Stripe onboarding for Delaware LLCs: what to expect as a non-resident

What Stripe requires from a US LLC

LLC EIN (matched against IRS records). US bank account routing/account numbers (Wise, Mercury, Payoneer all work). Owner identification (passport for non-residents). Clear business description with industry category.

Stripe Atlas customers get integrated onboarding; everyone else does manual KYC. The manual path is straightforward when documentation is complete.

Common rejection reasons

High-risk business model: crypto custody, adult content, certain dropshipping patterns, regulated industries trigger restricted-business review. Stripe's Acceptable Use Policy lists prohibited and restricted categories explicitly.

KYC mismatches: LLC name on Certificate of Formation does not match Stripe registration; founder's passport details do not match the IRS responsible-party record. Match documentation precisely.

US-bank-routing issues: some payment processors do not accept EMI routing numbers; Stripe accepts Wise, but if Wise rejects the integration, fall back to Mercury or Payoneer.

Practical onboarding sequence

Form the LLC (Days 1-10 with Delewarellc). Open the bank account (2-4 weeks after Day 10). Submit Stripe application with the bank routing number. Stripe typically responds within 1-3 business days for standard cases.

Stripe holds initial transactions until KYC is fully cleared. Plan for a 1-2 week ramp before relying on Stripe for operational cash flow.