Client onboarding is the first step in the Firm Verify AML/CTF compliance process. You use it to capture the information required for the AUSTRAC onboarding forms before customer due diligence (CDD) can begin under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (Cth).
This article explains how to start onboarding for a new or existing client, complete each page of the onboarding screen, and generate the onboarding.
Contents
1. Overview
The client onboarding screen is a four-page workflow:
- Details – where you enter or confirm details for your client.
- Related parties – where you add all related parties for this client, including representatives, key position holders and beneficial owners.
- Documents – where you can add documents to the client. This page is optional.
- Services – where you select the designated services and delivery channels for this client.
The fields and steps you see adapt to the client type you select. Firm Verify supports these client types:
- Individual / Sole Trader
- Company
- Trust
- Self Managed Super Fund
- Partnership
- Association
- Government Body
2. Navigation
| From the main toolbar, select Clients. | |
| Select Start. |
3. Start onboarding
On the Clients screen, select Start, then choose one of the following options:
- Adding a client or group of clients – use this to create a new client, entity or client group that isn't in Firm Verify yet. You choose the client type, enter the client's details and assignment settings, then either save the client or start onboarding straight away.
- Importing clients from a spreadsheet – Use this to import clients you recorded in the Interim Verification tool. Imported clients are added with the Client status Active, so you don't onboard them here. See Import Clients from the Interim Verification Tool.
-
Onboarding a client (under Continue with an existing client) – use this for a client or contact already in Firm Verify.
Add a client or group of clients
1 |
Choose the client type. Select Group, Individual / Sole Trader, Company, Trust, Self Managed Super Fund, Partnership, Association or Government Body. |
2 |
Enter the details. The details screen differs for each client type. |
3 |
Configure the assignment settings. |
4 |
Select Save |
Use Next and Previous to move between steps, or Cancel to exit.
Continue with an existing client
1 |
Search for the client. |
2 |
Select the client's contact to open the client onboarding screen. |
Already created the contact?
You can also start onboarding in either of these ways:
- On the Clients screen, search for the contact, then under Actions, select the three dots and select Onboarding.
- On the client's information screen, select Start Workflow and select Onboarding.
4. Complete the client onboarding screen
The client onboarding screen is where you capture the information required for the AUSTRAC onboarding forms. It has four pages: Details, Related parties, Documents and Services.
Work through each page and select Next to continue.
Select Save for later to keep your progress and return later, or Cancel to exit.
Details
This page shows the client's details and asks for the information needed to assess the client.
- Information you entered when you created the client's profile displays here. The client name and client type can't be changed on this page.
- Complete the required fields. These depend on the client type. For example, Occupation displays for Individual / Sole Trader clients. Cash or Virtual Assets is required for all client types.
- For Individual / Sole Trader clients only, indicate whether the client is a politically exposed person (PEP), a close associate or family member of a PEP, or a sole trader. When you toggle any of these to Yes, more fields display:
- Politically exposed person (PEP) – Position and Description (both required).
- Close associate or family member of a PEP – Position and Description (both required).
- Sole trader – Business Address and Nature of Business (required), and Trading name and ABN (optional).
Related parties
This page is where you add everyone connected to the client, including representatives, key position holders and beneficial owners.
- For Individual / Sole Trader clients only, the Self-representation? question displays. Select whether the client Represents themselves or Has a client representative.
- To add a related party, select Add related party and select their Relationship to Client.
- If the relationship is Representative, the Authority to act field displays. If you select Yes, enter the details of the authority.
Documents
This page is where you can add documents to the client. This step is optional, so you can continue to the Services page without adding any documents.
Your uploaded documents are kept
Any documents you upload stay attached when you move between pages. When you select Save for later, your uploaded files are saved with your progress and are there when you return.
Services
This page is where you select the designated services to be provided and the delivery channels for this client. The options listed come from your firm's risk assessment.
- Service to Provide (required) – select all services that will be provided to this client.
- Delivery Channel – select the channels through which services will be delivered.
- Assigned to (required) – select the staff member responsible for this client.
Generate the onboarding
To finalise onboarding, select Generate.
If any page is incomplete, a Complete the following to generate onboarding message displays on the Services page. It lists each page that needs fixing with a Has error label. Select a page in the list to go straight to the part you need to fix.
Generating also downloads a Client Onboarding Record that shows all the information you entered.
Once onboarding is complete, the client's status updates to Active on the Clients screen.
5. Frequently asked questions
Can I change the client type during onboarding?
No. The client name and client type are shown on the Details page but can't be edited there. To change the client type, update it from the client's record before you start onboarding.
Does Firm Verify look up the ABN or ACN for me?
No. Enter the ABN or ACN manually.
Do I need to add documents before I can continue?
No. The Documents page is optional, so you can move to the Services page without adding any documents.
Where do the services and delivery channels come from?
They come from your firm's risk assessment.
What happens if Generate doesn’t finish?
If the onboarding can’t be generated, your client’s status doesn’t change to Active. Check for any error message, fix the issue and select Generate again.
Is client onboarding recorded in the audit log?
Yes. Each time you select Save for later or Generate, Firm Verify records a Save entry in the audit log. The entry shows the onboarding details before and after the save, so you can see which related parties, documents, services and delivery channels were added, changed or removed. Sensitive details, such as TFNs, names, dates of birth, contact details and identity numbers, show as ***. Selecting Cancel doesn’t create an entry.
To view these entries, go to Settings > Audit Log and select Clients - Onboarding in the Module filter. See Audit Log.
Related articles
To add clients or change their details, see How to Add and Manage Clients. To start CDD once onboarding is complete, see Initial Client Due Diligence.
Last checked against the 5 November 2026 release.