Can I just use Paystack instead of forming a US LLC?

If it fits your business, yes — and you should. Paystack has been owned by Stripe since October 2020 and serves Nigerian-registered businesses without any US setup. But it is a separate product, not a Stripe account. If your tools, platform, or customers require an actual Stripe integration, Paystack doesn't provide one — that's when the US LLC route applies.

Can my Wise or Payoneer account serve as the US bank account?

No. Stripe's requirements state the bank account 'can't be a virtual bank account.' Wise and Payoneer receiving details are exactly that. This is why we open a real US business bank account — with Relay for Nigerian founders, since Mercury excludes residents of Nigeria as of 2026.

Will Stripe shut my account down because I live in Nigeria?

Not for living in Nigeria — Stripe KYCs you as the account representative and any nationality is accepted. What Stripe does review and reserve are accounts that misrepresent where the business operates. Your LLC must genuinely be the merchant of record: real website, real US mailing address, your real name on the paperwork. Set up truthfully, this is the same path Stripe sells through Atlas.

How long does the whole setup take?

The EIN typically arrives in 2–5 days after the LLC is filed; state filing time varies by state. No SSN, ITIN, or US visit is required at any step. The practical chokepoint is bank onboarding, which is why choosing a Nigeria-friendly bank like Relay matters.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. We form the company, obtain the EIN, and set up banking — we are not a law or tax firm. Owning a US LLC can carry US and Nigerian tax obligations; consult a qualified professional about your situation.

Do I need an SSN, ITIN, or a US visit?

No. EIN.LLC forms the LLC and obtains the EIN (CP-575) with only your passport — no SSN, no ITIN, no US co-signer, and no travel. Serving founders abroad is the default here, not an exception.

What does it cost, and is there a subscription?

$399 plus your state's filing fee, billed once. No subscription and no surprise renewals. It covers LLC formation, the EIN, US bank setup, and the first-year registered agent.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. This page is general information about payment-platform availability and US company formation, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and your situation may differ — confirm specifics with the platform's current documentation and a qualified professional.

Stripe availability — Nigeria

Stripe doesn't open accounts in Nigeria. There is a documented way in.

On Stripe's own map, Nigeria is "Extended network" — served through Paystack, with no native Stripe accounts. If Paystack or a free payout account covers what you need, use them. If you need a real Stripe account to charge customers worldwide, the route is a US LLC, an EIN, and a non-virtual US bank account.

Current status · last checked 2026-07-01

Limited — merchant account signup (opening a Stripe account to charge customers)

Status: Partial — Nigeria is listed on stripe.com/global only as "Extended network," served via Paystack. No native Stripe account can be opened.

Primary source ↗

First: do you even need a US company?

Two things may already solve your problem, and both cost less than an LLC. First: if you only need to receive money — marketplace payouts, platform earnings, freelance client payments — a free Wise or Payoneer USD receiving account works from Nigeria today. Try that before anything else. Second: if your business is registered in Nigeria and you're charging customers, Paystack — owned by Stripe since October 2020 — accepts payments without any US setup. Where both stop: neither gets you a Stripe account. Stripe's requirements page demands a legal entity registered in the account's country plus a physical bank account there — "this can't be a virtual bank account." Wise and Payoneer receiving details don't qualify, and Paystack is a separate product, not Stripe.

When the US LLC route is the real fix

You need the US LLC route when you want to charge customers on Stripe itself — a SaaS, subscriptions, checkout on your own site, or a platform that requires an actual Stripe integration. A US LLC + EIN + a real (non-virtual) US business bank account satisfies every item on Stripe's "open an account in another country" checklist: US-registered entity, tax ID, US mailing address that isn't a P.O. box, phone number, working website, government-issued ID, and a physical US bank account. Your Nigerian passport is accepted — founder nationality and residence are not blockers. This isn't a gray-area hack: Stripe sells the same path through Stripe Atlas ("Start a US company from anywhere in the world"). One Nigeria-specific note: Mercury does not accept founders residing in Nigeria as of 2026, so we set up banking with Relay or a similar bank instead — never Mercury.

