# Sign Up for a Finix Account

You can easily sign up for a Finix account using the steps below.

## Step 1: Sign Up for a Finix Sandbox

Create a Finix account by filling out and submitting the [account creation form](https://dashboard.finix.com/signup).

![Sign Up Page](/assets/sign-up-page.718b109fad9c0a97dd193d78fe3ba16e7b13a4ab6d45b365cf0a88a415a50322.08ff7529.svg)

### Choose Your Dashboard

When you sign up for a Finix account, you'll get prompted to choose a dashboard. Choose the option that best describes your business.

![Dashboard](/assets/dashboard-exp.9b849c4b23d7107dfbfaa90e3305000309a217e827be5f2b821cdc54ba66d5d1.08ff7529.svg)

For most businesses, we recommend choosing **Direct Merchant.**

If you're onboarding sellers or processing payments on behalf of sellers, we recommend choosing either:

- **Software Platforms**
- **Marketplaces**


Use the following questionnaire to decide the best experience for your business. You can always reach out to your Finix point of contact or [Finix Support](mailto:support@finix.com) if you have any questions about which works best for you.

details
summary
Help Choosing Your Finix Dashboard 
| Question | Answer |
|  --- | --- |
| 1. Do you onboard sellers? (i.e. You onboard sellers and process payments on their behalf.) | Yes: Next Question.No: Choose Direct Merchant. |
| 2. Do your sellers process In-Person Payments? (e.g. Buyers swipe a card, Tap to Pay, use the EMV chip to pay, etc.) | Yes: Choose Software Platform.No: Choose Marketplace. |


### Logging into the Dashboard

The sandbox account you gain access to is an [`Application`](/additional-resources/developers/resources-and-payment-flows/key-resources#applications) that represents your business in the Finix API. After gaining access to the sandbox, you can log in to your Finix Dashboard and:

- [Add new Team Members](/guides/managing-operations/managing-team-members/) from **Company** > **Team.**
- [Create API Keys](/additional-resources/developers/authentication-and-api-basics/api-keys) in the **Developer** tab of the dashboard and share them with your developers so they can start [developing their integration](/guides/getting-started/integration-overview).
- Create new roles. See [Roles and Permissions](/guides/managing-operations/managing-team-members/roles-permissions) for a breakdown of the different dashboard roles and permissions.


Once you have a live account, you'll see an account selection screen where you can choose to enter a sandbox or live account.

## Step 2: Build Your Finix Integration

With access to a sandbox account, you can begin building and integrating into Finix.

Once you've decided on the dashboard to use, get started building your payment experience by reviewing the relevant resources which guide you through building an integration with Finix:

| Finix Account | Online Payments | In-Person Payments | Onboard Sellers | Manage Sellers | Resources |
|  --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Finix for Businesses | X | X |  |  | [Developer Quickstart](/guides/getting-started/developer-quickstart)[Integration Checklist](/additional-resources/developers/implementation-and-testing/integration-checklist) |
| Finix for Software Platforms | X | X | X | X | [Platform Quickstart](/guides/platform-payments/platform-quickstart/)[Platform Checklist](/guides/platform-payments/platform-checklist) |
| Finix for Marketplaces | X |  | X | X | [Platform Quickstart](/guides/platform-payments/platform-quickstart/)[Platform Checklist](/guides/platform-payments/platform-checklist) |


**Note:** We recommended applying for a live account before completing your integration.

### Sandbox and Live Environments

Finix maintains two separate systems or *environments*:

- A **sandbox environment** where you build and test your integration with Finix.
- A **live environment** where you'll process live transactions and actual money movements.


Anything in sandbox environments will not affect real money, so you can experiment in sandbox environments and rest assured funds won't move. Once you think you're ready, you can apply for live access.

When you gain live access, you're granted a live environment. You'll still have your sandbox account, so you can keep your sandbox and live environments separate.

## Step 3: Apply for a Live Account

Before a live environment can be granted, Finix needs to evaluate your business and integration. Access to a live environment enables you to process live transactions and initiate real money movements.

If you are interested in a live account, reach out to [the Finix Sales team](https://finix.com/contact-us).