How Long Does It Take to Start Processing Payments? Onboarding Explained 

When payments are your company’s lifeline, waiting weeks in the dark isn’t an option. The real question every merchant asks us is:

“How long does it take to start?”

The short answer: Most merchants go live in 2–3 weeks.

• Pix only (domestic): as fast as 2 business days in simple cases.
• Cross-border and cards: usually closer to the 2–3 week range.

The difference comes down to complexity—more partners, more compliance checks, more integrations. But the process is transparent, and much of it runs in parallel.

Why Pix Can Be Lightning-Fast

For businesses starting with Pix only, onboarding is streamlined:

• Compliance greenlight in hours.
• Sandbox keys generated right away.
• Test cases completed and production credentials issued.

We’ve onboarded merchants in as little as 48 hours when documents are complete and straightforward.

Why Cross-Border and Cards Take 2–3 Weeks

Cards and international payments involve more moving parts: banking partners, FX providers, card schemes, and legal contracts. Each adds a layer of review, and their SLAs are outside our direct control.

That’s why 2–3 weeks is the standard expectation. The good news is that while partners review, your developers are already integrating in sandbox—so time is never wasted.

The Step-by-Step Timeline

Day 0–1: Prospect & Screening

• Fit check: sector, volumes, geography.
• Compliance runs sanctions and PEP checks.
• Green light to move forward.

Day 1–5: Proposal & Documentation

• Proposal sent and signed.
• KYC/KYB checklist delivered to your team.
• Docs uploaded via secure link and validated.

Day 3–7: Partner Background Checks

• Docs submitted to banking/FX/card partners.
• Responses usually within 1–5 business days.

Day 5–10: Sandbox Integration

• Sandbox keys and guides sent.
• Developers begin testing flows and callbacks.
• Our tech team supports daily.

Day 8–15: Contract & Production Integration

• Legal finalizes the master agreement.
• Production credentials are generated.
• AML/monitoring tools go live.
• Final checklist signed.

Go-Live: ~2–3 Weeks

• Payments activated in production.
• Hypercare support for 7–14 days to ensure stability.

What Really Makes the Difference

The single biggest variable is document readiness.

• Clean, complete KYC → Pix live in days.
• Delays or unclear docs → the timeline stretches.

What This Means for You

If you’re planning a launch or migration, plan for 2–3 weeks to go live. Build in some margin for your own internal approvals, but know that our onboarding is designed to move in parallel tracks—compliance, tech, and legal—so you’re never just waiting.

At Cali, our role is to make it delightful: clear steps, clear timelines, and full support from day one.

Want to know your exact timeline? Share your use case with us, and we’ll map it step by step.