Stripe Atlas forms you a US company for $500 so you can then open Stripe. If what you actually want is to accept payments, there's a shorter path: go live as an individual the same day — no incorporation, no EIN wait — and form a company later, when revenue justifies it.
Atlas is a fine product for what it is: a $500 package that incorporates a Delaware C-Corp or LLC, files for an EIN, and opens the door to a US Stripe account. If you specifically need a US legal entity — for investors, US clients, or visa reasons — Atlas is a legitimate route.
Most people reach Atlas because a payment provider told them "no company, no account." So they pay $500, wait for state filings, then wait again for the IRS EIN — which for non-US founders can stretch to weeks — all before they can even apply for the payment account, and before earning a single dollar. For an app built in an evening, that's the entire momentum gone.
paas.build onboards you as an individual — a real merchant account (sandbox + production) the same day, capped around £1,500 while progressive KYB verification completes in the background. You validate that people actually pay, and incorporate deliberately once the revenue is real. Available to builders based in the UK, EU and US. One flat rate: 3.9%.
Cost to start: Atlas $500 + state fees vs paas.build £0 upfront (3.9% per transaction). Time to first charge: Atlas = incorporation + EIN + PSP onboarding (days-to-weeks) vs paas.build = the same day. What you get: Atlas = a US company (payments still to be set up) vs paas.build = working payments (a company still optional). Different tools — if you need the entity, use Atlas; if you need the revenue, start here.
Yes — if the goal is payments rather than a US entity, a payment facilitator can onboard you as an individual the same day. paas.build gives you a real capped merchant account immediately, with verification completing in the background; no incorporation or EIN required.
Atlas costs $500 plus ongoing state/registered-agent fees. Incorporation is typically days, but the IRS EIN — required before banking and payments — can take weeks for non-US founders.
Yes — that is the intended path for many builders: validate revenue as an individual, then incorporate when it makes sense. You keep selling throughout.
You trade limited liability and some tax options for speed. For early validation with modest volumes (capped ~£1,500 until verification), most builders consider that a good trade; incorporate once revenue is real.