A PSP reviewing a broker needs more than projected processing volume. It needs an explainable business profile, first and repeat deposit data, retention definitions and a complaint history that can be reconciled with processing records.
PayAlma’s onboarding review covers FTD, STD, retention and complaints. This guide proposes a practical reporting framework for those discussions; the definitions and examples below are reporting choices, not universal scheme rules or PayAlma acceptance thresholds.
1. Establish what the payment provider is reviewing
Start with the contracting company, ownership, broker website, licence where applicable, target markets and intended payment methods. Explain which entity provides the service, which entity receives payments and how the customer recognises that relationship. A volume forecast without this context does not describe the proposed payment flow.
Keep existing operations separate from expansion plans. Label each dataset by entity, market, method, currency and period. Where an affiliate or acquisition channel produces a distinct customer group, show that segment separately. This gives the reviewer a way to investigate changes rather than treating every movement as a business-wide trend.
2. Define FTD before discussing growth
For this reporting framework, FTD means first-time deposit: a customer’s first successful deposit with the broker. Confirm the provider’s definition before sending a report. A first deposit through a newly added PSP is not necessarily that customer’s first deposit with the broker.
- Report the number of first-time depositors and the value of their first successful deposits separately.
- State the successful transaction status used, the reporting timezone and the treatment of reversals and refunds.
- Keep submitted attempts, failed payments, test activity, bonuses and internal balance transfers outside successful deposit totals.
Explain spikes with dated evidence: a campaign, a market launch or a change in acquisition mix. Growth alone does not establish payment quality. A useful question is whether the new customers subsequently generate repeat deposits, unresolved service issues or disputes. Do not present a projected FTD count as observed history.
3. Make STD conversion comparable
Here, STD means second-time deposit: the same customer’s second successful deposit. Some reports group all subsequent deposits under repeat deposits; name that measure explicitly instead of calling it STD. Keep customer counts, transaction counts and deposit value in separate columns.
One possible conversion measure is customers making a second successful deposit within 30 days of their first, divided by first-time depositors whose full 30-day observation window has elapsed. The 30-day window is an example, not a required standard. Agree the window and exclusion rules with the reviewer.
In a hypothetical cohort of 100 first-time depositors with complete observation, 40 second depositors give 40% conversion under that definition. A newer cohort still inside its observation window is incomplete, not evidence of lower conversion. Preserve the cohort date and reporting cut-off so the calculation can be repeated.
4. Explain what retention actually measures
Retention can describe repeat funding, trading activity or returning logins. These answer different questions. For payment underwriting, a clearly labelled funding-retention view can complement trading activity, but neither measure should silently substitute for the other.
For example, define next-month funding retention as customers from a first-deposit calendar-month cohort who make at least one successful deposit in the next calendar month, divided by all first-time depositors in that cohort. Wait until that next month closes. This is a different measure from STD within 30 days.
Show the cohort size beside the percentage and retain the same definitions across periods. Annotate changes in marketing, payment availability or reporting logic. Strong retention does not prove customer satisfaction or remove complaint risk; read it alongside withdrawals, refunds and support outcomes. If history is unavailable, say so and explain what can be supplied.
5. Separate complaints, refunds and card disputes
A support complaint, a refund request and a card dispute are separate events, although they can concern the same payment. Visa describes disputes as a reversal of transaction value through the issuer and acquirer. Do not combine all three event types into one unexplained complaint percentage.
- For complaints, record unique cases, affected customers, reason, opened date, current status, resolution and any remaining backlog.
- For refunds and withdrawal issues, show requested and completed amounts separately, with relevant dates and unresolved cases.
- For card disputes, retain processor references, amounts, reason codes and outcomes. State whether reporting uses receipt date or original transaction date.
If you report a rate, show the numerator, denominator and period. An internal complaints-per-customer measure is not a card-network dispute ratio. Reconcile linked cases so one customer contacting support several times does not become several unique complainants.
Visa recommends clear refund and cancellation policies and recognisable merchant names. These are useful checks when investigating complaints about expectations or unfamiliar charges. Describe the actual corrective action and its evidence; closing a ticket or issuing a refund does not by itself establish that the underlying problem is fixed.
6. Send a file the reviewer can reconcile
PayAlma’s requested documents include a licence where available, company registration and ownership information, three months of processing history, and a website with terms, refund and privacy pages. Add a metric dictionary and a short explanation of material changes so the figures can be read consistently.
- Reconcile monthly deposit totals with PSP reports; identify missing routes, currency conversion and later adjustments.
- Include FTD and STD customer counts, cohort windows and retention definitions alongside the complaint and dispute breakdown.
- Identify the person who can answer follow-up questions and provide supporting records through the agreed secure channel.
Use aggregated figures and masked references for the initial discussion, with detailed records shared only through an agreed channel. Ask which markets and methods the provider will consider and what further evidence it needs. A complete file supports assessment; it does not guarantee acceptance or determine commercial terms.
To discuss your case, use PayAlma’s Forex brokers page and Onboarding page. Bring your business profile, licence status, markets, volume and current PSP, together with the evidence above.
Sources and further reading
- Visa — Dispute resolutions: https://www.visa.com/en-us/support/business/dispute-resolution
Public reference checked on 2 November 2026. It supports the dispute definition and the policy and merchant-name checks above. The cohort calculations are editorial reporting examples; they are not Visa rules. PayAlma-specific document requirements follow its onboarding information.