# Stripe Not Available in Your Country? 4 Ways to Get Paid

> Stripe not available in your country? Use a merchant of record, a US or UK company, a local gateway or invoices. Verified fees and payout costs for 2026.

- Canonical: https://zeroraised.com/blog/stripe-not-available-in-your-country
- Published: 2026-11-11T07:30:00Z
- Author: ZeroRaised Team (https://zeroraised.com/blog/authors/zeroraised)
- Publisher: ZeroRaised (https://zeroraised.com/)
- Section: Revenue
- Tags: payments, stripe, merchant-of-record, international

**Short answer:** If Stripe does not support your country, the quickest legitimate fix for software or digital products is a merchant of record (MoR) such as Paddle, Lemon Squeezy or Creem, which sells to your customer and pays you out to a local bank. If you need Stripe itself, form a company in a supported country (Stripe Atlas, Firstbase or a UK Ltd). For local customers, use a domestic gateway; for a few big B2B clients, send invoices and take bank transfers.

Every fee, limit and quote below was checked on the provider's own page on 11 Nov 2026. Advice in between is ours and is marked "Our read".

## TL;DR

- **Check the list first.** [Stripe's global page](https://stripe.com/global) lists 51 countries and regions. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Argentina and Sri Lanka are absent. India and Indonesia are marked "Preview". Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Cote d'Ivoire are marked "Extended network" and link to Paystack.
- **Route 1, merchant of record.** [Paddle](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) charges "5% + 50¢ / per Checkout transaction"; [Lemon Squeezy](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing) charges 5% + 50¢; [Creem](https://www.creem.io/pricing) charges 3.9% + 40¢.
- **Route 2, incorporate abroad.** [Stripe Atlas](https://stripe.com/atlas) is US$500 once, then US$100 a year. A UK company is [£100 online](https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation/register-your-company).
- **Route 3, local gateway** for domestic customers, for example [Razorpay](https://razorpay.com/pricing/) in India (2% domestic) or [Flutterwave](https://flutterwave.com/ng/pricing) in Nigeria.
- **Route 4, invoice and bank transfer** for B2B, for example through [Wise Business](https://wise.com/pricing/business) where it is available.
- **Do not** borrow someone's Stripe account or use a fake address.

**Disclosure:** ZeroRaised is a launch site for bootstrapped products. We have no commercial relationship with any provider named here and earn nothing if you sign up. Facts come from the linked sources as checked on 11 Nov 2026.

## Is Stripe really not available in your country?

Stripe's global page says "Stripe is currently supported in the following countries/regions, with more to come", then lists 51 entries. For a business outside that list, the page is blunt: "Payments not supported yet" ([Stripe global](https://stripe.com/global)).

Your country falls into one of four groups:

| Status on stripe.com/global | Countries (examples) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Listed, no label | US, UK, EU members, UAE, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan | Sign up for Stripe directly |
| Preview | India, Indonesia | Links to Stripe sales, not self-serve sign-up |
| Extended network | Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Cote d'Ivoire | Links to Paystack's Stripe pages |
| Not listed | Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, Vietnam, Philippines, Argentina, Sri Lanka and many more | No Stripe account; use one of the four routes below |

Stripe's own MoR product does not help either. [Managed Payments](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/managed-payments/eligibility.md) says "Your business must be based in one of the supported business locations", and the list covers the US, Canada, 31 European countries, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. None of the unsupported countries above are on it.

If you are in a Preview or Extended network country, follow those links first. If you are not listed at all, read on.

