INTRODUCTION

Feature Summary: Stripe verifies your business and its authorized representatives as a standard requirement for all payment processors. This guide walks you through each section of the Stripe merchant application so you can complete it with confidence.

Use Cases:

Gather the business, representative, and owner information Stripe requires before starting the application
Understand what happens on each screen of the Stripe application flow
Resolve common holds if your application doesn't clear right away
Confirm your application is complete before submitting for verification

GETTING STARTED

You're just a few steps away from accepting payments. As part of the onboarding process, Stripe verifies your business and its authorized representatives, a standard requirement for all payment processors. This guide will help you complete each section of the merchant application with confidence.

To begin your application, log in to your CourtReserve software and navigate to Settings > Integrated Payments. Select Stripe as your payment provider and click Get Started with Stripe.

OVERVIEW

Before You Begin - What to Have Ready

With the information below gathered ahead of time, the application usually takes ten to fifteen minutes.

Item	Details
Legal business name	Exactly as it appears on IRS records (e.g., the CP-575 / EIN confirmation letter), not the marketing or facility name.
Business structure	Sole proprietor, LLC, C-corp, S-corp, partnership, or non-profit.
EIN (or SSN)	Nine-digit federal tax ID. Sole proprietors with no EIN use their SSN.
Business address	Physical street address, no P.O. boxes.
Business phone and website	A working phone number and URL. No website? A short description of what you sell works.
Owner / representative info	Legal name, date of birth, home address, SSN, and ownership percentage for each person.
Payout bank account	Routing number and account number for a business checking account in the legal entity's name.

The Application at a Glance

Stripe presents the application as a short sequence of screens. You'll move through:

Business structure > Business details > Representative > Owners & directors > Payout bank > Statement descriptor > Review & submit.

Step 1 - Choose your business structure

Stripe needs to know how your business is legally organized. This determines which fields you'll be asked for next, so choose the option that matches your tax registration.

If you are a...	You'll verify with...
Sole proprietor / individual	Your SSN and personal identity. No separate owner list.
Single- or multi-member LLC	Business EIN and every individual owning twenty-five percent or more.
C-corp or S-corp	Business EIN and beneficial owners plus an executive or director.
Partnership	Business EIN and each partner owning twenty-five percent or more.
Non-profit	Business EIN and a director or executive. No owners to list.

Step 2 - Enter business details

This is the information about the business itself. All fields are required.

Fields you'll complete:

Legal business name - the registered entity name, matched to IRS records.
Doing-business-as (DBA) - the name customers know you by, if different.
EIN - nine digits; dashes optional.
Registered business address - physical location, no P.O. box.
Business phone
Website and product description - what you sell and to whom (e.g., court reservations, memberships, lessons, pro-shop retail).
Industry / category - choose the closest match, typically recreation / sports & recreation facilities or membership clubs.

Note: For the fastest verification, enter your legal business name exactly as it appears in your IRS records. Even small differences, such as punctuation, abbreviations, or spacing, can delay verification.

Step 3 - Add the account representative

Stripe needs one authorized person who can act on behalf of the business, such as an owner, officer, or senior manager with significant control. This person is Stripe's primary contact for the account.

For the representative, provide:

Legal first and last name
Date of birth
Home (residential) address, not the business address
Email and phone
Job title / role
SSN (usually the last four digits; the full SSN may be requested if the last four can't be verified)
Percentage of the business they own, if any

Note: The designated representative must be an authorized individual and cannot be a shared inbox or generic administrative account. Use their individual work email address, as Stripe sends identity verification requests and important account notifications directly to this email.

Step 4 - Add owners & directors

Payment regulations require Stripe to identify everyone with meaningful ownership. On this screen, list every individual who owns twenty-five percent or more of the business, plus an executive or director if prompted.

For each twenty-five percent or greater owner, provide:

Legal name, date of birth, and home address
SSN (last four digits, typically)
Their ownership percentage

If the representative you just entered is also the sole owner, you'll simply confirm that. You won't re-enter them.

Step 5 - Connect your payout bank account

This is the bank account where Stripe deposits the payments you collect.

You can connect your bank account by selecting your bank's icon and signing in, or choose Enter bank details manually if you prefer to provide your routing and account numbers.

You'll need:

Routing number - your bank's nine-digit routing number.
Account number - a business checking account in the legal entity's name.

Step 6 - Set your statement descriptor

The statement descriptor is the text your customers see on their card or bank statement. A clear descriptor prevents "I don't recognize this charge" disputes.

Guidelines:

Use the name members actually recognize, such as your facility or club name.
Keep it within Stripe's length limit (roughly five to twenty-two characters).
Add a support phone number if a customer needs to contact the business regarding a question about a charge.
You'll also be asked to provide a shortened descriptor, which is ten characters long, so fill in as much of your business name as allowed.

Step 7 - Review & submit

Review every section, correct anything that looks off, and accept Stripe's Connected Account Agreement and terms of service. Then submit for verification.

Step 8 - Verification & what happens next

Stripe runs identity and business verification automatically. Many accounts clear instantly; some take a few business days, and a few need extra documents.

Possible follow-up requests:

Photo of a government-issued ID for the representative or an owner
Proof of address (a utility bill or bank statement)
EIN confirmation letter to verify the business
Bank account verification

You'll receive an email if this information is needed, and you'll be prompted to provide it within your Stripe dashboard at dashboard.stripe.com.

Account status you may see:

Status	What it means
Complete / enabled	Verified. You can accept payments and receive payouts.
Pending	Stripe is still reviewing. Usually clears on its own within a few days.
Restricted / information needed	Stripe needs something before it can finish. Open the account and provide the requested item.

Common Holds - and How to Clear Them

If your merchant application doesn't clear right away, it's almost always one of these. Fix the underlying data within the Stripe dashboard at dashboard.stripe.com.

What Stripe flags	How to clear it
Name mismatch	Match the legal business name exactly to the IRS EIN letter. Move the marketing name to the DBA field.
SSN can't be verified	Re-check the digits; if it still fails, provide the full SSN or upload the person's photo ID.
Address can't be verified	Use the individual's residential address (not the business), and upload a utility bill or bank statement if asked.
Ownership incomplete	Add every individual owning twenty-five percent or more; confirm percentages are correct and total one hundred percent or less.
Bank account rejected	Correct the routing / account numbers; use a business checking account that accepts ACH credits.
ID document unreadable / expired	Re-upload a clear, in-date, government-issued photo ID with all four corners visible.
Business can't be found	Confirm the EIN and legal name against the CP-575 confirmation letter.

Pre-Submission Checklist

Run through this before submitting:

Business structure matches IRS registration
Legal business name matches the EIN letter exactly; marketing name is in the DBA field
EIN entered correctly (nine digits)
Business address is a physical street address
Representative is a real, authorized person with a working email
Every twenty-five percent or greater owner is listed with accurate ownership percentages
Payout account is business checking; routing and account numbers double-checked against a voided check
Statement descriptor is a name members will recognize
Merchant has read and accepted the Stripe terms

Stripe Merchant Application Guide