Stripe is required to collect, verify, and maintain information on the legal entity—business or nonprofit—associated with each Stripe account. These requirements come from our regulators and financial partners and are intended to prevent bad actors from using legal entities to hide terrorist financing, money laundering, tax evasion, and other financial crimes.
One of the primary reasons we can get users up and running so quickly is our rather unique registration process. When signing up for a Stripe account, we use the information you enter to programmatically verify your legal entity and the individuals associated with it. To complete the verification process, we may need to reach out for a copy of your business formation or non-profit registration documents.
The exact documents vary by country and legal entity type, but Stripe can typically accept a copy of your:
partnership agreement,
company constitution/articles of association,
certificate of incorporation, or
certificate of nonprofit registration
The list of acceptable documents varies by country and entity type. If you are setting up an account for an entity that does not have any of the above documents, contact us.