Verification requirements are changing for Canada-based Custom connected accounts accepting card_payments or with transfer capabilities enabled. These requirements must be met so the accounts can continue to accept card payments and receive payouts.

Changes include:

• Business types and structures supported. We're collecting company.structure to accurately model legal structures around the world.
• Business and personal information collected. We’re updating the information collection and verification requirements for all businesses.
• How business and personal information is verified. We're updating our criteria for valid business and personal information, and introducing new error codes when we're unable to accept or verify information provided.
• When information collection and verification is required. We're adjusting when information collection and verification are due by introducing new grace periods and volume thresholds.

See a more detailed explanation of the various changes.

How do I need to change my onboarding process?

The steps you need to take depend on how you currently onboard accounts:

• Stripe-hosted onboarding
• Embedded components
• API-based onboarding

Stripe-hosted onboarding or embedded components

Collect updated information from accounts by 29 January 2025, so these accounts can continue to receive payouts and to accept payments.

Your Dashboard and the Accounts API both show which of your accounts need to provide updated information.

Send users to your Stripe-hosted onboarding flow or the embedded onboarding component to collect the necessary information. Both update automatically with changing requirements.

API-based onboarding

Modify your onboarding flow by 6 November 2024 so that new Custom connected accounts meet the updated requirements. And ensure that you’ve collected information from existing accounts by 29 January 2025, so that these accounts can continue to receive payouts and to accept payments.

Modify your onboarding flow: There are a few ways to modify your onboarding flow to satisfy the updated requirements:

• Embedded components: Add our new embedded onboarding components to your platform. They’re fully customisable, can be installed quickly, and handle verification requirements updates automatically.
• Stripe-hosted onboarding: Send accounts to an onboarding experience built and hosted by Stripe. Stripe-hosted onboarding adapts to handle verification requirements updates automatically.
• API-based onboarding: Modify your existing onboarding flow using detailed verification responses from the Accounts API. You’ll need to update your onboarding manually whenever requirements change.

Collect updated information: Your Dashboard and the Accounts API both show which of your accounts need to provide updated information. You can use our new embedded components or Stripe-hosted onboarding flows to collect updated information from these accounts, or submit it via the API.

What are the deadlines?

New Custom connected accounts created on or after 6 November 2024: Must meet the updated requirements during onboarding. Otherwise, they won’t be able to accept payments.

Existing Custom connected accounts: future_requirements will become current requirements at the earliest on 21 November 2024. If your connected accounts have not provided the required information by 29 January 2025 they will not be able to receive payouts. Their payments will be paused on 19 Feb 2025, if they still have outstanding requirements.

See the Deadlines FAQ for more details.

FAQ

What accounts are affected?

These updated requirements apply to all Canadian connected accounts with the card_payments or transfer capability enabled.

How can I see which of my accounts require updated information?

See the status of affected connected accounts in the Dashboard's Accounts to review page. To filter by country click, More filters > Verification requirement and then tick the box(es) for the countries you want to see.

What features are available to help me meet the updated requirements?

There are several features available in your Stripe Dashboard and in the Accounts API that will help you meet the updated requirements.

Stripe Dashboard

• The Connect overview page shows your task list. The tasks provide more context on what is required and help you track when it’s complete.
• The Dashboard’s Accounts to review page displays all connected accounts with outstanding requirements. You can download links to send connected accounts to collect updated business information.
• A new Requirements Details page is coming (estimated end of September 2024) to show the information your accounts have submitted and the specific reasons for any errors. This will help you guide our accounts through any issues. Request early access.

Accounts API

The Accounts API now includes future_requirements, indicating requirements that will come into effect at a future date. New verification errors are accessible via requirements.errors and future_requirements.errors.

Additionally, verification responses specify which information is needed for each account. These will be available via the API automatically for all platforms starting on 29 October 2024. Review the guide to these API changes and opt in early.

What are Future Requirements?

future_requirements is an API field on the account, person, and capabilities objects to ease the process of adapting to evolving compliance requirements. It provides a preview of upcoming requirement changes for your connected accounts well before the requirement(s) goes into effect, making it easier to see what user onboarding changes to make for new users signing up on your platform, and any additional information existing users need to provide.

I also have other types of connected accounts, not just Custom connected accounts. Does this change affect those accounts?

There's no action for you to take for your other types of connected accounts. Your Stripe onboarding flow has automatically updated to handle changing requirements. We'll contact any connected accounts that need to provide updated business information.

What happens if I don’t collect this information?

If an account doesn't provide the required information by the listed due date, their ability to accept payments and receive payouts will be paused. Typically, the timeframe to provide updated information is within 14 days of the due date to continue receiving payouts, and within 28 days to continue accepting payments. However, that timeframe might vary for certain types of issues.

Why is Stripe updating verification requirements for these accounts?

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) released a new set of regulations in April 2022 that requires Stripe to register as a money services business in Canada. This introduces additional Know Your Customer and Know Your Business requirements that impact connected accounts with either the card_payments or transfers capability.

Will requirements continue to change?

Yes. As regulatory requirements evolve globally, we expect our onboarding requirements to continue changing as well. If you use embedded onboarding components or Stripe-hosted onboarding, then Stripe automatically updates your onboarding flow to handle the latest verification requirements. If you use API-based onboarding, you’ll need to manually modify your onboarding flow whenever requirements change.