Launching an e-pin site is less about design and more about getting the money flow right before the first customer arrives. Codes must be in stock or available from a supplier, payments must be approved by a provider, and every order must be traceable. This step-by-step guide walks through the launch in the order that saves the most time.
It is written for sellers of game keys, gift cards, e-pins and game top-ups. It is general guidance, not legal or tax advice.
Step 1: business and legal basics
Before you talk to suppliers or payment providers, you need a business they can say yes to.
- Register a company in the country where you will operate. Most wholesale suppliers and payment providers will not work with individuals.
- Open a business bank account in the company's name.
- Check the rules that apply to you: consumer protection for digital content, refund rules, tax on digital sales, and whether you need to verify customer age for certain games.
- Prepare your policies: terms of sale, refund policy, privacy policy and contact details. Payment providers usually read these during review.
A local accountant or lawyer is worth an hour of your time here. Rules differ a lot between countries.
Step 2: supplier accounts and API access
Your suppliers decide what you can sell and at what margin.
- Choose one or two wholesalers that cover the brands your customers want. Starting with fewer suppliers makes testing easier.
- Apply for a reseller account. Expect a verification process similar to a payment provider's.
- Request API access and test credentials. Ask about live prices, stock checks, order status and how refunds work when an order fails.
- Fund your supplier balance. Many suppliers work on prepaid balances, so plan your working capital.
- Ask for the price list so you can calculate margins before setting retail prices.
Kavia Commerce has 4 prebuilt supplier integrations. Kavia Start includes 1, Kavia Pro includes 3, and Kavia Max includes all of them plus one new custom integration per month.
Step 3: domain and brand
Pick a short domain that is easy to say and type, and avoid trademarks of the games or platforms you sell. Prepare a logo in a vector or high-resolution format and decide on your main brand color. These are part of the setup checklist, so have them ready early.
Step 4: payments and provider approval
This step usually takes the longest, so start it in parallel with steps 2 and 3.
- Apply to more than one provider. Digital goods are often classified as higher risk, and providers approve businesses on their own schedule.
- Prepare your documents: company registration, website with policies, a description of what you sell and where your codes come from.
- Compare fees. For reference, Stripe's standard US pricing is 2.9% + 30 cents per domestic card payment, with an extra 1.5% for international cards and 1% for currency conversion. PayPal's US fee page lists 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal Checkout.
- Start with what is ready. In Kavia Commerce, bank transfer with staff approval works out of the box, so you can take orders while waiting. Card gateways and Russian methods such as SBP, Mir and YooMoney through an aggregator are connected on request once the provider approves your business. See payment options for details. Telegram Stars is planned for the bot.
Step 5: catalog and pricing
- Prepare a catalog file with categories, product names, descriptions and images. A spreadsheet is fine.
- Decide on delivery type for each product: codes from your own stock, live supplier orders, automatic game top-ups or manual orders.
- Set your pricing rules. Start from supplier cost, add payment fees and a margin that still competes. Revisit prices weekly at first.
- Translate where it matters. Kavia Start includes 2 storefront languages and Pro includes 4, chosen from English, Russian, Turkish and Arabic. Prices can be shown in USD, EUR or RUB.
- Set reseller price groups if you plan to sell to other shops through the reseller panel and API (Pro and above).
Step 6: choose a theme
Your theme sets first impressions. Open the live demo and switch between the 9 store themes to see how your catalog will look on desktop and mobile. Pick the one that matches your audience: a dark gaming look for key buyers, a cleaner layout for gift cards. Then apply your logo and colors.
Step 7: test orders
Do not skip this. Run real tests before you announce anything.
- Place a test order for each delivery type: stock code, supplier order, top-up and manual order.
- Test a failed supplier order and confirm the customer balance is refunded correctly.
- Test every payment method you have enabled, including a bank transfer approval by staff.
- Check emails and notifications in every storefront language.
- Review the admin panel: order history, staff roles, two-factor login and the audit log.
Step 8: launch
When setup and tests are done, go live with a short checklist:
- Remove test products and test balances.
- Confirm supplier balances are funded.
- Make sure someone can answer support messages during the first days.
- Watch the first orders closely and be ready to adjust prices.
With Kavia Start and Pro, setup takes about 7 days from the moment we have your domain, logo, catalog file and supplier accounts. Payment provider approval runs on the provider's own timeline, which is why step 4 starts early.
Step 9: marketing basics
A new store needs traffic before it needs more features.
- SEO: write clear product and category pages in each language you support, and answer the questions buyers actually search for.
- Community: gaming players gather on Telegram, Discord and forums. A Telegram sales bot (Pro and above) lets customers buy where they already talk.
- Retention: coupons, campaigns, loyalty and referral programs bring buyers back.
- Resellers: smaller shops and streamers can resell your catalog through the reseller panel, which grows volume without extra ad spend.
- Measure: track which products sell, which payment methods convert and where customers drop off.
Ready to start?
If you have your company, a supplier in mind and a domain, you are most of the way there. Compare the plans on our pricing page or get in touch with your catalog and supplier list, and we will tell you what the setup will need.
Questions
How long does it take to launch an e-pin site?
With Kavia Start or Pro, setup takes about 7 days once your domain, logo, catalog file and supplier accounts are ready. Payment provider approval runs on the provider's own schedule, so start it early.
Can I take payments before a card gateway is approved?
Yes. Bank transfer with staff approval is built in, so you can accept orders while card gateways or other methods are being reviewed.
Do I need my own supplier accounts?
Yes. You sign up with wholesalers directly and connect them through the prebuilt integrations. Your supplier terms and margins stay between you and the supplier.
Is this legal advice?
No. The business and legal step is general guidance. Rules on digital sales, tax and refunds vary by country, so check them with a local professional.