What Stripe asks a US LLC for: a document checklist

What does Stripe check when a US LLC signs up?

Stripe checks that the business is real and that it knows who runs and owns it. For a US company that means the legal name and entity type, the EIN, a business address, details of the person opening the account and the beneficial owners. Stripe reviews the answers and decides whether to approve the account.

This checklist summarises Stripe's requirements for a US Stripe account and its identity verification overview, both accessed 31 October 2026. Stripe updates these pages, so read them again before you apply. For the bigger picture, see our Stripe guide.

Which company details does Stripe verify?

According to Stripe's support page, it verifies the legal entity name, the entity type, the EIN, an SSN or ITIN, and the business address, and it may ask for official documents to confirm them. Its verification overview adds information about the business, the person opening the account and the beneficial owners. A single-member LLC is a separate business structure.

Why does the business address matter so much?

Stripe's support page says the account needs a physical address where most business activity happens and that PO boxes are not accepted. It also explains how to update the address in the Dashboard. An address used only to receive legal notices may not fit that description, so choose the business address carefully.

Our post on the registered agent address vs a business address compares the two. The LaunchUS Business Address and LaunchUS Virtual Office add-ons on our pricing page give the company a US street address with its own suite number.

What if the representative has no SSN or ITIN?

Stripe's support page lists an SSN or ITIN among the details it verifies. Many founders who live outside the US have neither. Stripe decides how it handles an application without one, and the answer can change over time, so check its current page and the onboarding form itself rather than relying on forum posts or older guides.

The company's EIN is a different number and does not need an SSN; our post on Form SS-4 without an SSN explains the application line by line. Whether an ITIN would help your case is a personal tax question. Ask a tax professional before applying for one.

How do you get the documents ready, step by step?

Gather everything before you open Stripe's onboarding form. Stripe compares the details you type with the documents it may request later, so the company name, the EIN and the addresses have to match exactly. The order below follows the onboarding form, from the business details through to payouts.

1. Download the company documents. Take the formation document, the EIN letter and the operating agreement from your vault.
2. Confirm the business address. Use a physical US address that matches what you will show elsewhere.
3. Prepare the representative's details. Have your passport, date of birth and home address ready.
4. List the owners. Name every person who owns or controls the company, as in the operating agreement.
5. Check the website. Make sure the products, prices, contact details and policies are visible.
6. Add a payout account. Stripe pays out to an external account, usually a bank account.

The payout step depends on a business bank account, which is a separate review by the bank. Our post on a US bank account for a non-resident LLC covers what banks ask for.

How does LaunchUS help you prepare for Stripe?

LaunchUS forms the LLC, applies for the EIN and places the formation document and the EIN letter in your document vault, where you can download them when Stripe asks. We do not open the Stripe account for you and cannot influence its review. Stripe decides, and it may ask for more information later.

Our guides for e-commerce sellers and freelancers show how Stripe fits each kind of business, and the EIN service page explains how the number is obtained. Stripe's global availability page lists the countries where a local account is possible.

The Stripe application waits for the EIN letter; how long it takes to get an EIN explains when it arrives. For Stripe's address requirements, see the bank and Stripe section of the US business address service.