A football Supporters Club is attempting to set up a Shopify account to collect annual membership fees and sell tickets, but cannot activate payments because Shopify requires business documents they don’t possess as a non-profit organization.
Suggested solutions include:
Register as individual/sole proprietor: Complete setup using personal identification (passport or driver’s license) instead of business registration documents.
Use third-party payment gateways: Connect PayPal or Stripe through Settings > Payments, as these platforms may have more flexible requirements for non-profit or personal use.
Contact Shopify Support directly: Given the unique non-profit status, support may offer country-specific guidance or alternative verification paths.
Submit charity documentation: Register as a business account but provide the club’s legal and tax documents as a charitable organization, then request a non-profit discount.
The consensus is that Shopify can accommodate community groups and clubs with adjustments to the standard business setup process.
Hi
I’m trying to set up a Shopify account for our football Supporters Club, with ability to take payments from our members to cover our costs - the members pay an annual membership fee and then buy tickets. We don’t make a profit.
I can’t seem to activate the payment side as it wants me to submit Business Documents… but we don’t have any, as we’re not a business
is there a different account I need to be opening?
Many thanks for any help
Hi,
This is a common situation for clubs, charities, and community groups. Shopify is mainly built for registered businesses, so when you set up an account and try to activate payments (like Shopify Payments), it asks for business documents like a registration number or tax info.
Even if you’re not making a profit, the platform still needs some basic details to process payments and stay compliant with financial regulations.
Here are a few things you can try:
1. Register as an individual or sole proprietor
You can often complete the setup by choosing “Individual” or “Sole Proprietor” as your business type. For ID, you can usually submit a government-issued document like a passport or driver’s license.
2. Use a third-party payment gateway
Some gateways like PayPal or Stripe allow you to accept payments without full business documents, especially for non-profit or personal use. You can connect these to your Shopify store and let your members pay that way.
To do this:
Go to Settings > Payments
Scroll down to the third-party section
Choose PayPal or Stripe and follow the steps
3. Consider contacting Shopify Support directly
Since your case is a bit unique, they might be able to suggest the smoothest path based on your country and setup.
Many community groups use Shopify for membership payments and events, so it’s definitely doable with a few adjustments.
Hope this gives you a clearer path forward.
Hello @richb14 !
The best move would be to set up an account as a business. Then, submit any legal and tax documentation from your charity to Shopify. You’ll be able to get 3 months for $3. In the mean time, you can submit a request to Shopify to try to secure some sort of discount as a non-profit organization.
Hope this helps!