Before you start
Have these items ready:
Business Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Business formation documents (Articles of Incorporation or similar)
Government-issued photo ID for the representative completing setup
Last 4 digits of SSN for the representative(US only)
Bank account information for business payouts
Business address and phone number
Learn more: Using Express connected accounts
Step 1: Accept Your Invitation
Check your email for an invitation from Stripe
Check your spam folder if you don't see it
Click the link in the email to begin setup
Step 2: Verify Your Phone and Email
Enter your phone number and verify with the code sent to you
Confirm your email address
Step 3: Enter Business Information
IMPORTANT: Enter information EXACTLY as it appears on your business formation documents and EIN documentation
Business Details:
Legal Business Name:
Must match your EIN documentation exactly
Use the legal name, not DBA (Doing Business As) or trade name
Include LLC, Inc., Corp., etc. as it appears on official documents
Business Address:
Must be a physical address (P.O. Boxes are NOT accepted)
Must match your business formation documents
Include suite or unit number if applicable
Must include valid city, state, and ZIP code
State must be a valid US state abbreviation
Business Phone Number:
Must be a valid and active US-based phone number
If incorporated via Stripe Atlas, can be in any country
Format: (XXX) XXX-XXXX or +1XXXXXXXXXX
Business Email Address:
Must be a valid email format
Should be a business email (not personal)
Employer Identification Number (EIN):
Must be exactly 9 digits
Format: XX-XXXXXXX
Must be verifiable with the IRS
Must match your business formation documents
Business Structure:
Select the correct legal structure (LLC, Corporation, Partnership, etc.)
Must match your formation documents
Representative Information: The person completing this form must provide:
Legal Name:
Must match government-issued ID exactly
Full legal first and last name (no nicknames)
Date of Birth:
Must be at least 13 years old
Must match government ID
Format: MM/DD/YYYY
Last 4 Digits of SSN(US only):
Must be valid and verifiable
Format: #### (4 digits)
Home Address:
Must be a physical address (no P.O. Boxes)
Must match representative's government ID
Include apartment or unit number if applicable
Email Address:
Must be a valid email format
Job Title:
Your role in the company (e.g., CEO, Owner, Director)
Common mistakes to avoid:
Using a DBA or trade name instead of the legal business name
Entering a P.O. Box as the business address
Mismatching EIN format (must be 9 digits)
Representative information that doesn't match their government ID
Using personal email instead of business email
Learn more: Identity verification for connected accounts
Step 4: Select Business Type
Choose: Company
Then select your business structure:
LLC (Limited Liability Company)
Corporation
Partnership
Other
Step 5: Product/Service Description
Describe what your business sells or the services you provide:
Minimum: 10 characters long
Recommended: At least 30 characters for faster review
Cannot be identical to your website URL
Must be specific about what your business offers
Examples:
✅ Good: "Corporate wellness programs and executive fitness coaching"
✅ Good: "Online fitness training platform and nutrition consulting services"
❌ Bad: "Fitness" (too short and generic)
❌ Bad: "www.mybusiness.com" (cannot be a URL)
Step 6: Website or Social Media URL (if applicable)
If your business uses a website, app, social media page, or online profile to sell:
Enter your full URL (e.g., https://www.yourbusiness.com)
Must be a valid URL format (.com, .org, .net, etc.)
Make sure the URL works and loads properly
Cannot be a generic URL (must be your specific business page)
The business information on your website must match what you entered in Stripe
Website must be publicly accessible (no password-protected sites)
Step 7: Statement Descriptor
What is a statement descriptor? This is what appears on your clients' credit card statements when they pay your business.
