Country acceptance · Edition 2026.09

Which countries Mercury, Relay, Wise and Stripe accept: 49 countries, five verdicts, one source per column.

The question we get most before someone opens an LLC is not about tax: it is whether the bank or the payment processor will accept their country. Here are the lists published by the four providers, crossed country by country, with the date each one was checked. No sign-up, data downloadable.

Isaac Cubero · Checked on 14 September 2026

Before you read the table

Each column answers a different question. Mercury looks at where the founder lives. Relay looks at the citizenship or residence of any owner. Wise Business looks at where you live: balances and account details only for residents on its list. Local Stripe looks at where the company is registered. And Stripe with a US LLC looks at where the representative lives, because the company is already American. That is why "Stripe is not in Argentina" and "I can use Stripe from Argentina" are both true at once.

The table

49 countries, sorted by name.

Find your country or filter by provider. Open each row for the summary sentence and notes, and copy the row link if you want to cite it.

Country acceptance at Mercury, Relay, Wise Business and Stripe. Open each country for the summary sentence and notes.
Country	Mercury	Relay	Wise Business	Local Stripe	Stripe with a US LLC
Argentina Argentina. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
BangladeshHas a note Bangladesh. Mercury: no. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
BelarusHas a note Belarus. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: no. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: ask first. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Link to this row	No	No	No	No	Ask first
BoliviaHas a note Bolivia. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
BrazilHas a note Brazil. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise Business only accepts certain Brazilian entity types (MEI, sole trader, SLU); a US LLC has no such limit. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chile Chile. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Colombia Colombia. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Costa Rica Costa Rica. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
CroatiaHas a note Croatia. Mercury: no. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. On Mercury's list since 2024 despite being an EU member. Link to this row	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CubaHas a note Cuba. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: no. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: no. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Link to this row	No	No	No	No	No
Dominican RepublicHas a note Dominican Republic. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
EcuadorHas a note Ecuador. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
EgyptHas a note Egypt. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
El SalvadorHas a note El Salvador. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
EthiopiaHas a note Ethiopia. Mercury: yes. Relay: no. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay also excludes by citizenship, not only by residence. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	No	Send only	No	Yes
France France. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Georgia Georgia. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Germany Germany. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
GuatemalaHas a note Guatemala. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
HaitiHas a note Haiti. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	No	Send only	No	Yes
HondurasHas a note Honduras. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
IndiaHas a note India. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: preview. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Local Stripe is in 'Preview' (limited access). Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	Preview	Yes
IndonesiaHas a note Indonesia. Mercury: no. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: preview. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Local Stripe is in 'Preview' (limited access). Link to this row	No	Yes	Send only	Preview	Yes
Ireland Ireland. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Italy Italy. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
KenyaHas a note Kenya. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: via paystack. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Local Stripe operates through Paystack. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	Via Paystack	Yes
LatviaHas a note Latvia. Mercury: no. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. On Mercury's list since 2024 despite being an EU member. Link to this row	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
LebanonHas a note Lebanon. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	No	Send only	No	Yes
MexicoHas a note Mexico. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	Yes	Yes
MoroccoHas a note Morocco. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
Netherlands Netherlands. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
NicaraguaHas a note Nicaragua. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	No	Send only	No	Yes
NigeriaHas a note Nigeria. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: via paystack. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Local Stripe operates through Paystack. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	No	Send only	Via Paystack	Yes
PakistanHas a note Pakistan. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	No	Send only	No	Yes
PanamaHas a note Panama. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
ParaguayHas a note Paraguay. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
Peru Peru. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Philippines Philippines. Mercury: no. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Portugal Portugal. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RussiaHas a note Russia. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: no. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: ask first. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Link to this row	No	No	No	No	Ask first
South AfricaHas a note South Africa. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: via paystack. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Local Stripe operates through Paystack. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Via Paystack	Yes
Spain Spain. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
TürkiyeHas a note Türkiye. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	No	Yes
UkraineHas a note Ukraine. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Mercury and Relay exclude all of Ukraine; Wise and Stripe only the occupied regions. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	No	Send only	No	Yes
United Arab EmiratesHas a note United Arab Emirates. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Send only	Yes	Yes
United Kingdom United Kingdom. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: yes. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Uruguay Uruguay. Mercury: yes. Relay: yes. Wise Business: yes. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Link to this row	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
VenezuelaHas a note Venezuela. Mercury: no. Relay: no. Wise Business: no. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Relay excludes by citizenship or residence; Mercury by residence only. Link to this row	No	No	No	No	Yes
VietnamHas a note Vietnam. Mercury: no. Relay: yes. Wise Business: send only. Local Stripe: no. Stripe with a US LLC: yes. Checked on 14 September 2026. Wise: you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get account details (USD, EUR) because your country is not on its residence list. Link to this row	No	Yes	Send only	No	Yes

Yes / No: the provider admits or excludes that country per its published list. Send only: Wise lets you register and send, but not hold balances or get account details. Preview: local Stripe in a limited phase. Via Paystack: Stripe operates there through Paystack. Ask first: not excluded on the list, but partial sanctions apply; check before applying.

What the table says

Six readings you can quote as they are.

Mercury turns away residents of 16 of the 49 countries

Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Croatia, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, Lebanon, Haiti. Mercury looks at where the founder lives, not their passport: a Venezuelan living in Spain gets in.

Relay excludes 11 countries, and by citizenship too

Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Nigeria, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Haiti. Relay declines if any owner is a citizen or resident of a listed country, even when they live elsewhere.

