Stripe for a Non-Resident US LLC: What to Have Ready Before You Apply

Most non-resident founders form a US LLC for one reason: they want to take card payments from customers. Stripe is where many of them go first, and it is also where many get stuck. The usual cause is not that Stripe says no to non-residents. It is that the details on the application do not match each other.

This post is the order that works, and the places where applications tend to fail. Stripe changes its requirements from time to time, so treat this as a checklist to verify against Stripe's own form, not as a promise of approval.

Get the order right

People often apply for Stripe right after the LLC is approved. That is too early. Work in this order:

1. Form the LLC and keep the approved articles.
2. Get the EIN and keep the IRS letter that confirms it.
3. Open a US bank account, or a US-dollar account that gives you a US routing and account number.
4. Put a working website online.
5. Then apply to Stripe.

Each step feeds the next. Stripe asks for the EIN and a payout account, and it looks at your website.

What Stripe will ask for

• The legal name of the business, exactly as it appears on your formation documents and your IRS letter.
• The EIN.
• A business address.
• A US bank account for payouts.
• Details of the person opening the account, including a government ID. For owners without a US tax number, check what Stripe accepts for your country on the form itself.
• A description of what you sell, and your website.

Where applications fail

The name does not match

"Acme Consulting LLC" on the articles, "Acme Consulting" on the bank account and "Acme" on the website is enough to cause a review. Pick one legal name and use it in every field that asks for the legal name. Use the trade name only where Stripe asks for a public name.

The address is questioned

The address on file for your LLC is often the registered agent's address. Stripe may ask for proof of where the business actually operates. Know which address you are using on which form, and keep a utility bill, lease or service agreement for it if you have one.

The website looks unfinished

Stripe reviews what you sell. A page that says "coming soon" is the common reason for a hold. Before you apply, the site should show:

• What you offer and the prices.
• Terms of service and a refund policy.
• A contact email and the business name.
• A way to reach you that is not only a form.

The business description is vague

"Online services" tells a reviewer nothing. "Web design for dental clinics, billed per project" does. Describe who pays you, for what, and how.

The payout account is in the wrong name

The bank account should be in the name of the LLC, not in your personal name. Payouts to a personal account are a frequent reason for questions.

If Stripe is not available to you

Not every non-resident gets approved, and it is better to know the alternatives than to keep resubmitting the same form. PayPal Business, Wise and Payoneer all work with a US LLC. Which one fits depends on whether your customers pay by card, by bank transfer or through marketplaces. If a rejection arrives, read the reason in the email before you reapply. Reapplying with the same details tends to produce the same answer.

Keep the account healthy afterwards

• Do not describe the business differently from what you registered.
• Keep refund and dispute rates low by being clear about delivery times on your site.
• Do not put customer payments through your personal account and then move them to the LLC. Keep the LLC's money in the LLC's account, which also keeps your tax records clean.

How we help

We form the LLC and get the EIN, and we can help with the US business bank account step. Start with LLC formation for non-residents. We cannot approve a Stripe application for you, since that is Stripe's decision, but we can make sure the documents you send it are consistent.