Set up your OnlyFans account in 10 minutes

Before you start

You’ll need three things.

An email address you don’t use day-to-day. Create one specifically for this. Gmail, Proton, whatever works.

A valid ID. Passport or national identity card. OnlyFans verifies the age and identity of every creator.

A bank account or payment method so you can actually get paid.

Step 1: sign up

Head to the site and click “Sign up.” Fill in the form with your new email address.

A quick tip: pick a username you’re happy with straight away. It’s what people will see in your profile URL. Keep it short, memorable, and skip the special characters.

Step 2: verify your identity

This part puts some people off, but honestly it takes five minutes. OnlyFans will ask for a photo of your ID (front and back) plus a selfie where you’re holding the document next to your face. That’s it.

This is called KYC, “Know Your Customer”. It’s the exact same process you go through when you open a Revolut account, sign up for Monzo, or register with any online bank. Every platform that handles money is legally required to do this. It’s not something specific to OnlyFans.

Your details are stored securely and never shown to subscribers. Your real name doesn’t appear anywhere on your profile. Followers only see your stage name.

A few tips so it gets approved first time:

Good lighting. Stand near a window or use a desk lamp. Avoid direct flash because it reflects off the document.

Sharp photos. Hold your hands steady and check that all the text is readable before you submit. Blurry photos get rejected.

No sunglasses or hats. Your face needs to be fully visible in the selfie.

Make sure all corners of the document are visible. Don’t crop anything out.

Verification usually takes 24 to 72 hours. Sometimes faster if your documents are clear. Here’s the thing: you can’t publish content or receive payments until verification is complete. So do it straight away. Get it out of the way while you set up the rest of your profile.

Step 3: set up your profile

This is where it matters. Your profile is your shopfront.

Your name. Use a stage name. Not your real first name.

Your bio. Two or three sentences, tops. Say what you offer and who it’s for. Don’t write “welcome to my profile.” Be direct.

Your profile photo. Sharp, well-lit, eye-catching. It’s the first thing anyone sees.

Your banner. Same idea. You can make one for free on Canva.

Step 4: set your prices

We’d suggest starting with a subscription between 5 and 10 euros a month. The point is to build a subscriber base. You can adjust later.

Set up your rates for private messages and PPV content too. That’s often where the bulk of the money comes from.

Step 5: publish before you promote

Classic mistake: sharing your OnlyFans link when the profile is empty. Nobody subscribes to an account with nothing on it.

Post at least five quality pieces of content before you start promoting anywhere. That gives visitors an actual reason to subscribe.

What next?

Your account is live, your profile looks good, and you’ve got content up. The next step is promotion. We’ve got a guide for that too.