Partner Federation Glossary — last updated September 2026
KYC (Know Your Customer) is the identity verification process a broker must complete before a client can deposit and trade real money — checking a government ID, proof of address, and sometimes source-of-funds documentation. It’s a legal requirement under anti-money-laundering (AML) regulation, not a broker’s own preference.
Why It Matters for Partners
KYC is almost always baked into CPA qualifying criteria alongside the FTD — a referred client isn’t “qualified” until their KYC clears, which can take anywhere from minutes to a few days depending on the broker and jurisdiction. That lag is one of the most common reasons a CPA payout shows up later than the signup or deposit did, and it’s worth checking a broker’s typical KYC turnaround before judging a program’s conversion speed.