Stripe RequirementsFollowing are the Stripe requirements to accept payments from the United States:US Bank AccountSSN / EINUS Mailing AddressUS Phone NumberThe straightforward way is to register an LLC (Limited Liability Company) or C-Corporation company in the United States and open the bank account. However, even if youu2019re able to process the LLC registration (which is simple and can be done remotely), there is no bank in the United States that is willing to open an account without the potential owner first visiting the branch.Also, Stripe requires you to enter SSN or EIN to verify your identity, which is an other hurdle. For US address & phone number, you can get them easily remotely or even use fake details (not recommended).But the good new is you can still get all the necessary details without visiting the US and starts using Stripe in minutes. Letu2019s discuss how you can successfully sign up for Stripe from the United States.1. US Bank AccountYou can get a valid US bank account thanks to Payoneer u2024 a global payment service that can be used as an alternative to PayPal to send and receive payments worldwide. It provides the users a prepaid MasterCard (you must have funds in prepaid card before you can use it online) and a US bank account to accept ACH payments from US companies. ACH is what Stripe uses to payout the customers. Youu2019re done!Sign Up for PayoneerPayoneer is a very reliable and secure payment service available worldwide. Iu2019ve been using it since early 2024 to accept payments from US clients, marketplace earnings, affiliate payouts etc. Since it is MasterCard supported that is widely accepted over the Internet, so it is my primary payment method whenever I want to pay online whether it is to buy an airline ticket, pay web hosting bills or to pay Amazon AWS monthly fees etc.Registration for Payoneer is straightforward and can be done in couple of minutes. If you will use this link to signup to Payoneer , you will get $25 sign up bonus.You just need to fill out few a four steps form and then validate your identity by sending them a passport or driving license soft copy.Once you sign up successfully, there is a waiting period, up to a week and then they send you a prepaid MasterCard on your address. Once you receive the card and activate it, Payoneer creates a virtual US bank account for you to accept ACH payments from US companies. Thatu2019s all you need. Now youu2019ve an official US bank account and can start accepting payments from Strip right away.2. SSN / EINSince SSN (Social Security Number) is only issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents by the United States Social Security Administration, it is impossible for foreigners to get it.The alternative to SSN is EIN (Employer Identification Number), also known as Federal Tax Identification Number, used to identify a business entity in the United States. To get EIN remotely, youu2019ll need to make a call to IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and do the following:Download the form and fill it in beforehand.Call the IRS u2024 phone number (800) 829-4933 u2024 and tell them you need an EIN. They will insist you to send the form by fax, but there is a workaround for this. Just say that you do not have a fax machine and would like to do it by phone.The operator will ask you to have the form on hand and read out the fields.In next 15 minutes, you will have an official EIN which will also be sent to you by mail at your home country address.3. US Mailing AddressIt is pretty easy to get US mailing address, you can sign up for any PO Box service to get it. There are number of online services that offers this. I recommend MailBox Forwarding. They pryou with a mailing address which is accessible online. You can receive and view all your mail online: letters, documents, and packages, whether delivered by the USPS, FedEx, or UPS.You can even use any fake address but it is not recommended. You may have to receive important documents by mail in future like from IRS or even Stripe etc.4. US Phone NumberYou can get a US phone number from Sonetel and forward it to your local phone number. It costs less than $2 per month and you can receive all calls directly at your current phone number.Stripe Sign UpOnce you have everything you need to sign up for Stripe payment service, the remaining is simple and straightforward. Go to Stripe.com and create an account by filling all the details (email, password etc.) and confirm your email address. Then log in to Stripe and switch the LIVE/TEST switcher to LIVE, then click Activate Account. You will need to fill out all the necessary details but be extra cautious with following:Country: United StatesBusiness type: Individual / Sole ProprietorshipEIN: The number you got from IRSAddress: Your mail-forwarding address in the USPhone: Sonetel US phone numberSSN: 00u2013000u2013000Bank Account: Log in to your Payoneer account, click Receive - Global Payment Service and copy all the bank information from there.Thatu2019s all. You now have fully functioning Stripe account and ready to accept payments!ConclusionHonestly speaking, it is not a 1-hour task but certainly a workable solution that can open the access to the best online payment platform u2024 Stripe. If youu2019re left with no other option to accept payments, it is worth trying. To wrap up the discussion, letu2019s go over the steps once again:Sign Up for Payoneer Prepaid Mastercard (to get US bank account)Get EIN from IRS (download the form)Get US Mailing Address (from MailBox Forwarding)Get US Phone Number (from Sonetel)Sign Up at StripeUpdate Your Stripe AccountDone!
