Payments · Guide5 min readUpdated October 27, 2026

US Merchant Accounts for Non-US Owners

How a non-US founder gets a US merchant account: the US company, an EIN without an SSN, a US bank account, what processors verify and what never to do.

Nick Bonnassies, CMO at Tagada · checked against 7 sources

Article summary

TL;DR

A non-US founder can get a US merchant account through a real US company: an LLC or corporation, an EIN, and a US bank account in the company's name. You don't need an SSN for the EIN, but you can't apply online. Processors then verify the company, its owners and the website. What they refuse is a US front for a business that really runs elsewhere.

A responsible party without an SSN or ITIN writes "foreign" or N/A on line 7b of Form SS-4.
International applicants can't get an EIN online: by phone, fax or mail; by mail it takes about 4 weeks.
At Stripe, a non-US representative provides a national ID or verification document at onboarding, instead of SSN digits.
At Stripe, owners must provide their SSN digits or an ID document once payments volume exceeds $500,000.
A Visa acquirer accepts sales only from merchant outlets in its own country, unless Visa approves otherwise.

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On this page

Selling to US customers doesn't require a US passport. It requires a US business that a US acquirer can underwrite. This guide covers what to set up, in which order, and the lines not to cross.

What you need

Item	What it is	Note
US company	LLC or corporation, registered in a US state	The legal entity that signs the merchant agreement
EIN	The company's federal tax ID	NoSSN needed; not available online for international applicants1
US bank account	In the company's name	Where payouts go
Owners' details	Each owner of 25% or more, plus one controller	US banks must identify them3
Your ID	Passport or national ID	Replaces SSN digits at Stripe for a non-US representative2
A real US-facing website	Products, prices, policies, contact	Matches the company's name6

Getting an EIN without an SSN

Step	What the IRS says1
Form	SS-4
Line 7b	Enter "foreign" or N/A if the responsible party doesn't have and isn't eligible for an SSN or ITIN
Online	Not available if you have no legal residence, principal place of business or office in the US
Phone	International applicants can get an EIN by telephone: 267-941-1099, not toll-free
Fax	304-707-9471 from outside the US
Mail	EIN International Operation, Cincinnati; the EIN comes back in about 4 weeks

What processors verify

Underwriting is the same as for any business, with a few points that weigh more for a foreign-owned company:

[ ] Identity of owners of 25% or more and a controller3.
[ ] Matching details: company name, bank account, domain and descriptor all agree6.
[ ] A coherent jurisdiction story: company, owners and customers in different countries with no explanation is a common quiet reason for a decline6.
[ ] A live website with prices and policies, not a "coming soon" page6.
[ ] No MATCH listing for the company or its owners5.

Stripe asks you to allow 3 to 5 business days after you submit documents7. The full checklist: merchant account approval.

Stripe for a non-US representative

Person	US resident	Non-US person without an SSN2
Representative	Last 4 digits of SSN or ITIN at onboarding	National ID or verification document at onboarding
Owners	Last 4 digits once payments volume exceeds $500,000	National ID or verification document once volume exceeds $500,000

Where your merchant outlet is

Card networks care where the business really operates. Visa's default rule: an acquirer "must accept Transactions only from a Merchant Outlet within the Acquirer's Country of Domicile", unless Visa approves otherwise (section 1.5.1.1)4. And the acquirer "must not misrepresent or alter" a merchant outlet location (section 1.5.1.2)4.

A US company with US customers, a US bank account and US operations fits a US acquirer. A US shell over a business run entirely abroad is what underwriters are trained to spot.

Fig. 1How an underwriter reads a foreign-owned file

Coherent
US company, US bank account, US customers, owner identified, real website. A normal review.
Needs explaining
Owners abroad, customers worldwide, support in another time zone. Explain it in the application.
Refused
A nominee owner, a borrowed address, a business that hides who runs it.

Coherence beats paperwork.

What never to do

Don't use a nominee owner or someone else's SSN. Merchant identity theft is a listing reason on both terminated merchant files: MATCH code 14 and VMSS code 345.
Don't invent a US address for the business. The outlet location must not be misrepresented4.
Don't hide the real owners. US banks must identify every owner of 25% or more3.

A listing stays 5 years and most processors reject listed businesses or owners5.

Tagada follows Visa and Mastercard rules and the laws that apply to payments.

Other routes

Route	When it fits
A merchant account in your own country	You sell mostly at home; foreign cards are cross-border sales
A US company with a US acquirer	You sell mostly to US customers and operate there
A processor that serves several regions	You sell in several markets: see international payment processing

How Tagada helps

A reviewed account, whatever your passport

TagadaPay is reviewed per file: "Each file is still underwritten, with enhanced review on regulated verticals."
Clear refusals: falsified documents, counterfeits, chargeback circumvention, deceptive marketing around trials, subscriptions and cancellation, and MATCH-listed merchants.
Routing across Stripe, Adyen and TagadaPay with one logic, and cascade on decline.

Plans are on the pricing page.

Apply for processing

A reviewed account, whatever your passport

Updated on October 27, 2026

Nick Bonnassies

CMO at Tagada

CMO at Tagada. Before Tagada, Nick built direct-to-consumer brands that generated over $115M in sales, raised over $25M in crowdfunding and sold two of them. He also works as a fractional CMO on marketing operations and AI systems.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-US resident get a US merchant account?

Yes, through a US company with an EIN and a US bank account. Processors verify the company and its owners like any other file. A non-US representative provides a national ID instead of SSN digits at Stripe.

Do I need an SSN or ITIN to get an EIN?

No. The responsible party writes "foreign" or N/A on line 7b of Form SS-4. International applicants apply by phone, fax or mail, not online.

How long does it take to get an EIN from abroad?

By phone, you can get it during the call. By mail, the IRS sends it back in about 4 weeks.

Can I use Stripe with a US LLC if I live abroad?

Stripe accepts a national ID or verification document from a non-US representative at onboarding. Your products, website and business model are then reviewed like any other.