Can a mainland 
China company open a 
Stripe account? What about 
Hong Kong? in detail
Answer
Stripe's official list of supported countries/regions for Payments includes Hong Kong but not mainland China. A Stripe business account in Hong Kong needs a legal entity registered there, so you cannot apply on the Hong Kong business-account route with only a mainland-registered entity. Stripe also asks for, in that country: a tax ID, a physical address (not a P.O. box), a phone number, a website, a government-issued ID and a physical bank account (not virtual) in a currency Stripe supports there.
- Applies to
- Chinese sellers and independent-store owners who want to take overseas card payments through Stripe.
Dear friend,
Welcome! This letter sets out what you need to know, plainly and in order.
What Stripe says
| Point | Official wording | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Supported countries/regions | "Stripe is currently supported in the following countries/regions…" The list includes Hong Kong and does not include mainland China | Stripe Global (full page read October 26, 2026) |
| Outside the list | "Is your business outside of a supported country/region? Use Stripe Treasury with stablecoins… Payments not supported yet." | Same |
| Opening an account in another country | "you'll need the following in that country: A legal entity registered in the same country… A tax ID. A physical location… not a P.O. box. A phone number. A government-issued ID… from any country. A website… A physical bank account in that country denominated in a currency for that country. This can't be a virtual bank account." | Stripe Support |
| Hong Kong ID | Stripe distinguishes individual sign-up from sole-proprietorship registration. It does not accept non-HK ID numbers for individual sign-up. If you lack an HKID but have a BRN, its guidance says to select Sole Proprietorship. A representative of a Hong Kong business without an HKID may provide another government-issued ID. This is not a guarantee of approval | Stripe Support: Hong Kong businesses |
| Account country | "It is not possible to change the country that your Stripe account is registered in once your account has been activated." | Stripe Support |
| Hong Kong launch | "a business in Hong Kong will receive its money in Hong Kong dollars or choose to receive US dollar payments in a USD-denominated bank account." | Stripe Hong Kong launch (July 10, 2017) |
Note: "Mainland China 简体中文" in Stripe's footer language picker is a website language, not a supported country for payments.
What to do
- Mainland China company only: Stripe payments are not available; use the platform's own payouts or another licensed payment provider.
- Hong Kong company: before you apply, have the Hong Kong entity, tax ID, local address, phone, website and a physical bank account that meets Stripe's Hong Kong requirements (see Stripe's
payouts page for supported currencies). Pick the country carefully: it cannot be changed after activation.
- Check Stripe's restricted-business list for your category before you start, to avoid frozen funds later.
Before you pay: checks and red flags
- The risk is using someone else's identity, hiding who really owns the business, or giving false KYC details. That breaks Stripe's rules and can lead to frozen funds. Getting help to set up a company you genuinely own and control is a different thing.
- If paying for a Hong Kong company set-up, ask for the yearly cost of the annual return, bookkeeping and tax filing.
When to use a licensed professional
- Whether to set up a Hong Kong company just for payments: ask a Hong Kong accountant or company secretary.
Still uncertain
- Stripe's help pages show no effective date. Follow Stripe's current terms, review requirements and the sign-up form together.
- We did not find a complete current list of payout currencies for Hong Kong accounts; check your Stripe dashboard.
- The launch release is from 2017; current currencies and payouts are as shown in your Stripe dashboard.
Sources for this letter
Wishing you good business,
The mouwise team
Checked 2026-10-27
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