Afterpay Application: How to Get Approved Fast (Insider 2025 Guide)

If you’re applying for Afterpay for your online store, here’s the truth:
Most merchants get delayed or rejected simply because they don’t understand what Afterpay is looking for.

And full disclosure — I used to work at Afterpay.
I understand the approval criteria, the internal queueing system, and what actually triggers a fast approval vs a silent denial.

This guide gives you the exact steps you need to get your Afterpay application approved as quickly as possible, plus how to integrate it into Shopify, WooCommerce, and other ecommerce platforms.

---

🚀 Why Afterpay Matters for Ecommerce Stores

Before we get tactical, here’s why Afterpay is worth adding to your store:

1. Higher Conversion at Checkout

BNPL removes friction and makes higher-ticket items feel affordable.

2. Incremental Sales

Afterpay drives new customers through its Shop Directory—merchants who qualify get discoverability benefits.

3. Higher Average Order Value (AOV)

Merchants often see a 20–40% AOV lift with BNPL enabled.

4. Improved Repeat Purchases

Customers use Afterpay frequently because they trust the payment structure.

5. Simple Integration

Especially on platforms like:
– Shopify: https://www.shopify.com
– Shop Pay Installments: https://shop.app/shop-pay
– WooCommerce

---

📝 How the Afterpay Application Actually Works

Most merchants think Afterpay reviews accounts manually. In reality, the system:

• Auto-screens your business industry
• Checks your website legitimacy
• Reviews ownership and bank data
• Identifies your risk category
• Checks if your industry is restricted or high-risk
• Prioritizes accounts by projected sales volume
• Then forwards your application to an onboarding rep if needed

If any single item is mismatched or missing, your application will quietly stall.

---

🔍 Industries Afterpay Approves and Rejects

Afterpay is strict with categories because of reputational and fraud risk.

Approved Industries

✔ apparel
✔ beauty
✔ electronics
✔ home goods
✔ jewelry
✔ fitness
✔ lifestyle products
✔ specialty retail

Commonly Rejected or Delayed Industries

❌ CBD
❌ dropshipping
❌ surprise drop businesses
❌ high-dispute categories
❌ subscription boxes with unclear billing
❌ adult products
❌ weapons/accessories
❌ businesses without a real website

If your business falls into these, your Afterpay application will likely be denied or escalated.

---

🏆 How to Get Your Afterpay Application Approved (Insider Checklist)

If you want a fast approval, follow these steps exactly:

---

1. Verify Business Ownership Properly

Upload documents that match your business entity:

• LLC docs
• Articles of incorporation
• EIN letter
• Government-issued ID (matching ownership)

Don’t upload mismatched personal documents.

---

2. Make Sure Your Bank Account Matches Your Legal Entity

This is the #1 reason merchants get delayed.

Afterpay will not approve you if:

• You apply as an LLC but submit a personal checking account
• Your legal entity doesn’t match your ACH details
• You use a DBA with no supporting documents

Fix your bank account before applying.

---

3. Have a Live, Real Website

Afterpay manually checks the website to confirm:

✔ products exist
✔ pricing is visible
✔ shipping & return policies are posted
✔ contact information is real
✔ branding looks legitimate
✔ no broken pages
✔ no “coming soon” stores

If your site looks unfinished, you will be denied.

---

4. Know Your Sales Volume (This Affects Queue Priority)

Merchants with expected sales over $500K–$1M/year often get priority placement.

If you’re small, you’re still fine—you just need to be thorough.

But the more professional and prepared your application, the faster the approval.

---

5. Be Honest About What You Sell

If Afterpay finds discrepancies (industry mismatch, restricted items), they pause you indefinitely.

---

💰 How Afterpay Makes Money (Merchant Fees Explained)

Most small businesses don’t realize BNPL isn’t free.

Afterpay typically charges:

≈ 6% + $0.30 per transaction

For high-volume merchants ($1M+), the rate can drop closer to 4%–5% depending on negotiation and industry.

Merchants pay this fee because Afterpay:

• drives incremental customers
• increases cart conversion
• boosts AOV
• covers fraud risk
• handles customer non-payment

It’s essentially paid marketing + a checkout optimization tool combined.

---

🔌 Where You Can Integrate Afterpay (Shopify, WooCommerce & More)

Afterpay works seamlessly with:

Shopify

https://www.shopify.com
Works natively with Shopify Payments or external gateways.

Shop Pay Installments

https://shop.app/shop-pay
Shopify’s own BNPL alternative—often used alongside Afterpay.

WooCommerce

Great for WordPress stores. Flexible setup with payment plugins.

BigCommerce

Strong for mid-market merchants.

Square

For brick-and-mortar + online sync.

Custom Stores

via API.

If you don’t know which platform fits your business, Everyday Web can guide you.

---

🛠️ How Everyday Web Helps With Your Afterpay Application & Integration

Most merchants need help with:

• Building a professional store
• Ensuring all policies + requirements are correct
• Fixing mismatched business info
• Choosing the right ecommerce platform
• Integrating Afterpay properly
• Designing a high-conversion checkout
• Adding Klarna, Affirm, Shop Pay, and more
• Improving site speed + mobile UX
• Preparing for Afterpay’s manual review

That’s what we do best.

👉 Explore our Ecommerce Plans:
https://everydayweb.co/ecommerce-stores/

Our Essentials Ecommerce Package gets you:

✔ foundational SEO
✔ full ecommerce build
✔ payment integration
✔ BNPL setup (Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm, Shop Pay)
✔ product setup
✔ mobile optimization
✔ launch support

We’ll even help you strengthen your Afterpay application so you avoid delays.

---

🧩 Final Word: Getting Afterpay Approved Is Easy—If You Do It Right

Afterpay is powerful, but approval isn’t guaranteed.
If you follow this guide and present your business properly, you’ll avoid the delays most merchants get stuck in.

And if you want expert help setting up your store, your payments, or your Afterpay application…

👉 Start your ecommerce project with Everyday Web:
https://everydayweb.co/ecommerce-stores/

We’ll get you live, optimized, and ready to accept Afterpay the right way.