Core Question:
Multiple users across different countries (Poland, Vietnam, Honduras, Croatia, UAE, Greece, France, Spain, Nigeria, USA, Canada, India) are asking whether they can accept payments through Shopify—particularly Shopify Payments—without having a legally registered business.
Key Requirements for Shopify Payments:
Alternative Solutions:
Common Scenarios Discussed:
Status:
No universal workaround exists. Users are directed to research country-specific payment gateways and consult local tax/business professionals for compliance guidance.
Hi!
Wanted to ask, whether it’s possible to collect/activate payments (e.g. with Shopify Payments or other payment gates) without having a legal business registered.
I’m planning on starting a side-hustle. Before manufacturing any products, I’d like to start preorder with a small deposit of 1$ for each preorder made.
In my country, it’s totally legal to ‘have’ a business without registering it till a certain amount (~500 USD/month).
Friendly,
Hi there @Michal_Morek !
The sort of documentation or registration you’d need to share would vary depending on the payment gateway in question and where in the world you are located.
If you’re happy to confirm where in the world you are based, we can share a list of the gateways that are available there.
Should you be located in a country where Shopify Payments is one of those options, we can check internally to see what sort of identification or business documents you might be required to submit where you are.
Could you tell me a bit more about the sort of product you’re interested in creating for which you want to take preorders?
Thanks for such detailed reply. I’m located in Poland, Europe. If you could share the list of available payment methods, I’d appreciate that greatly.
When it comes to preorder system, I’m already having all set up, so no need to bother regarding this case.
Hi again @Michal_Morek !
Thanks for getting back to me here!
You can check out the full list of payment gateways available for use with your Shopify store in Poland here.
As these are all external providers, you would just need to start researching and reaching out to them yourself to confirm any requirements they have.
Generally speaking, any payment processor will have some obligation such as Know Your Customer laws that require them to confirm the identity of their customers, though the requirements for business documents would vary as outlined above.
You would also have to option to add PayPal alongside your credit card gateway, to offer your customers more ways to pay.
Let me know if you have any other questions about setting up what you want to be able to do or anything else Shopify-related.
All the best!
I’m in Vietnam, please share the list of payment provider that do not require a registered business
Hi there, @VincentNg !
You can check out the full list of payment gateways available for use with your Shopify store in Vietnam here.
As all of these options are third-party, external companies not part of Shopify you would need to check out for yourself which ones might be able to support your business without a registration.
Try reaching out to a few of the options you see there to get some ideas on their processes and requirements.
Can you tell me a little bit about what you’re selling specifically and what stage your business is at?
Can you send Honduras?
I’m just a beginner in selling moms and babies’ stuffs
Hi again, @VincentNg !
We’ve got some good info here on our blog on baby products for dropshipping stores you might find useful.
Do you have a supplier lined up already for your products, or are you still looking?
If you’re just starting out in ecommerce, check out our Shopify Learn courses as there’s a lot of great educational resources available there.
Let me know if there’s something you’re specifically working on that we can help out with!
Hi, I did set up a store that is a print-on-demand service, with an US based provider, but I’m from another country that is not in the list of accepted ones for Shopify Payments. Could I still be able to active SP? And what would be the requirements? Thanks!
Hi there, @csaldana1978 !
If you wish to apply to use Shopify Payments while you’re not based in that country you would need to submit documentary evidence showing your business is located there and that you have permission to do business in that country.
This will usually consist of government ID for yourself, a physical address where your business is based in that country (this is a hard requirement, as you need to show you have a locus of business operations in the target country) and you may also need to submit business registration, or an SSN or EIN showing you have permission to do business in that country.
In the case of the USA, you can check out the requirements below:
If you can fulfil these conditions you can reach out for account support via our Help Centre here, where we can forward your request to the appropriate team.
Can you please send for Croatia?
Hello
I am opening a store in UAE but I am getting asked about a Business registration number While I have no business registered and no specific location, What can I do about it?
Hi, @IXD !
Thanks for your question.
My suggestion here would be to review all of the eligibility documentation available via our Help Center, and consult with a business professional in your region. If you’re looking to set up Shopify Payments, please ensure that you select the country here to see the requirements.
I am from Greece, currently live and work in the UK (still Greece is my tax residence) and want to dropship products from poland to france. How can I accept payments without registering a bussines? I will use virtual address in france. what about tax implications?
Hi, @kostaskostas . Shopify Support won’t have more information to help with this since we only have information to help with questions about Shopify or Shopify features, like Shopify Payments. If you are using a different payment gateway you would need to speak with them directly about the business types they support. We also won’t have information on your tax implications as that depends on a number of unique factors like your business, the products you sell, where your business is located, etc. For help with your tax obligations it’s best to speak to a local tax professional. You can also learn more about taxes with Shopify here. All that being said, if you are living and working in Greece it’s best to use your address in Greece for your business.
I would like to know what is the SPI 13 digit number, requested when choosing to run as an individual on my name. since i have the option I gues that i will be allowed to collect money in shopify payments
Can you share more information about the 13 digit number you’re asking about? I just want to make sure I understand. Are you being asked for this while trying to set up Shopify Payments? Shopify Payments is not available in Greece at the moment so it will likely not be an option you can use unless you prove that you have physical business operations in the region you are trying to select.
I want to dropship products to france. I want to use shopify payment and have the store as an individual on my name. I am greek taxpayer though EU citizen. Is that possible?
You can dropship products to France as that is a separate process. However, you cannot use Shopify Payments unless you have physical business operations in a region supported by Shopify Payments. You can learn more about the regions Shopify Payments currently supports here.