Trade Shield | Knowledge Centre COMPLIANCE

Understanding The Requirements When Using Skip Application for New Customers

5 min read 4 steps

Summary

This article explains what happens when selecting "Skip sending application" for a new applicant, and outlines the documentation required for Trade Shield to conduct a credit check — in line with POPIA compliance requirements.

Prerequisites

✓ Access to Trade Shield	✓ Permission to initiate credit applications
✓ At least one of the following consent documents available: Signed paper-based credit application, Bank statements, or Annual Financial Statements

In this article

1. What does Skip Application mean?	2. Why consent is required
3. Required documentation	4. What happens if no documents are attached?

What does "Skip Application" mean?

When initiating a credit application for a new applicant, you can choose whether the application is sent to the applicant to complete online, or whether you skip that step entirely.

Selecting "Skip sending application" means:

→	The application will not be sent to the applicant to fill in or sign.
→	You must upload documentation that provides explicit applicant consent — otherwise Trade Shield cannot proceed with a credit check.

NEW APPLICATION — SKIP OPTION

app.tradeshield.ai/applications/new

Initiate Credit Application

Applicant Name

ABC Trading (Pty) Ltd

Send Application to Applicant?

✓ Skip sending application Send to applicant

You are skipping the customer-facing application. You must upload supporting consent documents to proceed.

ⓘ Tip: The Skip option is useful when you already have the applicant's signed credit application or financial documents on hand and do not need them to complete an online form.

↓

Why Consent Is Required — POPIA Compliance

Trade Shield cannot legally process personal or financial information without applicant consent. This is a strict requirement under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

Consent is valid only if the applicant has:

✓	Completed and signed a paper-based application, or
✓	Signed the digital application, or
✓	Provided another form of written, explicit approval.

If the applicant has not signed either the paper-based or digital application, consent has not been granted — meaning a credit assessment cannot proceed.

Processing information without consent would:

⚠	Breach POPIA regulations
⚠	Compromise applicant privacy rights
⚠	Put your organisation at compliance risk

⚠ Note: If no consent documents are attached when using Skip Application, Trade Shield will block the credit check from proceeding. This is not a system error — it is a compliance control.

↓

Required Documentation

To remain compliant with POPIA, at least one of the following must be attached when skipping the applicant-facing application:

Signed paper-based credit application

A completed and signed physical or scanned credit application form.

Bank statements

Recent bank statements provided by the applicant.

Annual Financial Statements

The applicant's audited or management financial statements.

These documents provide the necessary permission for Trade Shield to:

✓	Verify applicant information
✓	Perform credit checks
✓	Conduct a credit limit assessment

DOCUMENT UPLOAD — CONSENT DOCUMENTS

app.tradeshield.ai/applications/new/documents

Attach Supporting Documents

⇧ Upload Consent Document

PDF, JPG or PNG accepted · Max 10MB

✓ Credit Application (signed).pdf

ⓘ Tip: You can attach more than one document. Attaching multiple consent documents strengthens your compliance record.

↓

What happens if no documents are attached?

If none of the required consent documents are attached, Trade Shield cannot legally process the application.

The system will block the credit check and display a compliance warning. You will need to either:

1.	Upload one of the accepted consent documents and proceed, or
2.	Go back and send the digital application to the applicant instead.

COMPLIANCE BLOCK — NO DOCUMENTS ATTACHED

app.tradeshield.ai/applications/new/submit

Consent Documentation Required

No consent documents have been attached. Trade Shield cannot process this credit application without documented applicant consent under POPIA. Please attach a signed credit application, bank statements, or annual financial statements to continue.

← Go Back Submit (blocked)

⚠ Note: This block is intentional and is not a system error. It exists to protect both your organisation and your applicants from POPIA violations. Contact support if you believe you have attached the correct documents but are still blocked.

Need more help?

The support team is ready to assist

support@tradeshield.ai

+27 (0) 10 753 1630