Full Statement Descriptor Requirements:
Use a statement descriptor that is as close as possible to the public-facing business name customers recognize
It should ideally match the DBA/business name
It can also be accepted if it closely matches the website / URL branding
Avoid generic terms that don’t identify the business clearly
Minimum: 5 characters
Maximum: 22 characters
Use letters, numbers, and spaces only
Avoid special characters
Examples:
✅ Good: "ACME FITNESS CO" or "ELITE COACHING"
❌ Bad: "PAYMENT" (too generic)
❌ Bad: "GYM" (too short - under 5 characters)
❌ Bad: "SUPER LONG BUSINESS NAME LLC" (too long - over 22 characters)
Learn more: Statement descriptors
Step 8: Ownership Information
You may need to provide information about business owners who own 25% or more of the company:
For Each Owner:
Full legal name (must match government ID)
Date of birth (must be at least 13 years old)
Last 4 digits of SSN(US only)
Home address (physical address, no P.O. Boxes)
Percentage of ownership
Learn more: Required verification information
Step 9: Review and Submit
Double-check all information matches your business documents and EIN
Verify representative information matches their government ID
Confirm all addresses are physical addresses (not P.O. Boxes)
Verify EIN is exactly 9 digits
Click Submit
Step 10: Upload Business and Identity Documents (if requested by Stripe)
Business Documents:
Articles of Incorporation, Organization, or similar formation documents
Must show legal business name and formation date
Must be clearly readable
Accepted formats: PDF, JPEG, or PNG
File size: Under 32MB per file
Representative Photo ID:
Must be in full color (no black and white copies)
Must upload both front AND back of driver's license or full passport
Must not be expired
Must be clearly readable
Accepted formats: JPEG or PNG
File size: Under 32MB per file
Business Address Verification (if requested):
Document dated within last 6 months
Must show business name and address
Address must match what you entered in Step 3
Examples: utility bill, bank statement, lease agreement
Must be clearly readable
CRITICAL: All documents must match EXACTLY what you entered in Step 3
Learn more:
Step 11: Add Business Bank Account
Once verified:
Go to Settings in your Express Dashboard
Click Payouts and banking
Add your business bank account information
Account must be in the business name
Bank Account Requirements:
Routing Number: 9 digits (US banks)
Account Number: Varies by bank (typically 8-17 digits)
Account must be in the legal business name
Must be a business checking or savings account
Account must be active and in good standing
Learn more: Add a bank account for payouts
⚠️ Important: Identity Verification Requirement
BEFORE YOU CAN RECEIVE PAYOUTS, the business representative must complete the Identity Verification process.
What you need to do:
For US-based businesses:
The representative will need to complete TWO verification checks:
1. ID Number Check
The representative will be asked to provide their full Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
This information is securely verified through Stripe's identity verification system
Make sure the information matches the representative's government-issued ID
2. Document Check
The representative will need to upload their government-issued photo ID
Accepted documents:
Driver's license (front and back)
Passport (photo page)
State-issued ID card (front and back)
Document Requirements:
Must be in full color
Must be current and not expired
Must be clearly readable (no blurry or dark images)
Must show the representative's full legal name
Must show date of birth
Must show photo
Accepted formats: JPEG or PNG
File size: Under 32MB per file
For non-US businesses:
The representative will need to complete a Document Check:
Document Check
The representative will need to upload their government-issued photo ID
Accepted documents:
Passport (photo page)
National ID card (front and back)
Driver's license (front and back)
Document Requirements:
Must be in full color
Must be current and not expired
Must be clearly readable (no blurry or dark images)
Must show the representative's full legal name
Must show date of birth
Must show photo
Document must be from the representative's country of residence
Accepted formats: JPEG or PNG
File size: Under 32MB per file
How to complete Identity Verification:
Check your email for an Identity Verification request from Everfit or Stripe
Click the verification link in the email
Follow the prompts to complete the verification process
Upload your documents as requested
Wait for verification - This typically takes a few minutes to a few hours
Check your status - You will receive an email confirmation once verified
What happens after verification?
✅ Verification Successful:
You will receive a confirmation email
Your business account will be enabled for payouts
You can start receiving payments from your clients
❌ Verification Failed:
You will receive an email explaining why verification failed
Common reasons for failure:
Documents are expired
Documents are not clearly readable
Information doesn't match what was entered
Documents are in black and white
Wrong document type submitted
You can resubmit your documents after correcting the issues
Important Notes:
This is mandatory - You cannot receive payouts without completing this verification
One-time process - You only need to complete this once
Secure and private - Your information is encrypted and securely stored
Separate from Stripe account verification - This is an additional Everfit requirement
Processing time - Most verifications are completed within a few hours, but can take up to 24-48 hours
Representative only - Only the business representative needs to complete this, not all owners
Need Help?
If you encounter issues with Identity Verification:
Make sure your documents meet all requirements listed above
Ensure your documents are clearly readable and in color
Verify that the information on your documents matches what you entered in your account
Contact Everfit support if you continue to experience issues
Learn more: Stripe Identity verification