US Corporate Banking — Mercury, Brex & Tier-1 Banks

A non-resident opens an account for a US company three ways: (1) Mercury — fully online, no minimum balance, EIN-based onboarding, built for tech startups; (2) Relay Financial — a similar remote process; (3) Chase or Bank of America — an in-person branch visit with passport, company documents, and EIN. Mercury does not open accounts for founders who live in the countries on its prohibited list; see the next answer.

It depends on where the founders live. Mercury supports US companies founded by people abroad and asks for no SSN or ITIN, but it cannot open accounts for founders who live in the countries and regions on its prohibited list. The test is country of residence, not citizenship. The list includes Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nigeria and Pakistan, and sanctioned places such as Cuba, Iran and North Korea. A citizen of a listed country who lives elsewhere may still be eligible, pending review. Read the current list at support.mercury.com (Prohibited countries) before you apply. If your residence is not on it, you need the EIN, Certificate of Formation/Incorporation, Operating Agreement or Bylaws, and a passport. Mercury is a fintech company, not a bank: its banking services come from partner banks, Members FDIC. Domestic wires and USD international wires are free.

A US bank routing number (ABA routing number) is a 9-digit code identifying the financial institution for wire transfers, ACH payments, and check processing. There's no working around it: US clients, marketplaces (Amazon, Stripe, PayPal), and payroll providers pay only into a US account with a valid routing number. Otherwise — delays, higher FX fees, and effective lockout from US payment infrastructure.

The standard pack: the EIN confirmation letter from the IRS (Form SS-4 approval), Certificate of Formation (LLC) or Certificate of Incorporation (C-Corp), Operating Agreement or Bylaws, passports for all beneficial owners, and proof of business purpose — website, invoices, or a business plan. For high-risk industries (crypto, cannabis, MSB), enhanced due diligence kicks in, and traditional banks often decline. Fintech alternatives like Mercury or Brex are more accessible.

Stripe pays US entities only into a US bank account with a valid ACH routing number. PayPal US business accounts can receive funds, but withdrawals above certain thresholds also require a US bank. Without one, a US entity gets no ACH payouts — and most SaaS, marketplace, and e-commerce flows ride on them. The account comes first.