## Route 1: use a merchant of record

A merchant of record is the legal seller: it collects and remits sales tax and VAT and pays you your share, so it can accept sellers from countries Stripe does not. Our [merchant of record vs payment processor guide](https://zeroraised.com/blog/merchant-of-record-vs-payment-processor) explains the trade-off in detail; the short version is higher fees in exchange for no tax admin.

| Provider | Fee (checked 11 Nov 2026) | Who can sell | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Paddle](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) | 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction | "software businesses anywhere in the world with the exception of the unsupported countries listed" ([Paddle help](https://www.paddle.com/help/start/intro-to-paddle/which-countries-are-supported-by-paddle)) | Wire transfer or Payoneer, monthly, min $100 |
| [Lemon Squeezy](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing) | 5% + 50¢ per transaction ("some payments may be subject to additional fees") | Merchants who can receive bank or PayPal payouts in a supported country | Bank wire or PayPal, twice a month |
| [Creem](https://www.creem.io/pricing) | 3.9% + 40¢ | "We support merchants in 87 countries" ([Creem docs](https://docs.creem.io/merchant-of-record/supported-countries.md)) | Local bank transfer or USDC on Polygon, 1st and 15th of each month |
| [Dodo Payments](https://dodopayments.com/pricing) | 4% + 40c per domestic US transaction, +1.5% international, +0.5% subscriptions | Based on the country that issued your ID ([Dodo docs](https://docs.dodopayments.com/miscellaneous/accepted-countries-and-territories.md)) | Free regular payouts; $5 under $1,000; $25 USD SWIFT for non-US businesses |
| [Polar](https://polar.sh/docs/merchant-of-record/fees) | Starter 5% + 50¢, +1.5% for non-US cards | Payouts go through Stripe; we could not find a payout country list | Stripe payout fees passed through |

What the country pages say about the countries founders most often ask about:

- **Paddle.** Its unsupported list is sanctioned or high-risk places such as Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Argentina, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia are not on it.
- **Lemon Squeezy.** Its [supported countries page](https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/getting-started/supported-countries) lists all eleven of those countries for bank payouts and says "PayPal payouts are supported in 200+ countries and regions." It flags India: "From May 2024, Stripe only accepts new accounts from India on an invite-only basis", so Indian merchants without approval use PayPal payouts.
- **Creem.** Lists India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Pakistan and Bangladesh carry a note that they "may have restrictions that affect payouts".
- **Dodo Payments.** India is accepted. Pakistan is not on the list. Bangladesh, Egypt and Nigeria are listed as "grandfathered", and the page says "Payouts are supported only in the countries and regions listed above."
- **Gumroad.** Charges 10% + $0.50 on direct sales and 30% on Discover marketplace sales ([Gumroad pricing](https://gumroad.com/pricing)). Its FAQ says payout method "varies by country"; we could not load its payout country list, so check before you commit.

Our read: for a SaaS or downloadable software product, Paddle and Lemon Squeezy are the safest defaults because they explicitly cover these countries. Creem is cheaper per sale if your country is on its list. Polar is excellent elsewhere, but because its payouts run through Stripe, do not build on it until you have confirmed it can pay out to your country.

## Route 2: incorporate in a supported country

If you want Stripe itself (lower fees, full control of checkout, Stripe Billing), you need a business in a supported country with a bank account there. The common options:

| Option | Official price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| [Stripe Atlas](https://stripe.com/atlas) | US$500 one-time ("includes government fees and your first year of registered agent services"), then US$100 a year | Delaware C corporation or LLC; "Apply online from almost anywhere in the world" |
| [Firstbase](https://www.firstbase.io/pricing) | Start plan shown at $99 (struck-through $399), one-time, under an offer reading "Formation is on us. Pay only your state fee." | Delaware or Wyoming formation; the page notes registered agent services are required; confirm the live price |
| UK Ltd via [Companies House](https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation/register-your-company) | £100 online, £124 by post | You still need a UK address and a bank that will onboard you |
| Estonia via [e-Residency](https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/become-an-e-resident/) | €150 application fee | Digital ID, then you form an Estonian company separately |

We compare these in more depth in our [Stripe Atlas alternatives guide](https://zeroraised.com/blog/stripe-atlas-alternatives-for-bootstrappers).

