Stripe Connect: limit the number of steps during the account linking onboarding - stripe-payments

Question

I'm testing Stripe Connect to allow users to pay other users. I'm testing it with the Stripe Java library (in Kotlin).
As the documentation suggest I need the users that will receive money to create a Stripe account with the Account.create API, and then to link the account with the AccountLink.create API.
When the user go through the Stripe onboarding flow (the Stripe url received by the AccountLink.create API) they are required to input a lot of data in many steps.
This steps are:
01: "Get started with Stripe": user is asked to enater the email
02: "Create your free Stripe account": user need to enter email and password
03: "Secure your account with a mobile number": enable the 2FA
04: "Let’s start with some basics": user is asket to enter the Business location and the Type of business
05: "Verify your personal details": user is asked to enter Name, Address, Email address and Phone number
06: "Professional details": the user have to enter VAT number (optional) and select an Industry
07: "Add your bank to receive payouts": the user have to enter Currency and Bank details
08: "Add public details for customers": the user have to enter the "Statement descriptor", "Shortened descriptor" and the "Customer support phone number"
09: "Show customers your climate commitment": the user need to select, or skip, a climate contribution
10: "Review and finish up": the user have to review and confirm the data
I would like to only keep steps 1, 2, 3, 5 (without address and phone number), 7 and 10 during the initial onboarding, and remove the other steps, to decrease friction.
I saw other websites using Stripe Connect, and I know for a fact that it is possible.
This is the code I'm using:
Account.create request:
suspend fun stripeCreateNewAccount(
email: String,
localID: String,
productDescription: String,
onSuccess: suspend (Account?) -> Unit,
) {
try {
Stripe.apiKey = Constants.STRIPE_TOKEN_TEST
val metadata: MutableMap<String, String> = HashMap()
metadata["id"] = localID
val createAccountParams = AccountCreateParams.Builder()
.setType(AccountCreateParams.Type.STANDARD)
.setEmail(email.lowercase().trim())
.setMetadata(metadata)
.setBusinessType(AccountCreateParams.BusinessType.INDIVIDUAL)
.setBusinessProfile(
AccountCreateParams.BusinessProfile.builder()
.setUrl(url)
.setName("Testing Stripe connect")
.setProductDescription(productDescription)
.build()
)
.setCompany(
AccountCreateParams.Company.Builder()
.setName("Test Company Name")
.build()
)
.setIndividual(
AccountCreateParams.Individual.Builder()
.setFirstName("John")
.setLastName("Smith")
.setEmail(email.lowercase().trim())
.build()
)
.setBusinessProfile(
AccountCreateParams.BusinessProfile.builder()
.setUrl("${Constants.BASE_URL}/list/$localID" )
.setProductDescription(productDescription)
.build()
)
.build()
onSuccess(Account.create(createAccountParams))
} catch (e: Exception) {
e.printStackTrace()
onSuccess(null)
}
}
and this is the AccountLink.create request:
suspend fun stripeLinkExistingAccount(
idAccountToLink: String,
onCompleted: suspend (String?) -> Unit,
) {
try {
Stripe.apiKey = Constants.STRIPE_TOKEN_TEST
val params = AccountLinkCreateParams
.builder()
.setAccount(idAccountToLink)
.setRefreshUrl("${Constants.BASE_URL}/profile")
.setReturnUrl("${Constants.BASE_URL}/profile")
.setType(AccountLinkCreateParams.Type.ACCOUNT_ONBOARDING)
.build()
AccountLink.create(params)?.let { accountLink ->
onCompleted(accountLink.url) // The Stripe onboarding url
} ?: run {
// Something went wrong
onCompleted(null)
}
} catch (e: Exception) {
e.printStackTrace()
onCompleted(null)
}
}

Answer 1

Unfortunately, this is not something you can control. You are creating a Standard account which means the person signs up directly with Stripe and opens a "full account" with them. Stripe will need to collect all the bits of information they require for identity verification, but they will also collect additional details they need or want to offer (like the Climate screen). You can't skip this.
One potential alternative would be to switch to Express accounts instead for example where you control more of the onboarding. But it comes with different risks and restrictions as covered in the docs here.

Answer 2

Even with Express, you are NOT going to accomplish what you want. By Law and Regulations, Stripe MUST follow KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) identification and verification for ANY account that is sent money.
ANY.
The reason you think other sites don't is they have ALREADY established KYC and AML verification with the customer.
Stripe doesn't want to slow down accounts any more than you do. They (and you) are bound by law and regulation.