Cross-border payment collection is one of the hardest parts of the whole e-commerce operation โ and the most important thing to get straight first: mainland China entities are not on Stripe's list of supported regions. This isn't a grey area that needs verifying โ it's explicit official policy. If your identity documents, company registration, and bank accounts are all based in mainland China, you cannot register for Stripe directly. Some tutorials floating around suggest workarounds, but these carry real account suspension risk from a compliance standpoint. Stripe's KYC review has gotten considerably stricter โ if the entity information doesn't match the registration region requirements, the account gets shut down and any funds inside can be frozen. That route isn't worth taking.
The two legitimate compliant paths are: registering Stripe through a Hong Kong company, or registering through a US company (including the Stripe Atlas route).
The Hong Kong Route: The Lowest-Barrier Compliant Option
Hong Kong Stripe supports sole proprietor registration โ you don't necessarily need to form a limited company, which is what makes it a lower barrier to entry compared to the US route.
What you'll need: a Hong Kong bank account (must be a Hong Kong local bank, not a mainland bank's Hong Kong branch), valid Hong Kong identity documents (Hong Kong residents, BNO holders) or the registration documents for a Hong Kong company, and original identity documents for verification. For mainland sellers, the most common path is to first set up a limited company in Hong Kong, open a Hong Kong bank account (HSBC Business, ZA Bank, and Airwallex's Hong Kong accounts are frequently used), and then register a Stripe Hong Kong account under the company entity.
Hong Kong Stripe's current fee is approximately 3.4% + HK$2.35 per transaction for credit cards, with additional surcharges for international cards โ verify against Stripe's Hong Kong pricing page for current rates. Business types that fit Hong Kong Stripe well: cross-border trade, B2B export, Shopify stores targeting Asian markets.
The US Route: The Most Complete Ecosystem, but Higher Cost
A US Stripe account has the most mature feature set across any of the supported regions, with the broadest range of functionality โ it's the most seller-friendly option for SaaS products, AI tools, and subscription-based businesses.
Registering for US Stripe requires a US company (LLC or C-Corp), a US bank account (Mercury and Relay are popular choices for remote account opening), and an EIN (Employer Identification Number, the US equivalent of a company tax ID).
Stripe Atlas is Stripe's official all-in-one registration service โ it handles Delaware company formation, EIN acquisition, and Stripe account activation in one process, starting at around $500. The appeal is the integrated flow, which eliminates the hassle of doing each step separately. The tradeoff is that it requires a genuinely legitimate US entity, and there are ongoing maintenance costs afterward (Delaware annual fees, tax filing, etc.). If you're looking to test the waters at low cost, the total cost of Stripe Atlas adds up quickly. If your business is clearly targeting the US market with SaaS or digital products, it's worth taking seriously.
US Stripe's standard rate is currently 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, with an additional 1.5% surcharge for international cards โ verify on Stripe's US pricing page for current rates.
What You Need Ready Before Applying
Whichever route you go, a few things need to be in place before you apply โ otherwise you're likely to get stuck in review.
A complete website is what Stripe's review puts the most weight on. The site needs to have real, accessible product or service pages, and About Us, Contact, Privacy Policy, and Refund Policy pages are all mandatory โ Stripe's risk team manually checks websites, and an incomplete site is one of the most common reasons for activation failure. The site needs to show actual sales content, not a blank placeholder or a "coming soon" page.
A domain email address clears the review more easily than Gmail or other free email providers. Something in the format [email protected] reads more like an actively operating business.
Bank account and identity documents need to match whichever path you're taking โ Hong Kong or US. When filling in your details, everything must be consistent with your registration documents exactly. Any mismatch in the details can trigger additional verification.
The Registration Process: From Application to Activation
Go to Stripe's website and click Start Now. The country/region selection step is critical โ this is where you specify your business entity's location, and it can't effectively be changed later. It must match the region of the bank account you're linking: Hong Kong selection requires a Hong Kong bank account; US selection requires a US bank account.
Next, fill in your business information: website URL, product or service type, industry category, and estimated monthly transaction volume. Fill these in accurately โ Stripe's review system cross-references your website content against what you've entered, and significant discrepancies are a common trigger for manual review.
Identity verification typically requires uploading passport or ID photos. In some cases, video verification or proof of address may be requested (bank statements or utility bills). Once verification is complete, Stripe reviews your website โ this usually takes 24โ72 hours. After approval, the account can process payments normally.
Connecting to Shopify and WooCommerce
Shopify is the simpler side of this โ go to Settings โ Payments, select Stripe, and follow the authorization prompts. No additional configuration needed. If your registration location supports Shopify Payments (which is essentially a white-label version of Stripe), that's worth enabling first. In regions where Shopify Payments isn't available, connect Stripe directly.
WooCommerce โ use the official WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway plugin. Once installed, enter your Stripe API keys in the plugin settings (the Publishable Key and Secret Key, both found under Developers โ API keys in your Stripe dashboard). Enabling Apple Pay and Google Pay within the plugin settings can meaningfully lift checkout conversion โ worth turning both on. After setup, run a full test order in test mode to confirm the payment flow works correctly before switching to Live mode.
Practical Advice for Keeping Risk Review at Bay
Stripe's risk monitoring is ongoing โ passing initial activation isn't a permanent green light. A few common traps worth knowing about:
Large transactions appearing on a brand new account right after activation tend to trigger system review. High chargeback rates are Stripe's most sensitive risk signal โ industry experience suggests keeping chargebacks below 1% puts you in a much safer zone. Digital products and subscription businesses are inherently treated as higher-risk categories, and Stripe's review of these account types is more rigorous. If your business model changes significantly โ say you shift from physical goods to digital products โ it's worth proactively updating your account information through Stripe support rather than waiting for them to notice the discrepancy.
The early sign that a risk flag has been raised is usually a Stripe email asking you to submit additional documents. The right response is to cooperate and submit promptly โ ignoring or delaying that email is what leads to the account going into a restricted state.
How Stripe and PayPal Work Together
Most independent stores run both, and this is still the most common and most sensible approach. Stripe handles credit card payments; PayPal covers European and American users who prefer checking out with their PayPal wallet. Covering both payment habits reduces checkout abandonment caused by limited payment options. For a detailed comparison of which platform fits which business scenario, the cross-border payment options comparison piece covers this thoroughly โ no need to repeat it here.