How to Activate Your Store

Once you have created a YouCan store, it begins in an Inactive state. To start accepting customer orders, you must complete two simple steps: add funds to your balance and select a payment gateway.

What you need

A YouCan account and store (created via How to Create a YouCan Account)
A minimum of $2 USD to top up your account balance
At least one payment gateway configured

Step 1: Top Up Your Balance

Your store requires a minimum balance of $2 to activate. To add funds:

Go to Seller Area Settings - Billing
Look for the Top Up Balance section
Enter the amount you wish to add (minimum $2)
Complete the payment using your preferred method
Your balance will update immediately

Your balance is used for:

Store activation requirement
Paying YouCan service fees
Other account transactions

Step 2: Select a Payment Gateway

Customers need a way to pay for their orders. YouCan supports multiple payment options. To configure your payment gateway:

Go to Seller Area Settings - Payment
Review the available payment gateways:
- YouCan Pay: YouCan's native payment processor
- Stripe: Accept cards with Stripe
- PayPal: Accept payments via PayPal
- COD: Cash on Delivery (collect payment when customer receives order)
Select at least one gateway
Complete the setup for your chosen gateway (API keys, account verification, etc.)
Save your payment settings

Verify Your Store Is Active

Once both steps are complete, your store status will automatically change from Inactive to Active on your Accounts Home page.

You can now:

Accept customer orders
Process payments through your selected gateway
Manage customer transactions

Troubleshooting

My balance still shows insufficient: Ensure your top-up payment was processed successfully. Check your payment method and transaction history.

Payment gateway not saving: Verify you have filled in all required fields (API keys, merchant account details, etc.). Contact the gateway provider if you encounter errors.

Store still showing Inactive: Refresh the page. If the status persists, ensure you have both a balance of at least $2 AND a payment gateway configured.

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