- The usual pack: registration certificate, tax number, proof of trading address, bank details, director ID, sometimes trade references.
- Each item answers one question: does the company exist, is it registered for tax, where does it operate, who signs, where does money go.
- The name of the tax number changes by country. Its role does not.
- Assemble the pack once as a folder of current PDFs, and each new counterparty takes minutes.
- Aikon registration is free and is for registered companies.
What documents do you need to open a wholesale account?
Opening a trading relationship, with a supplier, a buyer or a B2B platform, follows a settled pattern. The counterparty is establishing four things: that the company is real, that it is registered where it says, who can commit it, and where payment goes.
| Document | What it proves | Who typically asks |
|---|---|---|
| Business registration or incorporation certificate | The company legally exists, under that exact name, with a registration number and formation date. | Almost every counterparty, plus banks and freight forwarders. |
| Tax registration number | The company is registered with its tax authority, so invoices can be treated correctly. | Suppliers issuing invoices, platforms, accountants, customs brokers. |
| Proof of trading address | Where the business actually operates, which is often not the registered office. | Banks, logistics partners, larger suppliers, platforms. |
| Company bank account details | Funds settle to an account in the company's own name. | Any counterparty that will pay you, and most that you pay. |
| ID for the signing director | A named individual with authority to bind the company is agreeing the terms. | Banks, platforms, counterparties opening credit terms. |
| Trade references | The company has traded before and settled as agreed. | Suppliers considering payment terms rather than prepayment. |
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What each item actually is
Registration or incorporation certificate. The document a registry issues when a company is formed. Companies House explains that the UK certificate of incorporation confirms the company legally exists and shows its number and date of formation. Equivalents exist everywhere: a trade licence in the UAE, a state filing in the US. Where a registry publishes a public record, a link is often accepted too.
Tax registration number. Same job, different name in every jurisdiction, which is what most often stalls a form.
- EU and UK: a VAT number. The European Commission runs VIES, where a counterparty can check an EU VAT number is valid.
- United States: an Employer Identification Number. The IRS describes the EIN as a nine digit federal tax ID for businesses, issued free.
- India: a GSTIN, issued on GST registration.
- Elsewhere: a TRN in the UAE, an ABN with GST registration in Australia, a general TIN elsewhere.
If a form asks for a "VAT number" and your country does not issue one, give the local equivalent with its label, for example "EIN 12-3456789". Naming the scheme saves a round trip.
Proof of trading address. A recent utility bill, lease, bank statement or rates notice in the company name. The registered office is frequently a formation agent's address, so counterparties ask separately for where the business runs from.
Company bank account details. An account in the company's own legal name, matching the entity on the invoice. A bank letter or statement header is the usual evidence, and most counterparties require the names to match.
ID for the signing director. Passport or national ID for whoever signs contracts, sometimes with proof of address.
Trade references. Two or three companies who will confirm the relationship. Usually requested only when payment terms are on the table.
Why do counterparties ask for company documents?
Standard commercial diligence, running both ways: the pack you send is the pack you should expect back. Three reasons behind it:
- Contracts need a counterparty. An agreement is only enforceable against an entity that exists and is correctly named.
- Invoicing depends on registration status. Zero rating, reverse charge and customs paperwork all key off tax registration.
- Banks and platforms have their own obligations. Financial institutions must identify the businesses they serve, which flows into the onboarding forms.
It is a file being opened, the same one every serious trading company keeps on its partners. Our guide on vetting an electronics wholesaler covers the checks running the other way.
What does "verified company" mean on a B2B platform?
The phrase is not standardized, so it means whatever a platform's policy defines. Generally it indicates the platform has taken some step to confirm an account belongs to a registered business rather than an individual, usually by reviewing registration and tax documents at sign-up. It is not normally a statement about stock, pricing or solvency on a given deal. That stays between the two companies.
What if you are a sole trader or a new company?
A sole trader has no incorporation certificate because there is nothing incorporated. The substitutes are the local business registration or trade licence, the tax registration under which you file, and a business bank account in the trading name. Many platforms and suppliers work with registered companies only, so ask first.
A newly incorporated company has the paperwork but not the history, so trade references are the gap. What works: start on prepayment and let the relationship build a reference of its own, offer the director's own trading history, or start with smaller lots. Terms are earned across a few settled deals rather than granted at introduction. The route in generally is covered in how to become a mobile phone distributor.
Build the pack once
Almost every counterparty asks for the same six items, so do it properly once:
- One named folder holding current PDFs of every document above.
- Scans that are legible and uncropped. Whole pages, right way up.
- A one page company sheet: legal name, registration and tax numbers, both addresses, bank details, named contacts for commercial and accounts.
- A note of expiry dates: a lapsed licence or ID restarts the process.
- The same pack ready to send back when you are the one checking.
Opening a new relationship then takes one email. For what comes next, see the B2B guide to used electronics wholesale, how to read a wholesale offer, and the T/T entry on bank transfers.
On Aikon, registration is free and is for registered companies. Deals are agreed and executed directly between the two companies, so this pack is what you exchange with counterparties you meet there.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need to open a wholesale account?
Usually six: a business registration or incorporation certificate, a tax registration number, proof of trading address, company bank details, identity documents for the signing director, and sometimes trade references. That pack covers most onboarding forms.
Do I need a business license to buy wholesale?
In most cases you need to be a registered business of some form, though the instrument differs by country: an incorporation certificate, a trade licence, or a sole trader registration. Many suppliers and B2B platforms work with registered companies only.
What is a tax registration number?
The number your tax authority issues when your business registers with it. The name changes by country: a VAT number in the EU and UK, an Employer Identification Number in the US, a GSTIN in India, a TRN in the UAE. The role is the same everywhere.
Can a new company open a wholesale account?
Yes. A newly incorporated company has all the documents except trade references, which take time to accumulate. The usual route is to start on prepayment or with smaller orders, settle cleanly, and let payment terms follow once a track record exists.
Why do suppliers ask for company documents?
Because a contract needs a correctly named legal entity behind it, because invoicing and cross border tax treatment depend on registration status, and because banks and platforms must identify the businesses they serve. Routine diligence, running both ways.