Wise Business with a full account only in 20 of the 49 countries

Spain, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, Croatia, Latvia, Georgia, Philippines, South Africa. Wise looks at where you live: balances and account details (USD, EUR) only for residents on its list. In 25 other countries (Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Ukraine, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Haiti) you can register and send money, but not hold balances or get an account. It fully closes Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, and in Brazil it limits the entity type.

Local Stripe exists in 13 of the 49 countries

Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, Croatia, Latvia, United Arab Emirates. In 'Preview': India, Indonesia. Via Paystack: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa. Everywhere else in the table there is no local Stripe account.

With a US LLC, Stripe accepts 46 of the 49 countries

The account is a US account in the LLC's name; what Stripe reviews is the representative's residence. Cuba stays out, and it is worth asking first for Russia, Belarus.

A "yes" is not an open account

The table says whether the provider admits your country. Opening depends on the file: activity, website, documents and consistency. That is what KYC reviews.

Sources and criteria

Five columns, five public lists, one check date.

Mercury

Looks at: founder's residence.

'Prohibited countries' help-centre article (3 Sep 2026 capture, verified 13 Sep).

Source · 2026-09-14

Relay

Looks at: citizenship or residence of any owner.

'Prohibited Countries' article, updated by Relay on 11 Aug 2026.

Source · 2026-09-14

Wise Business

Looks at: country you live in (for balances and account details).

'Where do I need to live to hold money with Wise' article (residence list for balances and account details) plus 'Where can I use Wise' (blocked countries).

Source · 2026-09-14

Local Stripe

Looks at: country where the business is registered.

'Global' available-countries page. India and Indonesia in 'Preview'; Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa as 'Extended network' (Paystack).

Source · 2026-09-14

Stripe with a US LLC

Looks at: representative's residence; the business is a US company.

US account in the LLC's name. Countries under comprehensive OFAC sanctions excluded.

Source · 2026-09-14

What was done: each provider's published list was read on 14 September 2026 and translated into one verdict per country and column. If a country is not on the provider's exclusion list, the verdict is "yes"; if it is, "no". In-between cases (beta, Paystack, partial sanctions) are flagged separately and carry a note.

What it is not: it is not a promise of approval. A "yes" means the provider admits your country; the account is decided by its review of your file, and it can decline or close it later. It also leaves out traditional banks (Chase, Bank of America), which publish no lists and usually require a visit.

Coverage: 49 countries: the Spanish-speaking world, Brazil and Portugal, the large EU economies, and the countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East we hear from most. It is not a world list.

Maintenance: lists change without notice. Each edition carries its date; changes are logged below. If you spot a difference with the source, write to us and it gets fixed in the next edition.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask after finding their row.

What does each provider look at: my nationality, my residence, or the company's country?

Each one looks at something different, which is why the same person can get into one and not another. Mercury looks at where the founder lives. Relay looks at the citizenship or residence of any owner. Wise Business looks at the country you live in: balances and account details only for residents on its list; from everywhere else you can only register and send. Local Stripe looks at where the company is registered. Stripe with a US LLC looks at where the representative lives, because the company is already American.

Can I use Stripe from Argentina, Colombia, Chile or Peru?

Not with a local account: Stripe does not operate in those countries. Yes with a US LLC: the account is opened in the LLC's name, with its EIN and its US bank account, and Stripe accepts representatives living in those countries. This is the usual route for Latin American founders.

Why does Mercury accept a country that Relay rejects?

Because they use different lists and different tests. Relay excludes by citizenship as well as residence, and the two lists disagree in Asia (Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia are out at Mercury but in at Relay; Ethiopia is the reverse). Check your country's row: the table shows all five verdicts side by side.

My country shows "yes". Does that guarantee an account?

No. The provider admitting your country is the precondition, not the approval. Opening is decided by the file review: declared activity, website, LLC documents, and whether what you say matches what they see. Nobody can guarantee a bank account, and be wary of anyone who does.

How often is this table updated?

Provider lists change without notice. This edition (2026.09) was checked against the sources on 14 September 2026. Every change is logged in the edition history at the bottom of the page, and the CSV carries the check date on every row. Before deciding, check the provider's source, linked in the methodology.

What if my country is not in the table?

The table covers the 49 countries we hear from most. If yours is missing, check the original sources linked below: they are the same lists we use. Write to us with your country and it goes into the next edition.

Cite and reuse

The data, with its date, as CSV and JSON.

No sign-up. Cite the edition and the check date; every CSV row carries it.

CSV · Español49 countries, five verdicts, notes and check date.
CSV · EnglishThe same edition in English.
JSON · Data, sources and changelogIncludes each provider's test and the URL of its list.

Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Provider lists retain their own rights.

Suggested citation

Cubero, Isaac. Which countries Mercury, Relay, Wise and Stripe accept. Cheq Capital. Edition 2026.09, checked 2026-09-14. https://cheqcapital.com/en/countries-accepted-by-mercury-relay-wise-stripe/ CC BY 4.0.

Editions

What changed and which date you are citing.

2026-09-13: Initial edition: 49 countries × 5 columns, from the lists published by Mercury, Relay, Wise and Stripe.
2026-09-14: Second check against all four sources. Wise: 25 countries move from 'yes' to 'send only' because Wise only gives balances and account details to residents on its list; source switched to the residence article. Stripe: India and Indonesia labelled 'Preview' as in the source. Mercury, Relay and local Stripe verdicts unchanged.

Your country shows "yes". Now what?

The list opens the door. The file walks through it.

What each provider really asks for, and why it declines, is in Mercury vs Relay vs Wise. For one provider in depth: Mercury and Stripe. And if you do not have the LLC yet, start with how it is formed from outside the US.

Take the structure assessment Read the banking guide