> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rc.cleverhub.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Hello Clever Platform Overview

> How the Hello Clever platform fits together: merchant accounts, payment methods by market, balances and money movement, the Merchant Portal, Clever AI, and compliance.

This section explains how the Hello Clever platform works, so you understand the moving parts before you build against them. It covers the account you sign up for, the payment methods available in each market, how your balances and accounts are structured, what you can do from the Merchant Portal, and the compliance controls behind it all.

<Note>
  These pages explain concepts and platform behaviour. When you are ready to connect a store or write code, go to the [Developers Reference](/integrations/choosing-integration) and the [API Reference](/api/overview).
</Note>

***

## What is in this section

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a Merchant Account" icon="user-plus" href="/create-merchant-account">
    The two ways to get an account, choosing between live and sandbox, and the full sign-up process.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Payment concepts" icon="money-bill-transfer" href="/platform-overview/payment-concepts/overview">
    Real-time bank payments, recurring payments, and cards across Australia, Japan, the United States, and beyond.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Clever Connect" icon="wallet" href="/platform-overview/clever-concepts/overview">
    Balance models, Payments Accounts, Treasury Accounts, and how money moves between them.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Merchant Portal" icon="gauge-high" href="/portal/overview">
    Monitor payins and payouts, manage balances, run cashback campaigns, and control team access.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Clever AI" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/clever-ai/actionable-insights">
    Continuous recommendations from your transaction data, plus the [Forecaster](/clever-ai/forecaster) for testing scenarios.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Customer guides" icon="cart-shopping" href="/platform-overview/customer-guides/regular-checkout">
    What your customers see at checkout: regular, express, and guest flows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compliance" icon="shield-halved" href="/platform-overview/compliance/soc-2-compliant">
    SOC 2, data handling, KYC, and AML/CTF obligations.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## A path through the platform

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get an account">
    Sign up for a sandbox account to test freely, or a live account to transact. [Create a Merchant Account](/create-merchant-account) walks through both.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Learn how payments work in your markets">
    Each country has its own bank payment rails, recurring-payment methods, and card schemes. Start with the [payment concepts fundamentals](/platform-overview/payment-concepts/real-time-a2a), then read the pages for the markets you sell into.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Understand where your money sits">
    Your balance model is set once during onboarding and cannot be changed afterwards, so read [balance models](/platform-overview/clever-concepts/balance-models) before you decide. [Clever Connect](/platform-overview/clever-concepts/overview) covers accounts, balances, and transfers.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run it from the Portal">
    The [Merchant Portal](/portal/overview) is where you watch payments, move funds, and manage campaigns day to day. It is also where you generate the [integration keys](/integration-keys) your plugin or API calls need.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Payments by market

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Australia" icon="flag" href="/platform-overview/payment-concepts/npp-payid-payto">
    NPP real-time payments, PayID, PayTo, BPAY, and Australian card schemes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Japan" icon="flag" href="/platform-overview/payment-concepts/bank-transfers">
    Zengin bank transfers, the More Time System, account transfer, and JCB.
  </Card>

  <Card title="United States" icon="flag" href="/platform-overview/payment-concepts/instant-payments">
    FedNow and RTP instant payments, ACH credit and debit, and US card schemes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multi-currency and cross-border" icon="globe" href="/platform-overview/payment-concepts/multi-currency-payins-payouts">
    Collecting and paying out across currencies, plus how FX and settlement work.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Where to go next

* [Get Started with Hello Clever](/getting-started/overview): pick an integration path and make your first test payment
* [Choosing an integration](/integrations/choosing-integration): match your platform and business model to a plugin or the API
* [Integration Keys](/integration-keys): generate the `app-id` and `secret-key` that authenticate every request
* [API Reference](/api/overview): how the payment, card, and cashback APIs fit together


## Related topics

- [Hello Clever API Overview](/api/overview.md)
- [Overview](/platform-overview/payment-concepts/overview.md)
- [Clever Connect Overview](/platform-overview/clever-concepts/overview.md)