How to accept payments as an LLC (2026): the fast path, and the no-company path

Option A: Stripe or PayPal - and the order that actually matters

Stripe and PayPal both accept a US LLC, and both are solid processors. The catch is a chain of prerequisites you have to finish before onboarding will complete - and the sequence is not optional:

Form the LLC with your state (articles of organization, operating agreement, a US registered address).
Get an EIN from the IRS. This is fast - typically 1 to 2 business days - if you have a US company address, US phone and US SSN; without those it can take 6 to 8 weeks.
Open a US business bank account in the LLC's name. Stripe requires a business bank account in the same country as your entity, so a US LLC needs a US business bank account before it can receive transfers.
Complete Stripe onboarding as a Registered Business: legal name, EIN, US address, industry, beneficial-owner ID.

So the payment signup is quick, but "how fast can I take money" is really "how fast can I get an EIN and a US bank account." For a non-resident founder that stack is where the weeks go. Sources: Stripe - business bank accounts · US LLC + EIN + bank order of operations

Where the friction really is

The processor account is not usually the bottleneck - the bank account and the EIN are. On top of that, card processors can pause a new merchant for a manual risk review after signup, and thin-track-record or non-resident accounts see more of that. None of this makes Stripe or PayPal wrong; it means "accept payments as an LLC" is a multi-step project when what you often want is to charge one customer this week to prove the idea works.

The real question isn't "which processor," it's "how do I take money today without the EIN-plus-bank-plus-review stack blocking me." That's the gap paas.build closes.

Option B: paas.build - your LLC live the same day

paas.build is a payment facilitator on UniPaaS (FCA-authorised Payment Institution No. 929994). Instead of demanding the full entity-and-history stack upfront, it uses progressive KYB: you enter your LLC details and get a real production account the same session, capped at roughly the equivalent of £1,500 of processing while verification runs in the background, then the cap lifts. Your LLC stays the merchant - your name on the statement, your customer, your funds on regulated rails - and it's 3.9% flat with no fixed per-transaction fee, which matters most at small ticket sizes:

On a $19 sale	Fee taken	You keep
paas.build (3.9% flat)	$0.74	$18.26
Card processor (2.9% + $0.30)	$0.85	$18.15
Merchant of Record (5% + $0.50)	$1.45	$17.55

One call: your agent runs go_live (via SKILL.md / the MCP server) or you use the console on the homepage, keys arrive by email, and checkout drops in. Full pricing. Sources: UniPaaS regulatory status · how progressive KYB and the cap work

A note on tax: you stay the seller

Here's the honest boundary. paas.build is a PayFac, not a Merchant of Record, so your LLC remains the seller and your tax stays yours - income tax on what the LLC earns, and any US sales tax where you have nexus. That's the trade for owning your customers and your funds. If handing off worldwide sales tax, VAT and GST is your single most important need, the honest answer is to pair your LLC with a Merchant of Record - that's the right tool for that specific job, at a higher fee.

Haven't formed the LLC yet? The no-company path

You do not actually need an LLC to accept payments. A payment facilitator can onboard you as an individual, so you can be selling as yourself today and form the LLC later, on your own timeline, for the liability and tax reasons that make sense to you - not because a processor forced it as a gate. On paas.build that's the same same-day flow. See accept payments without an LLC and without a company. Form the entity when it earns its keep; start taking money now.

FAQ

How do I accept payments as an LLC?

You have two routes. The classic one is Stripe or PayPal: form the LLC, get an EIN from the IRS, open a US business bank account in the LLC's name, then complete onboarding with those details. The fast route is paas.build: enter your LLC details and go live the same day via progressive KYB - a real merchant account, capped until verification completes, with your LLC as the merchant, at 3.9% flat.

Do I need an EIN and a bank account to accept payments with a US LLC?

For Stripe, effectively yes: Stripe requires a US business bank account in the same country as your entity, and you enter your EIN during onboarding, so the order is LLC then EIN then US bank account then Stripe. paas.build does not block go-live on a fully set-up bank account for same-day activation via progressive KYB, though you add payout details to withdraw.

Can I accept payments before my LLC is fully set up?

Yes. You do not need an LLC to accept payments at all - a payment facilitator can onboard you as an individual or sole trader. On paas.build you can go live as yourself the same day and form the LLC later on your own timeline, or start as an LLC if you already have one. The company is a liability and tax decision, not a requirement to take a card.

How long does it take to start accepting payments as an LLC?

With Stripe or PayPal the payment account can be quick, but the real timeline is the prerequisites: LLC formation plus an EIN (1-2 business days, or 6-8 weeks without a US phone/SSN) plus opening a US bank account. With paas.build the payment account itself is same-day via progressive KYB, so you are charging customers today instead of waiting on the full stack.

Open my account - no company needed Without an LLC →