Stripe, Mercury, Wise and Payoneer for Non-US Residents

What this service is and who it is for

This is preparation help for founders who own a US LLC and live outside the US. We check which providers accept someone in your situation, get your documents in order, review your application answers for gaps and mismatches, and help you respond to follow-up questions.

You apply in your own name, on your own device, with your own login. The provider then reviews you and your business and makes its own decision. We have no special channel into Stripe, Mercury, Wise or Payoneer, and nobody outside those companies can make them approve an application.

What we will not do

• We never ask for your passwords, one-time codes or authenticator access.
• We never log in to a provider as you, and you should never let anyone else do so.
• We never let anyone open an account in your name or put our details in place of yours.
• We never change facts on an application to fit a provider's rules.

Provider rules at a glance

Stripe for non-US residents

Stripe's country list shows where a local business can open an account. The UAE is available. India is listed as Preview (invite-only). Pakistan and Bangladesh are not listed. Nigeria appears only in Stripe's extended network through Paystack, not as a Stripe account country.

A US LLC can apply for a US Stripe account. Stripe says registered businesses must be registered in the US, even if you operate in another country, and it needs a physical business address, not a PO box. Owners and representatives who are not US persons provide their local non-US tax ID and documents confirming they are not US taxpayers. So a founder in Pakistan or Bangladesh may be eligible through a US LLC, subject to Stripe's review. Eligible is not the same as approved.

Mercury bank for non-residents

Mercury says you do not need to be a US citizen or resident to apply, but your company must be formed in the US. International founders need a US or international principal place of business address. Residential addresses are accepted; registered agent addresses, PO boxes and UPS Store addresses are not.

Mercury also publishes a prohibited countries list and says it cannot open accounts for founders living in those countries, based on residence, not citizenship. Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh are on the list. India and the UAE are not. Mercury also does not support money services businesses, crypto exchanges, adult entertainment, cannabis or internet gambling.

Wise Business account

To verify a US business, Wise asks for the EIN, business name and type, registered and trading address, proof of a physical address, website and use case, plus details of every person owning 25% or more. Non-US owners give a photo ID instead of an SSN. Wise does not accept PO boxes or virtual addresses as proof of address, so a mail forwarding address, including ours, will not work for this step. Wise cannot onboard businesses from Nevada or US territories. Wise's own Pakistan article says residents of Pakistan cannot directly sign up for Wise accounts, and Wise's residence page is the place to check any other country before you apply.

Payoneer

Payoneer lets a registered or incorporated business sign up as a company and offers USD, EUR and GBP receiving accounts. It says it cannot support direct registrations from some countries and territories, without publishing the list on that page. We check your country with Payoneer's current sign-up flow before you apply.

What the rules mean by country of residence

Our founder guides cover each country in more depth: Pakistan, India, Nigeria, UAE and Bangladesh.

Provider-by-provider setup

Each provider has its own page with its rules, fees, documents and our setup steps. The account is always opened in your own company's name, and the provider always decides.

• PayPal Business account setup: who PayPal accepts in the US and UK, what it asks for, fees, holds and reserves.
• Stripe account setup: Stripe's country list, what it needs from a US LLC, payouts and why accounts get restricted.
• Merchant account setup: when you need your own merchant account instead of Stripe or PayPal, and how underwriting and reserves work.
• Mercury bank account setup: Mercury's eligibility rules, prohibited countries and documents.
• Wise Business account setup: verifying a US LLC or UK Ltd with Wise, and where Wise cannot onboard.
• Payoneer account setup: company sign-up, receiving accounts and marketplace payouts.
• PayPal in Pakistan: what PayPal offers Pakistan residents today and the company route that can work.

Documents usually requested

• State formation document (articles or certificate of formation)
• EIN evidence: Mercury accepts the CP575, a 147C letter or the IRS-returned SS-4
• Passport for each owner of 25% or more and one person in control
• Proof of a physical address (utility bill or bank statement) where the provider asks for it
• A live website or product page that matches what you tell the provider you sell
• Your local tax ID for Stripe, and a clear description of your customers and payment flows

Why applications get declined

Providers rarely explain a decline. Mercury says it cannot disclose specifics and bases decisions on its eligibility requirements, and it lets you reapply when you have new information. Common causes we check for before you submit:

• Living in a country the provider does not serve
• A registered agent, PO box or virtual address given as the principal or physical address
• Names, addresses or EIN details that do not match the formation document or IRS letter
• No website, or a website that does not match the stated business
• A business type the provider does not support
• Blurry, cropped or expired ID

What is included and not included

• Included: eligibility check against each provider's published rules, document checklist, review of your application answers before you submit, help with follow-up requests, and a written record in your portal.
• Not included: any approval promise, account opening in anyone else's name, login handling, PayPal account sales, or legal and tax advice.

How it works

1. Order and intake. Start your order and tell us where you live and what you sell.
2. Secure document upload. Share your formation document, EIN letter and ID through the portal, never by chat (see our security page).
3. Review. Our team checks eligibility and consistency and tells you which providers fit.
4. You apply. You submit the application yourself with our checklist beside you.
5. Follow-up. We help you answer any document or information request.

Government fees and timelines

There is no government fee for this service, and providers do not publish fixed review times, so we do not quote one. Our team starts once your intake and documents are complete. If you still need an EIN, start with our EIN application, because every provider above asks for it.

Doing it yourself vs using us

You can apply to all four providers yourself for free, and many founders do. What we add is a second pair of eyes before you submit: matching every detail to your filings, catching address problems, and telling you plainly when a provider's published rules rule you out, so you do not burn an application. More on US banking is in our US LLC bank account guide.

Sources

• Stripe: global availability
• Stripe Support: requirements for having a US Stripe account
• Stripe Support: tax ID requirements for representatives and owners of US companies
• Mercury: eligibility and requirements
• Mercury: prohibited countries
• Mercury: gathering your documents
• Mercury: reapplying if your application was denied
• Wise Help: verify your US business
• Wise Help: where do I need to live to hold money with Wise
• Wise: best ways to receive international payments in Pakistan
• Payoneer: signing up FAQ
• PayPal: user agreement (US)

Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.