How can I set up a payment gateway for my US store from Lebanon?

Shopify Discussion
1

Hello!

I’m currently residing in Lebanon, Beirut and I would like to open my first store and sell strictly in the US. However in Lebanon there’s a problem using PayPal including other payment options.

How can I go about offering my clients options for payments? Can I open an account in the states if I’m not American?

Please your suggestions would highly appreciated.

2

Hi @May9

That is awesome to hear you are looking to open your very first store on Shopify!

I understand that you are based in Lebanon, and would want to sell only to the US. You were wondering about payment gateways, and if you can open an account in the US.

We actually have a page which outlines all of the available payment gateways in Lebanon, check it out here. It looks like you have a few to choose from! Once you create your account and get access to your Shopify admin, you can add a third party payment provider by navigating to Settings > Payments. We have a handy guide on exactly how to do this here that I would recommend checking out.

In order to use one of those third party payment gateways, you would need to apply for an account with a provider of your choosing. We actually don’t have any visibility or input over this process, so I would recommend reaching out to the payment provider directly, and asking them any specific questions you might have about opening an account, and selling on Shopify. You could outline your plans such as what products you will be selling, and that you want to sell directly to the US.

As for opening an account in the US if you are not American, this is a bit more complicated. You technically wouldn’t have to be American, however there are various strict requirements for using US payment gateways such as Shopify Payments US, which you would need to comply with. The most important of which would be a business presence on US soil, which by the sounds of things you may not have? The following are also required:

  • Government issued photo ID (driver’s licence, passport, etc).
  • A Tax ID in the United States.
  • Business registration document (Registered in the US with the government).
  • Proof that the business is actually operating from the US.
  • A USD checking account, opened with a real US banking institution, located on US soil.

What kind of products will you be selling on Shopify? I have some great resources here for you to check out! Firstly, our Shopify YouTube Tutorial is an in-depth beginners guide that is a great place to start your Shopify learning journey. Also, check out our help docs designed to make it easy for new merchants to get going.