Stripe Account Setup for Non-US Residents with a US LLC

What this service is and who it is for

This service sets up a Stripe account for your own US LLC or UK Ltd. The account is in your company's name, with your true details, and you create and keep the login and two-step verification from the start. Our filing team prepares the documents, fills in the onboarding form with you, reviews your website against Stripe's published checklist, and helps you answer any follow-up request until Stripe decides.

It is built for founders outside the US who want to accept card payments through Stripe, especially those in countries Stripe does not serve directly. We cannot promise approval. Stripe makes its own decision on every account, and nobody outside Stripe can change that.

What is a Stripe account?

A Stripe account lets a business accept card and other online payments and receive the money in its bank account as payouts. It is a payment account, not a bank account: Stripe collects the payment, deducts its fee and pays the balance out to a bank account you link. Stripe runs on the "aggregated" model, so you do not need your own merchant account with a bank. Our merchant account setup page explains the difference.

Stripe for non-US residents: the country rules

Every Stripe account belongs to one country, and the business must be based in it. Stripe's global availability page lists the countries where a local business can open an account.

For a US account, Stripe says registered businesses must be registered in the US, even if you operate in another country. That is why many founders abroad form a US LLC. Stripe also says that once a live account is activated, you cannot change the business origin country; a different country needs a new account. Pick the right company before you apply.

Stripe account in Pakistan

A business registered in Pakistan cannot open a Stripe account, because Pakistan is not on Stripe's country list. The legitimate route is ownership of a company in a supported country: a founder living in Pakistan who owns a US LLC may be eligible for a US Stripe account under Stripe's US rules, subject to Stripe's review. The same logic applies to founders in Bangladesh, and to Nigeria, where Stripe points local businesses to Paystack. Country detail, including tax points at home, is in our guide to a US LLC or UK company from Pakistan.

What Stripe needs from a US LLC

Stripe verifies your legal entity name, entity type, EIN and business address, and it may ask for official documents to confirm them. In practice a US LLC needs:

• EIN. The legal name you enter must match the IRS EIN letter exactly.
• A physical business address. Stripe asks for the address of the physical location where most of your business activity is carried out, and it does not accept PO boxes. Give the real place you work. A registered agent address is not a place of business.
• A representative. One person with authority to act for the company, plus the owners Stripe asks about. Owners and representatives who are not US persons give their local non-US tax ID and documents confirming they are not US taxpayers, instead of an SSN.
• A payout bank account. Stripe says bank accounts generally must be located in a country where the settlement currency is an official currency. For USD payouts that normally means a US bank account in the LLC's name, which is why founders open a US business account first (see our US LLC bank account guide).
• A website that matches your business. Stripe's website checklist asks for a clear description of what you sell, prices with the currency, customer service contacts beyond a contact form, refund, delivery, return and cancellation policies where they apply, and a privacy policy. If Stripe cannot tell what you sell, it may contact you.
• Public details. Business name, support email and phone, and a statement descriptor of 5 to 22 characters that customers will recognize on their card statement.

Why Stripe accounts get restricted

Most restrictions come from the business type, mismatched details or a website that does not explain the business. Stripe publishes a prohibited and restricted businesses list (last updated 22 September 2026). Prohibited businesses are industries that cannot use Stripe at all. Restricted businesses can use Stripe only after extra due diligence. The prohibited list covers areas such as illegal products, adult content, debt relief, many financial services, gambling, identity services, weapons and intellectual property infringement.

Other common causes we check for before you apply:

• Company name, EIN or address that does not match the IRS letter or formation document
• A PO box or mail forwarding address given as the place of business
• A website with no refund terms, no contact details or no clear product description
• A business that looks different on the website from how it was described to Stripe
• High dispute rates or signs of card testing after launch

If Stripe asks for more information, answer with documents that match what you already told it. Consistency matters more than volume.

Stripe fees

Stripe says it does not charge setup fees or monthly fees. Its standard US pricing is 2.9% plus 30 cents per successful domestic card payment, an extra 1.5% for international cards and an extra 1% when currency conversion is needed. Stripe says a first payout typically completes within 7 to 14 days of your first live payment and can take longer depending on industry, country and risk. There is no government fee for opening a Stripe account.

Stripe Atlas as an alternative

Stripe Atlas forms a Delaware C corporation or LLC for you and is built around a Stripe account. Stripe lists the price as $500 to incorporate, with a registered agent fee of $100 a year after the first year. It suits founders who want Delaware and want Stripe from day one. It does not suit everyone: some prefer another state, a UK Ltd, or a provider that also handles yearly filings. We compare the options in Stripe Atlas alternatives.

What is included and not included

• Included: an eligibility check against Stripe's country list and business rules, a document pack (formation document, EIN letter, operating agreement, proof of address in your name, business description), a website review against Stripe's checklist, completing onboarding with you, help with Stripe's follow-up requests, and a record of each step in your portal.
• Not included: any approval promise, Stripe's own fees, building your website, opening accounts in anyone else's name, holding your login or codes, or legal and tax advice.

How it works

1. Order and intake. Start your order and tell us where you live, where your company is registered and what you sell.
2. Secure document upload. Upload your documents to the client portal (see our security page).
3. Preparation and review. Our filing team checks your business against Stripe's lists and matches every detail to your filings. We send you a short list of website fixes if needed.
4. Onboarding with you. You create the Stripe login and turn on two-step verification yourself. We go through the form together.
5. Follow-up. We help you prepare answers and documents for any Stripe request, and you send them from your account.
6. Handover. You get a checklist covering disputes, statement descriptor and team access. Stripe's own guidance is to invite team members rather than share your login.

What we need from you

• US LLC formation document, EIN letter and operating agreement, or UK incorporation certificate and company number
• Passport and local tax ID for each person Stripe asks about
• Proof of your address in your own name
• Details of the business bank account for payouts
• Your website address, support email and phone, and a plain description of your products, customers and prices

Doing it yourself vs using us

Creating a Stripe account is free and many founders do it alone. If your company, bank account and website are in order, you may not need us. What we add is the checking before you submit and the help when Stripe asks questions: matching names to the IRS letter, fixing website gaps, and telling you plainly when Stripe's published rules exclude your business. Still need the basics? Start with US LLC formation and our EIN application.

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
• Stripe Docs: set up your account
• Stripe Docs: account checklist
• Stripe Docs: website checklist
• Stripe Docs: receive payouts
• Stripe: prohibited and restricted businesses
• Stripe: pricing
• Stripe: Atlas

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