How to set up shopify balance from another country?

Topic summary

Main issue: A merchant living in Canada with a U.S.-registered business is trying to activate Shopify Balance but is blocked by the requirement to enter a U.S. SSN (Social Security Number).

  • Attempts made: Entered a Canadian SSN, which was not accepted; also tried the business EIN (Employer Identification Number), which was rejected.
  • Goal: Find a way to access Shopify Balance without providing a U.S. SSN, or learn if there is an alternative verification path.

Key questions:

  • Is there any compliant method to verify for Shopify Balance without a U.S. SSN when the business is U.S.-registered but the owner resides in Canada?
  • Are there acceptable alternatives to a U.S. SSN (e.g., using an EIN or non-U.S. ID)?

Status: No guidance or solution provided yet; the request remains open and unresolved.

Summarized with AI on December 12. AI used: gpt-5.

I currently live in Canada but my business is registered in the USA. How can I bypass entering a US SSN to get access to Shopify Balance? My Canadian SSN wasn’t accepted nor was my company EIN accepted. Any help is appreciated.