Using a Payoneer account to receive payments

Payments + Shipping & Fulfilment
1

Hi,

I see this question getting asked numerous times, but I am still a little confused, as I see Payoneer sometimes mentioned in the context of a payment gateway, which I believe they can also do.

However, I am only interested to know whether I can use a Payoneer account to receive payments in the US from a Shopify store I set up, regardless of the payment gateway I use.

I am residing outside of the US, but plan on selling products in the US with a Shopify store, and receive payments for those sales into my Payoneer account.

Is this possible, or is there something I am missing?

The other option I am looking at is registering an LLC in the US as a foreign resident, and using that to create a business bank account.

Will the Payoneer option work, however?

Thanks and Regards,

Martin

2

Hey there @mdhw I believe that the Payoneer option should work as it’s the payment I myself use and it’s quite seamless but I suggest getting in touch with a representative on their side just to confirm and know any necessary details or changes you’d need to incorporate into your store for it.

1 Like
3

@Bundler-Manuel Thanks for the info! That is good to know. On a lot of discussions, I see people talking about Payoneer, but then it’s about using Payoneer as a payment gateway, which is not what I think I need; I just want to receive payments into a Payoneer bank account.

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4

Thanks for the info and the offer to assist! I am trying to set up a print-on-demand store with Printful as the supplier. The problem is, without a valid US address, it seems I cannot set up a payment provider in the US, or switch the currency to USD. I’m still looking into options like forming an LLC, but that’s quite a lot of up-front costs for just starting out.

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5

Just out of interest: are you also based outside of the US?

My challenge is that I want to sell in the US, but am not based in the US myself (non-US resident).

In order for me to do that, I need to have a US address for the location I am selling from, in order to use a US payment gateway and sell in USD.

For this purpose, I wonder whether I can just use the Payoneer address provided with the US bank account, or would that cause problems further down the line?

6

Shopify wants an operational presence unless you have been a successful seller on Shopify before with 1-2 years of track record, and they might approve your situation. Everyone is evaluated and proving an operational presence is not cheap, likely will be 10X what most pay for a US LLC, close to $5K to $10K per year, and this changes your US tax status, so this is not simple: Here are some things to keep in mind:

Definition of What is Not a Virtual Office by Shopify:1. Dedicated Physical Space:

  • A non-virtual office is a physical location where your business has a dedicated space, such as a suite, office, or warehouse. This space is used exclusively by your business for regular operations, such as inventory management, customer service, administrative tasks, or any other activities that are core to running your business.1. Legitimate Business Operations:

  • The location should have a legitimate function in your business operations. For example, it could be a warehouse where goods are stored and shipped, an office where employees work, or a retail space where customers can visit. This space should not be a shared or temporary location but rather a consistent and ongoing part of your business infrastructure.1. Lease or Ownership:

  • The address should be associated with a legitimate lease agreement or property ownership document that ties it directly to your business. This lease should detail that the space is exclusively occupied by your business, with specific square footage and terms outlined. Shared spaces where you rent a desk or small area within a larger office would typically be considered virtual and thus not acceptable.1. Unique and Specific Address:

  • The address should be unique to your business and not just a general address used by many other businesses. For instance, an address like “Suite 500 at 123 Main Street,” used by dozens of companies, may raise red flags. A unique suite or office number that specifically belongs to your business is more likely to meet Shopify’s requirements.

    If you need professional support on these and other complex expansion questions, we offer $500 per hour consulting. We also offer a free discovery call (no advice) to help you understand your situation. Can we guarantee Shopify payment success? No. No one can because Shopify (rightly so) has an internal process for evaluating each seller and making a decision.