Niftism — Payments Setup Guide (Stripe, PayPal & More)
Guide

Set up Stripe, PayPal & more — the right way

For non-U.S. founders. Use a Florida LLC + EIN and a virtual U.S. bank (Mercury/Relay). Then follow these steps to activate Stripe, PayPal and similar platforms. U.S. Phone + VPN reduce OTP/location issues.

Start checklist Compare platforms Stripe setup

Checklist (do these first)

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Florida LLC active — Form with Niftism
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EIN (IRS) — processors require it — Get EIN
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Virtual U.S. bank (Mercury/Relay) for payouts
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U.S. Phone + VPN for OTP & consistent login location — Phone + VPN
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Website with product pages, pricing, Terms, Privacy, Refund/Delivery, and Contact
Create Stripe Open PayPal

Platforms comparison

PlatformBest forAvailability to non-U.S.Base fees Payouts toWebsite requirementsNotesAction
StripeSaaS & online storesOften supports non-U.S. founders with U.S. entity + EINVaries by country/product U.S. virtual bankProduct, pricing, policies, contactFast setup; strong APIs/integrations Create
PayPal BusinessMarketplaces & buyer trustWidely available; case-by-case reviewVaries by region/product U.S. virtual bankPolicies + company info visibleMay apply reserves/limits during ramp-up Open
Paddle (MoR)Digital goods & SaaS (MoR handles tax/compliance)Global; approval requiredVaries by plan Bank accounts incl. USDProduct page + compliance detailsMerchant-of-Record; offloads sales tax/VAT Apply
Verifone/2CheckoutGlobal card paymentsGlobal; approval requiredVaries by region/volume Bank accounts incl. USDDetailed product/policy pagesGood fallback when others decline Apply
Payoneer CheckoutCross-border payouts + checkoutMany regions; approval requiredVaries Payoneer USD account/bankPolicies + verified business infoUseful bridge with marketplace ties Apply
Shopify PaymentsShops on ShopifyVaries by country/businessVaries by region U.S. virtual bank (if supported)Store policies + brand infoUse when supported in your region Check

Setup: Stripe (step by step)

  1. Sign up with company email and U.S. phone (SMS OTP).
  2. Enter LLC legal name, EIN, and Registered Agent formation address.
  3. Add website with product pages, pricing, Terms/Privacy/Refund/Contact.
  4. Complete owner verification: passport + proof of address.
  5. Connect payouts to your virtual U.S. bank.
  6. Enable 2FA: SMS + authenticator.
  7. Developers → test keys, then live; set webhooks.
Create Stripe Get U.S. Phone Get VPN

Setup: PayPal Business (step by step)

  1. Create a Business Account; verify email + U.S. phone.
  2. Enter LLC details (legal name, EIN, address); add owners.
  3. Link virtual U.S. bank; confirm micro-deposits if asked.
  4. Enable Checkout on Shopify/Woo/Wix/custom.
  5. Publish policies and visible contact details.
  6. Enable 2-step verification; keep login location consistent.
  7. Monitor Resolution Center and respond promptly.
Open PayPal Use Registered Agent

Ready to accept payments?

Form LLC + EIN, set up a virtual U.S. bank, and secure U.S. Phone + VPN — then activate Stripe and PayPal.

Start LLC + EIN Compare platforms