Guide 2: Claim Your Store
Make it officially yours. 8 minutes. Then you can take orders.
What "claiming" actually means
Right now, your store at aurelua.com/yourbrand is a preview. Anyone could theoretically claim it — including someone pretending to be you. Claiming is the step where you prove you own the Instagram handle, then connect the store to your real account, payment, and contact details.
After claiming, you can:
- Take real orders
- Receive payments to your bank
- Edit products and pricing
- Reply to buyers via WhatsApp
- Use the seller dashboard
Before claiming, the store is just a beautiful preview.
What you'll need ready
Have these in front of you before you start. Takes 30 seconds to gather.
- ✅ Your phone (so you can edit your IG bio)
- ✅ Email address — for login + order notifications
- ✅ Mobile number — international format (e.g.
+27 82 123 4567) - ✅ A password you'll remember
- ✅ Your IG login in case you need to edit your bio
Bank account details are not required at this step. You can add them later.
Step-by-step
1. Tap "Claim this store"
On your store page (aurelua.com/yourbrand), look for the "Claim this store" button — usually at the top right, or pinned to the bottom on mobile.
2. Get your verification code
Aurelua generates a unique code that looks like:
aurelua-X3F92K
This code is only for you, only valid for 15 minutes. The point of this step is to prove that you actually control the Instagram account — not someone pretending to be you.
3. Paste the code into your IG bio
Open Instagram. Go to your profile. Tap Edit Profile. In the Bio field, paste the code at the end of whatever's already there:
Cape Town florist 🌹 same-day delivery
aurelua-X3F92K
Save your bio. Switch back to Aurelua.
4. Tap "Verify code in bio"
Aurelua re-reads your Instagram bio and looks for the code. This usually takes 5-10 seconds. Sometimes Instagram is slow to update — if it doesn't find it, wait 30 seconds and try again.
If you get "Code not found in bio" three times, double-check:
- Did you save the bio change?
- Did you paste the exact code (no extra spaces)?
- Is your account still public?
5. Remove the code from your bio
Once verified, you can delete aurelua-X3F92K from your IG bio. Your buyers don't need to see it. Aurelua only needed it once to confirm ownership.
6. Fill in your account details
Now Aurelua asks for:
- Full name — what should appear on receipts
- Email — your login + where order notifications go
- Mobile number — your WhatsApp business number (this is what buyers message)
- Password — at least 8 characters, mixed case + a number
Tap Create my account.
7. Welcome to your dashboard
You're now logged in at aurelua.com/seller/dashboard. The store at aurelua.com/yourbrand now belongs to you. Buyers checking out send orders straight to your dashboard.
What changes after claiming
| Before claim | After claim |
|---|---|
| Anyone could potentially claim it | You're the verified owner |
| WhatsApp checkout went to a placeholder number | WhatsApp checkout goes to your number |
| No way to take real orders | Orders show up in your dashboard |
| No way to edit products | Full edit access |
| Public preview | Same public store URL — no change for buyers |
| 30-day expiry | Permanent |
The URL stays the same: aurelua.com/yourbrand. Don't worry about losing your link.
What to do immediately after claiming
Three things, takes 5 minutes total:
1. Add your bank details (for payouts)
On your Dashboard, the launch checklist has a step called Add your bank details. Tap it. You land on the Payout details page. Enter:
- Bank name (FNB, Capitec, ABSA, etc.)
- Account number
- Account holder name, exactly as it appears on the account
- Company registration number, only if this is a business account
Save. The page shows the status of the details on file. You can come back and correct them at any time.
Why this matters: until your bank details are on file, there is nowhere to send your money. Buyers can still pay you and the earnings still build up, but you cannot cash out until you have added a destination.
2. Verify your identity
Go to Payouts. If you have not verified yet, a banner at the top reads Verify your identity to receive payouts. Tap Verify identity.
You will be asked for a photo of your ID (SA ID or passport) and a selfie. It takes about a minute, and the result comes back automatically.
Until your identity is verified you can still take orders, but you cannot cash out. Once verified, you cash out whenever you choose from your Payouts page.
3. Share your store URL
Go to your dashboard. The URL banner at the top shows: aurelua.com/yourbrand. Copy it.
Paste it into:
- Your Instagram bio (replace any Linktree)
- Your WhatsApp Business catalog/profile
- Your TikTok bio
- Your Facebook page about section
Every existing follower now has a one-tap path to order from you. The buyer who used to ask "how much for the roses?" now taps the link and checks out themselves.
What if the bio code never verifies?
Two situations:
Instagram is being slow. Sometimes IG takes 5-10 minutes to make bio updates visible to outside services. Wait, then try again.
Aurelua keeps saying "not found". Likely culprits:
- You pasted the code in the display name, not the bio field
- You saved the bio in IG but to a different account (logged into multiple)
- Your IG account is now private — make it public, retry
If you've tried 5+ times and it still won't work, message us and we'll verify manually within an hour.
What if someone else claimed my store?
Possible if your IG handle is well-known, or another team member claimed first. Two paths:
It was you/your team — log in with the email used to claim. If you don't remember which, contact us with your Instagram handle and we'll help recover.
It wasn't anyone you authorised — message us immediately at info@aurelua.com with proof of your IG handle ownership (a current bio screenshot with a passphrase we'll give you). We'll reverse the claim.
Your store is now live
Your URL is permanent. Your dashboard is open. Time to take orders.
Next up: Guide 3 → Running your shop