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Guides

Getting started

Getting started (dashboard)

Walk through sign-up, onboarding, and your first activated dashboard. For programmatic integrations, see API getting started.

Environment: This guide uses https://app-dev.clearway.to.

1. Create your account

1. Open the dashboard sign-up page for your brand.
2. Register with email and password (or your brand's supported auth method).
3. Verify your email when prompted — monetization features stay locked until verified.

2. Complete onboarding

From the dashboard home, follow Continue onboarding to /onboarding.

Most merchants on dev use the Express path for the fastest time-to-first-payment:

Step	What you do	What "done" looks like
Email	Confirm if not already	Green check on email step
Path choice	Choose Express	Wizard remembers Express path
Stripe embedded	Complete Stripe's hosted business form	Charges enabled on your connected account
API key	Generate or confirm your first key	One active key; prefix shown on revisit
Identity	Complete Stripe Identity (test mode OK on dev)	Return lands on dashboard with identity verified

3. Confirm you are merchant-ready

On the dashboard home you should see Merchant account activated when all gates pass:

• Email verified
• Stripe connected account with charges enabled
• Identity verification complete

If a banner still shows setup required, use Refresh status once after returning from Stripe Identity.

4. Your first payment

You do not need a saved catalog product to collect money.

Goal	Go to	Action
Ad-hoc service	Products & Payment Links → Quick charge	Name + amount → pick link type → create
Reusable catalog item	Same page → Create New Product	Save product → Charge on the card

Details: Payment links & charges.

5. View and share links

Open My Links & Checkouts (/links) to copy URLs, filter by name, and see Quick charge vs Catalog badges.

Next steps

• Payment links & charges
• Payment widget
• API getting started — automate with API keys