The Credit Key Application Flow allows customers to apply for a business line of credit before completing a purchase. Customers can launch the application from your website, financing page, ERP, CRM, or other customer touchpoints, or they can apply during checkout if they are not recognized as an existing Credit Key customer.

Offering the application before checkout enables customers to establish financing in advance, while the integrated checkout flow ensures that new customers can still apply and complete their purchase without leaving the buying experience.

This guide explains the available application integration options and helps you choose the approach that best fits your customer experience.

How the Application Flow Works

The Credit Key Application Flow follows a simple customer journey.

A customer clicks an Apply for Financing button or financing message.
The customer is redirected to the Credit Key application.
The customer completes the financing application.
Credit Key evaluates the application and provides an instant decision.
Approved customers receive a Credit Key account that can immediately be used for purchases with participating merchants.

The Application Flow can occur before checkout or as part of the checkout experience. Customers may apply for financing before they begin shopping, or Credit Key may present the application before payment when the customer is not recognized as an existing account holder.

Choose Your Implementation Approach

Credit Key supports multiple ways to launch and promote the Application Flow depending on your business needs.

Merchant Application URL

Launch the hosted Credit Key application using your unique merchant application URL.

This option requires little to no development and is ideal for:

Financing pages
Email campaigns
Sales representatives
Customer support
Offline or assisted sales

Marketing assets for promoting Credit Key are available in the Partner Assets Library. Your proprietary Merchant Application URL can be found in the Credit Key Merchant Portal and used alongside these assets to direct customers to the financing application.

Application API

Generate application URLs dynamically using the Credit Key Application API.

This option is recommended when building custom websites, customer portals, CRMs, ERPs, or other applications that require dynamically generated financing links.

See the Hosted Application Guide to learn when to use the application endpoint versus the Merchant Application URL.

On-Site Messaging

Promote Credit Key financing throughout your website using promotional messaging and financing banners.

On-Site Messaging can be displayed on:

Product Detail Pages (PDPs)
Category pages
Financing pages
Landing pages
Marketing campaigns

See the On-Site Messaging Guide.

Common Use Cases

The Application Flow is commonly used to promote financing before customers reach checkout.

Typical implementations include:

Adding an Apply for Financing button to your website navigation.
Creating a dedicated financing page.
Displaying financing messaging on product detail pages.
Including financing links in email campaigns.
Sending financing links from a CRM or ERP.
Allowing sales representatives to share financing links directly with customers.
Supporting offline or assisted sales.

What's Next

Continue to the Checkout Overview