AML / KYC policy of Visaya Capital

1. Introduction

Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures exist to prevent the platform from being used to disguise the origin of funds, to finance unlawful activity, or to operate under stolen identities. For you, they are the reason a fraudster cannot open an account in your name. For us, they are obligations we accept under Philippine requirements, including those connected to the Anti-Money Laundering Act as applied to our activities. Where countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) obligations apply to a specific service or partner, the same processes cover them.

2. What KYC is

KYC is the process of confirming that each client is who they claim to be, and that the details they give us are genuine, current, and consistent. In practice it means we collect your name, date of birth, contact details, and a government-issued identity document, then check that the document is valid and that the person presenting it exists and matches the record. Identity verification is completed before an account can be activated for live trading.

3. What AML is

AML is the broader framework around those checks: a risk assessment of every client and relationship, ongoing monitoring of transactions for patterns that do not fit the client profile, and the reporting obligations that follow when something cannot be explained. Monitoring is proportional: most accounts generate no flags at all, and a flag is a question to answer, not an accusation.

4. Why identity verification is required

Verification protects you first. It prevents someone else from opening an account in your name, stops stolen payment credentials from being laundered through your identity, and gives you a documented basis for recovering the account if you ever lose access. It also protects every other user of the platform, because a verified community is a hard target for fraud rings. Finally, it is how we comply with the applicable Philippine requirements described on our Licensing and regulation page.

5. Documents we ask for

To verify identity, we accept current, unexpired government-issued photo ID: a Philippine passport, driver's license, UMID, or PhilSys national ID. To verify address where it is required, we accept a recent utility bill, bank statement, or barangay-certified document in your name, dated within the last three months. Where a session requires it, we may also ask for a live selfie or a short liveness check to confirm the person holding the document is its owner. We do not request documents we cannot process, and we never ask for your passwords or one-time codes.

6. The verification process, step by step

Verification runs in five steps:

1. Registration. You create the account with your name, email, and phone number.
2. Submission. You upload your ID document and, where requested, a proof of address or selfie through the secure dashboard form.
3. Automatic check. The system validates the document format, expiry, and readability, and matches the portrait to the selfie where one is used.
4. Manual review. Cases the automatic check cannot fully resolve go to a compliance reviewer, who may ask one clarifying document.
5. Result. You are informed by email whether verification succeeded, or exactly what is needed to finish it.

7. Enhanced due diligence

Some accounts receive enhanced due diligence (EDD): accounts with higher expected volumes, complex ownership structures, or risk indicators from screening. EDD can mean additional documents proving the source of funds, such as employment certificates, business registration records, or sale contracts, and a longer review window. EDD is applied to the risk profile, not to nationality, and it is explained to you when it applies.

8. How long verification takes

A clean, complete submission is typically verified within one business day, and often faster during Philippine working hours. Manual review cases take up to three business days. Processing time depends on document quality, whether the automatic check can match your selfie, whether EDD applies, and how quickly you respond to a single clarifying request. You can see the status of your verification in the dashboard at any time.

9. Why verification can be declined or suspended

A submission can be declined or paused for: an expired, damaged, or unreadable document; details that do not match your registration data; suspected alteration of a document; a selfie that cannot be matched; a proof of address that is too old or not in your name; a missing response to an information request within the stated window; or an applicable sanction or legal restriction. A decline always comes with the reason and, in most cases, the ability to resubmit corrected documents.

10. Transaction monitoring

Deposits and withdrawals are monitored against your declared profile. Patterns that may trigger a review include activity sharply inconsistent with your stated goals, rapid pass-through of funds, or connections to previously flagged addresses. Where a review is opened, specific functions such as withdrawals can be temporarily limited until the review concludes. Reviews are documented, and their outcome is communicated to you.

11. Your responsibilities as a user

You are responsible for providing accurate, current, and genuine information, and for updating it when it changes. Using another person's documents, allowing a third party to operate your account, or misrepresenting the source of your funds are violations that lead to suspension and, where required, reporting. Providing false information can also delay or forfeit withdrawals, because funds whose origin cannot be established cannot be released.

12. Storage and protection of verification data

Verification data is stored only as long as the purpose requires, encrypted in transit and at rest, and access is restricted to the compliance roles that need it. Full details of retention periods and safeguards are in our Privacy Policy, which operates alongside this policy.

13. Who verification data can be shared with

Where applicable, verification data may be processed by: identity-verification providers performing document and biometric checks; IT providers hosting platform systems under data-processing terms; affiliated companies involved in providing the service; and regulators or competent authorities in the Philippines where the law requires disclosure. Sharing is limited to what each purpose requires, and every recipient is bound by confidentiality obligations.

14. Compliance with applicable requirements

Visaya Capital maintains its KYC and AML procedures to comply with the Philippine requirements applicable to its technology and information services, including identity-verification and reporting obligations under the AML Act described on our Licensing page. Procedures are reviewed periodically and updated when the applicable requirements change.

15. Contact for KYC and AML questions

If a document request seems unclear, or you want to check that a message about verification genuinely came from us, write to [email protected]. The Client Support & Compliance team answers verification questions during Monday to Friday, 9:00–18:00 PHT (excluding public holidays), usually within one business hour.