“You do not need a US address” and “your address was rejected” are both true, and that is why this topic confuses so many founders. A US LLC uses several addresses, and each one has a different job. The state needs one kind. Banks and payment providers want another. Mixing them up is one of the most common reasons an application stalls.
This guide explains each address, where it goes, and what the main providers publish about which addresses they accept.
The four addresses, in one table
| Address | What it is for | Who asks for it | Can it be outside the US? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered agent | Receiving legal papers and state notices | The state where you form | No, it must be in that state |
| Mailing address | Where letters, including IRS mail, should go | The IRS, banks, providers | Often yes |
| Business address | The company’s address on forms and invoices | Banks, clients, payment providers | Depends on the provider |
| Operating address | Where the business physically operates day to day | Banks and payment providers (for KYC) | Many providers accept a foreign one |
KYC means “know your customer”: the identity checks every bank and payment provider must run.
1. The registered agent address
Every LLC must name a registered agent with a street address in its state of formation. The agent receives lawsuits, official notices and state reminders, and passes them to you. It is a legal requirement, not an office.
Because one agent serves thousands of companies, banks and payment providers know these addresses. Many will not accept a registered agent address as your physical or operating address. That is not a sign that anything is wrong with your company; it is simply the wrong address for that question.
2. The mailing address
This is where you want mail to arrive. For a founder abroad, it is often a business address with a mail-scanning service, so letters from the IRS or a bank reach you as a PDF. It can also be your home address abroad, if the sender ships internationally.
3. The business address
The address that appears on your invoices, website and some forms. Founders who live abroad often use a US business address that comes with a mail service. It looks professional and keeps your home address private. But like a registered agent address, it is usually a mail address, not a place where the business operates.
4. The operating address
This is the address KYC teams care about most: where the business is actually run. For a solo founder abroad, that is usually your real address in your home country, or a coworking space or office you rent. Providers ask you to prove it with a recent document in the company’s or owner’s name.
What a CMRA is, and why it matters
A CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agency) is the US Postal Service’s term for a business that receives mail for customers: virtual mailbox services, mail centers and similar. Opening one requires USPS Form 1583. Banks and payment providers can see that an address is a CMRA, and many treat it as a mail address only.
What the main providers publish
Mercury
Mercury’s help center separates three addresses (Mercury, Company address requirements, checked October 2026):
- Legal address: a physical US address, such as the address on your formation documents. Not a P.O. box.
- Physical address: where you and your team work. Mercury does not accept a P.O. box, virtual address, commercial mail receiving agency, mail center or registered agent address here, but it does accept verifiable international addresses for overseas customers and a residential address if you have no office.
- Mailing address: where physical cards are sent. Must be deliverable by USPS.
Mercury may ask for proof of the physical address: a lease, a utility bill or bank statement from the last 90 days, a coworking invoice, or a recent tax document, showing the company’s or owner’s name.
Stripe
Stripe asks every US account for the address of the physical location where most of the business activity is carried out, and does not accept P.O. boxes (Stripe, Requirements for having a US Stripe account, checked October 2026). For Issuing, Treasury and Opal, Stripe screens addresses and rejects those linked to registered agents, mailbox services and virtual address services. Our Stripe guide goes through the full checklist.
Shopify Payments
For a single-member LLC, Shopify Payments asks for the owner’s residential address, which can be your home outside the US, and then lets a non-US resident provide a passport photo instead of an SSN or ITIN. It also asks for a business address: “the official physical address of the business in the United States, where the business operations primarily occur” (Shopify Help Center, Shopify Payments requirements in the United States, checked October 2026). Proof of business address must be dated within the last six months.
Which address goes on Form SS-4?
The EIN application asks for two addresses:
- Mailing address (lines 4a and 4b): where the IRS will send letters, including the EIN confirmation. Use an address where you reliably receive mail.
- Street address (lines 5a and 5b), if different: the physical location of the business. This cannot be a P.O. box. A foreign address is allowed.
The IRS allows only 35 characters for a street address, so use standard abbreviations (IRS, Employer identification number, checked October 2026). For the full SS-4 walkthrough, see how to get an EIN for a foreign-owned LLC.
A simple plan for most foreign owners
- Registered agent: your formation provider’s agent in Wyoming or Delaware.
- Mailing and business address: a US business address with digital mail, so letters reach you as scans.
- Operating address: your real home or office address abroad, with a recent utility bill, bank statement or lease to prove it.
- Use the same spelling everywhere: the EIN letter, bank and payment applications should show matching names and addresses.
What not to do: rent a virtual address and present it as an office where you work. KYC teams check, and a mismatch can close an account later, not just at signup.
FAQ
Do I need a US address to form an LLC?
No. You need a registered agent in the state, which your formation provider supplies. You do not need a US home or office.
Why did my bank reject my registered agent address?
Because it asked for your physical or operating address, and a registered agent address is a legal notice address. Give the bank your real operating address, even if it is abroad, if the bank accepts international addresses.
Can I use my home address abroad for Mercury?
Mercury says it accepts verifiable international addresses for overseas customers as the physical address. Your legal address must still be a US physical address, such as the one on your formation documents.
Is a virtual office the same as a CMRA?
Often yes. A virtual office that receives and scans mail is usually registered as a CMRA. Providers treat it as a mail address, not an operating address.
Both Company Formation plans include the registered agent and a business address with a digital mailroom, so state notices and IRS letters reach your dashboard. Many banks and payment providers also ask for a separate operating address, which is yours to arrange. Our Banking and payments page lists what to prepare and in which order.
