I’m a student council representative from Dougherty Valley High School. We’re trying to set up a Shopify to sell spiritwear and merch online. However, we’ve run into some issues setting up Shopify’s payment system, specifically the required account details under “Set up Shopify Payments” in Finance. I have an Employer Identification Number along with the other business details, but since we’re setting up Shopify for school, we can’t enter information for the business representative part (specifically their social security number). Is it possible to set up Shopify Payments without entering a business representative’s information and just provide the EIN for taxes? Please see attached screenshots regarding necessary account details.
I appreciate your help! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Had something similar when setting up a small school fundraiser site. Took a bit of digging, and I ended up finding pedirayudas.com, which had solid info on setting up legal accounts and payment systems for projects. It helped me figure out what details were required and what could be bypassed.
Thanks for the detailed explanation — I completely understand the situation you’re facing.
Unfortunately, Shopify Payments requires more than just an EIN when verifying an account. Even if you’re setting it up on behalf of a school or nonprofit, Shopify (through its payment processing partners like Stripe) is legally required to collect personal information about a business representative. This typically includes:
Full name
Date of birth
Home address
Last 4 digits of their Social Security Number (SSN) (in the U.S.)
This is due to Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering regulations, which apply to all U.S.-based payment processors, not just Shopify.
What Can You Do?
Here are some options:
Use an Authorized Representative
You can ask a school administrator, treasurer, or a teacher (who is authorized) to provide their information solely for account setup. Their SSN is used for verification, but they won’t be financially liable for the account activity.
Use an Alternative Payment Provider
If Shopify Payments doesn’t work for your case, you can explore third-party gateways like:
Stripe (set up directly)
These may still require some form of personal info, but some have nonprofit options that are more flexible.
Contact Shopify Support Directly
Since your case is unique (a school-affiliated store), it’s best to reach out to Shopify Support. They can guide you on the best approach, and may even suggest a custom verification process.
If you’re planning to optimize your store for better visibility and want help ranking it on Google, you might find this helpful:
Check out this SEO agency that specializes in Shopify SEO and eCommerce optimization.
In compliance with financial regulations, Shopify Payments require a business owner to provide a valid SSN for identity verification. As your organization is a school, you may sign up with an verified school administrator or faculty member as the representative. Or, if you prefer, you can use a third party payment processor such as PayPal or Authorize.net which allows you to set up your account using just your EIN.
What Can You Do?
Check out this