A merchant's website is often the single richest source of risk signal available before any transaction is processed. A structured digital presence review treats it that way, checking it against the same policy criteria used to approve the merchant in the first place.

Identity: does the site match the business?

The first job is to confirm the site belongs to the entity that was onboarded. Company name, legal or trading identity, contact details, and terms should reconcile with the onboarding record. A site that names a different entity, or gives no verifiable identity at all, is a finding in itself.

Activity: what is actually being sold?

The review confirms that what the site sells matches what the merchant said it sells, and that it falls inside the accepted-business policy. This includes looking past the homepage: category pages, product listings, and the checkout flow often reveal activity that a landing page does not. Where a site offers something restricted or prohibited, the review documents exactly where and how.

  • Products and categories against the approved model and MCC.
  • Prohibited or restricted content anywhere on the site, not only the front page.
  • Claims and licences. If the merchant advertises a regulated activity, does it evidence the authorisation that activity requires?

Consumer-facing basics

Legitimate merchants generally make it easy for customers to understand what they are buying and how to get help. Their absence is a risk signal.

  • Clear pricing, including recurring or subscription terms where relevant.
  • A findable refund and cancellation policy.
  • Working contact information and customer support routes.
  • Terms and conditions and a privacy policy.
  • A valid secure connection on pages that collect payment or personal data.

Look at the checkout, not just the shop. The billing descriptor customers see, the payment methods offered, and any redirects at checkout can tell you more about how an account is really used than the marketing pages ever will.

The wider footprint

A digital presence is more than one website. App store listings, social profiles, marketplace storefronts, and linked domains can all reveal activity, complaints, or affiliations that the primary site omits. Adverse media and consumer-complaint signals round out the reputational picture.

Mapping findings back to policy

Every observation in a digital presence review should tie back to a specific criterion: an accepted-business rule, a scheme requirement, or a consumer-protection expectation. That mapping is what turns "the site looks off" into a defensible finding with a clear recommended action. A review that is not anchored to policy produces opinions; one that is anchored produces decisions.

A repeatable check

Because websites change, a digital presence review is rarely a one-time exercise. Capturing what the site looked like on the review date, and re-checking on a schedule or on trigger, is how the record stays current and how change over time becomes visible.