What a US LLC + EIN unlocks here

A full, self-serve US Stripe account with international card acceptance — you charge customers directly
You as merchant of record on your own website, not routing through a middleman
An EIN (IRS CP-575), typically in 2–5 days — no SSN, ITIN, or US visit required
A real, non-virtual US business bank account via Relay (Mercury excludes Nigeria residents as of 2026)
A US mailing address (not a P.O. box) — one of Stripe's stated account requirements

Straight talk

If you only need to receive payouts rather than charge customers, a free Wise or Payoneer account may be all you need — start there. And if you go the LLC route, it must genuinely operate as the merchant of record: Stripe KYCs the human behind the account and can review or reserve accounts that misrepresent where the business runs.

Key facts

Nigeria appears on stripe.com/global only as 'Extended network,' served through Paystack — no native Stripe account can be opened from Nigeria.
Paystack, acquired by Stripe in October 2020, is a separate product that requires a Nigerian-registered business; it is not a Stripe account.
Stripe's requirements for a US account: a US-registered legal entity, an EIN, a US mailing address that isn't a P.O. box, a working website, government-issued ID from any country, and a physical US bank account that 'can't be a virtual bank account.'
Wise and Payoneer USD receiving accounts do not meet Stripe's bank requirement — they solve marketplace payouts, not merchant signup.
Stripe endorses the US-entity path itself: Stripe Atlas forms a Delaware company, retrieves the EIN, opens a financial account, and activates Stripe for founders anywhere in the world.
As of 2026, Mercury rejects founders residing in Nigeria, so Nigerian founders use Relay or a similar US bank for the non-virtual account Stripe requires.

$399 + your state fee. One time.

LLC formation, EIN (CP-575), US bank setup, and the first-year registered agent. No SSN, no ITIN, no US visit — and no subscription.

Start your company

EIN in 3–5 business days

Straight answers

Can I just use Paystack instead of forming a US LLC?: If it fits your business, yes — and you should. Paystack has been owned by Stripe since October 2020 and serves Nigerian-registered businesses without any US setup. But it is a separate product, not a Stripe account. If your tools, platform, or customers require an actual Stripe integration, Paystack doesn't provide one — that's when the US LLC route applies.
Will Stripe accept my Nigerian passport?: Yes. Stripe's requirements page accepts government-issued ID from any country — founder nationality and residence are not blockers. What must be US-based is the entity, the mailing address, and the bank account, not you.
Can my Wise or Payoneer account serve as the US bank account?: No. Stripe's requirements state the bank account 'can't be a virtual bank account.' Wise and Payoneer receiving details are exactly that. This is why we open a real US business bank account — with Relay for Nigerian founders, since Mercury excludes residents of Nigeria as of 2026.
Will Stripe shut my account down because I live in Nigeria?: Not for living in Nigeria — Stripe KYCs you as the account representative and any nationality is accepted. What Stripe does review and reserve are accounts that misrepresent where the business operates. Your LLC must genuinely be the merchant of record: real website, real US mailing address, your real name on the paperwork. Set up truthfully, this is the same path Stripe sells through Atlas.
How long does the whole setup take?: The EIN typically arrives in 2–5 days after the LLC is filed; state filing time varies by state. No SSN, ITIN, or US visit is required at any step. The practical chokepoint is bank onboarding, which is why choosing a Nigeria-friendly bank like Relay matters.
Is this legal or tax advice?: No. We form the company, obtain the EIN, and set up banking — we are not a law or tax firm. Owning a US LLC can carry US and Nigerian tax obligations; consult a qualified professional about your situation.
Do I need an SSN, ITIN, or a US visit?: No. EIN.LLC forms the LLC and obtains the EIN (CP-575) with only your passport — no SSN, no ITIN, no US co-signer, and no travel. Serving founders abroad is the default here, not an exception.
What does it cost, and is there a subscription?: $399 plus your state's filing fee, billed once. No subscription and no surprise renewals. It covers LLC formation, the EIN, US bank setup, and the first-year registered agent.
Is this legal or tax advice?: No. This page is general information about payment-platform availability and US company formation, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and your situation may differ — confirm specifics with the platform's current documentation and a qualified professional.

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