ID of the signatory | Confirms who signs for the company |
| Telecom licence or registration, where required | Shows the company may provide the service |
| Bank details on company letterhead | Payment and protection against payment fraud |
| Company profile and website | Shows the business and its customers |
| Trade references | Usually needed for credit terms |
Not every carrier asks for all of these, and licence requirements depend on the countries involved. Ask for the exact list at the start.
Traffic and technical questionnaire
Most carriers also send a questionnaire about the traffic itself:
- Traffic type: conversational, call center, dialer, OTP, promotional (see VoIP traffic types).
- Who your customers are and how you check them.
- Expected destinations, volume, channels or TPS.
- For SMS: sender IDs, sample content and registrations already in place (see sender ID registration).
- Technical details: IP addresses, codecs, SMPP or HTTP, and contacts for operations and billing.
Answer accurately. A route chosen for the wrong traffic type is blocked quickly, and a mismatch between what was declared and what is sent can end the relationship.
Checking the other side
KYC goes both ways. Before you send traffic or pay a new supplier, check:
- That the company exists in the official register of its country, and the registered address matches.
- That bank details belong to the same company. Confirm any change of bank details by phone with a known contact, never only by email.
- That the website, email domain and contacts are consistent.
- References from carriers you know.
- The agreement terms (see the interconnect agreement checklist).
Going live faster
- Keep a ready KYC pack: one PDF per document, current and signed where needed.
- Write a short company profile that states your traffic types plainly.
- Start on prepaid terms while credit is reviewed (see prepaid vs postpaid).
- Agree the technical setup in parallel with paperwork, and plan a test as soon as approval arrives (see how to test a VoIP route).
On VoIPMatcher, the company details you give us stay with us: they are never shared with the other side or sold. We source and manage the route, so you do not repeat the full onboarding with each carrier we use. See our VoIP termination and A2P SMS pages, or request a route. If you sell routes, start from the sell routes page.
Frequently asked questions
What is KYC in telecom?
KYC (know your customer) in telecom is the process a carrier or provider uses to verify who a customer or partner is before exchanging traffic: company registration, owners, licences where needed, bank details and the type of traffic. It protects against fraud, unpaid invoices and regulatory problems, and in some countries regulators require it.
Can I get a SIP trunk without KYC?
Legitimate providers ask for KYC before opening a SIP trunk or VoIP route, because they are responsible for the traffic they carry and must screen for fraud, sanctions and caller ID abuse. A provider that skips these checks is a risk to you as well: its routes are more likely to be blocked or cut off without notice.
How long does carrier KYC take?
With a complete document pack, onboarding can take a few days; with missing or outdated documents, it can stretch to weeks. Time also depends on the carrier's internal review and on whether you ask for credit terms, which need references or a guarantee. Starting on prepaid terms and preparing documents in advance speeds it up.
Is my KYC data shared with other carriers?
It should not be shared beyond what the agreement and the law allow. Carriers use KYC data for their own checks and to answer regulators or upstream operators when required. Ask how your documents are stored and who sees them. On VoIPMatcher, company details stay with VoIPMatcher and are never shared with the other side or sold.
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