Help guide
A step-by-step guide for connecting your host account with Stripe — our payments platform. The first part is on a computer; the identity verification step happens on your phone. The whole process takes about 10 minutes if you have your documents ready.
Part 1
Sign in to VelekaVibe, click your avatar in the top right, choose Profile, then select Payments from the left-hand menu. If this is your first time, your Stripe Connect status will read "Not connected to Stripe yet" — that's expected.
Before redirecting you, VelekaVibe shows a quick checklist of what Stripe will ask for: an ID document, an IBAN where payouts should land, your home address, and your date of birth. Have these ready — onboarding takes about 5 minutes once everything is in front of you.
Tip: You don't need a Stripe account in advance. Clicking the button creates a free Stripe Express account for you automatically.
You'll land on Stripe's secure Express onboarding. Enter the email address you want associated with your payouts — usually the same one you use on VelekaVibe.
Stripe sends a 6-digit code to your phone. Enter it on the next screen. If you don't see the SMS, tap "Resend code" or "Use a different phone number".
Stripe asks for your date of birth, home address, and phone number. The country defaults to where you signed up; for Bulgarian hosts this is Bulgaria + a +359 phone number.
Choose EUR as the currency and Bulgaria as the bank country (or your own country if you live elsewhere). Enter your IBAN twice to confirm. Stripe uses SEPA Direct Debit, so any euro IBAN works.
Tip: From 2026, Bulgaria uses the euro. All VelekaVibe payouts are in EUR — even to Bulgarian banks.
If you're hosting as an individual, that's just you. Click "Continue" to start the identity verification flow. (You can tap "Skip for now" — but the account stays inactive until verification is complete, so it's faster to do it now.)
Pick "Selfie and photo ID" — it's the recommended option and verifies instantly. The alternative (Address document + photo ID) takes 1–3 days because a human reviews it.
A small dialog explains that Stripe will take a photo of your ID and a selfie, and that biometric technology compares them. Read the privacy notice and click "Agree and continue".
Stripe shows a QR code. Open your phone's camera and point it at the code — it'll open the verification flow on your phone, which has the camera you need to photograph your ID and your face.
Leave the desktop tab open while you finish on your phone — it updates automatically when the phone flow completes. Switch to your phone now (next section).
Part 2
After scanning the QR code on the desktop, your phone takes over.
Stripe explains what's coming: you'll photograph the front and back of your ID, then take a selfie. Tap "I'm ready" to start. Have your ID document in hand — passport, national ID, or driver's licence.
Stripe asks the page for camera access. Tap "Grant access" — without this you can't continue.
Your phone shows a second native dialog: "Allow verify.stripe.com to use your camera?". Tap "Allow". This is the operating system asking, separate from the page.
Hold the ID flat, in good light, fully inside the frame. Stripe checks the photo automatically. When the front is accepted, the screen says "Flip your ID over" — turn the document and photograph the back the same way.
Tip: If the photo is rejected, retry on a darker, non-reflective background. Avoid glare on lamination.
Stripe matches your face to the photo on your ID. The screen guides you to position your face inside an oval and hold still for a second. The optional "Help us improve verifications" consent is for Stripe's internal model training — accept or decline as you prefer; the verification works either way.
The phone shows "We're reviewing your details — you can return to your other device". You can close the phone tab. Switch back to your desktop browser tab — it'll have updated automatically.
Part 3
On the desktop you'll see "Thanks for submitting your information — your information is in review. Typically takes 24 hours." Most accounts are approved within a few hours; rarely it takes 1–2 business days. You can list properties on VelekaVibe in the meantime; bookings can be confirmed only after approval. You'll get an email from Stripe when it's done.
Once Stripe approves your account, your VelekaVibe status flips to "Connected to Stripe" with two green checks: ✅ Charges (you can accept payments) and ✅ Payouts (you can receive money).
From now on, every booking automatically routes the host portion to your IBAN, on the schedule you chose in your Stripe dashboard.
No. Creating a Stripe Express account is free. Stripe charges a standard processing fee on each booking (typically 1.4–2.9% + a small fixed amount), deducted automatically — VelekaVibe doesn't add anything on top.
A government-issued photo ID — passport, national ID, or driver's licence — plus your home address, date of birth, IBAN, and a selfie. For business hosts, also a tax ID / ЕИК. Everything stays with Stripe; VelekaVibe never sees these documents.
Yes — the desktop QR-code step is just a convenience for people who started on a computer. If you open /dashboard/profile/payments on your phone in the first place, Stripe runs the entire flow (form + camera + selfie) on the phone directly.
By default daily — every weekday, Stripe sends out the payouts that have cleared. You can change this to weekly or monthly in your Stripe dashboard. The first payout typically arrives 7 days after your first booking — Stripe's standard new-account hold.
Stripe sends an email explaining what's missing or wrong (usually an unclear ID photo or an address mismatch). Open Payments on VelekaVibe — your status card shows "Stripe needs more information" with a button to fix it. Most issues are resolved with a clearer photo of the ID document.
No. VelekaVibe uses Stripe Connect Express, which creates a separate platform-bound account for each connection. Even if Stripe recognises your email and pre-fills some details, you go through onboarding for this new account. The good news: with the same email, identity verification often takes seconds the second time.
Yes — there's a Disconnect option in your VelekaVibe Payments page (or contact support). Existing reservations keep their original payout routing — you still get paid for them. Only future bookings are affected.
Ready to get started?
Go to Payments