Our read: incorporation adds a second country's tax and filing regime, and your home country may still tax the profits. The yearly accountant, not the formation fee, is the real cost. It pays off once the fee gap against an MoR clearly beats those costs, or when a customer insists on a US or UK entity.

## Route 3: use a local gateway for domestic customers

If most of your customers are in your own country, a domestic gateway is usually cheaper and supports the payment methods locals actually use.

- **India:** [Razorpay](https://razorpay.com/pricing/) lists "2% per successful transaction" on domestic instruments and "Up to 3%" on international cards, with 18% GST on the platform fee.
- **Nigeria:** [Flutterwave](https://flutterwave.com/ng/pricing) lists 2% per local transaction (1.4% + 0.6% platform fee) and 4.8% on international payments, with 7.5% VAT on fees. Paystack is the other big name and is the destination of Stripe's Extended network links for Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Cote d'Ivoire; we could not load its pricing page today, so check it directly.

Our read: a local gateway does not handle foreign VAT or US sales tax for you. Pair it with an MoR: local gateway for home customers, MoR checkout for everyone else.

## Route 4: invoice and take bank transfers

For B2B with a handful of clients paying $500 or more each, invoicing is simple and cheap. Send a PDF invoice with receiving bank details and let the client's finance team pay it.

[Wise Business](https://wise.com/pricing/business) charges a one-off 31 USD set-up fee and lists a "Fixed fee per payment" of 6.11 USD for receiving USD wire and Swift payments, while some domestic (non-wire) receipts are marked free. Wise does not serve businesses in every country, and we could not load its eligibility list today, so confirm yours before you send invoices with Wise details. Payoneer is the other common option and is one of Paddle's two payout methods; Paddle notes "You are subject to all Payoneer fees."

Our read: invoicing does not scale to hundreds of $20 subscriptions, and you handle any tax registration yourself. Use it for consulting-style revenue or a few large annual contracts.

## Which route should you pick?

This table is our editorial advice.

| Your situation | Our pick |
|---|---|
| Selling SaaS or software worldwide, early revenue | Merchant of record (Paddle, Lemon Squeezy or Creem) |
| Lowest per-sale MoR fee and your country is on Creem's list | Creem |
| You need PayPal payouts because no local bank option works | Lemon Squeezy |
| Steady revenue, want Stripe Billing and lower processing fees | Atlas or Firstbase US company, with an accountant |
| Mostly domestic customers | Local gateway (Razorpay, Flutterwave, Paystack) |
| A few large B2B clients | Invoice plus bank transfer |
| India or Indonesia | Contact Stripe via the Preview link, use an MoR meanwhile |
| Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Cote d'Ivoire | Start with Paystack via Stripe's Extended network link |

For the wider picture on checkout, licensing and delivery, see our guide to [launching a bootstrapped app](https://zeroraised.com/blog/how-to-launch-a-bootstrapped-app).

## Worked example: $1,000 MRR through an MoR

**Example, ours.** 50 customers each pay $20 a month by US card, a $1,000 monthly total. Fees use each provider's published rates checked today; it ignores refunds, chargebacks and tax, which the MoR collects on top of your price.

| Provider | Transaction fees | Payout fees | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddle | 50 x ($1.00 + $0.50) = $75 | $15 wire fee if paid in a currency other than your bank country's | $910 |
| Lemon Squeezy | 50 x ($1.00 + $0.50) = $75 | Not verified today | Up to $925 |
| Creem (bank) | 50 x ($0.78 + $0.40) = $59 | Two payouts of about $470, each $7 (minimum) = $14 | $927 |
| Creem (USDC) | $59 | 2% of $941 = about $18.82 | About $922 |
| Dodo (non-US business) | 50 x (4.5% of $20 + $0.40) = $65 | $5 (under $1,000) + $25 SWIFT | $905 |

Paddle also mentions "a conversion margin of up to 1.5%" if it converts currency for you, and your own bank may charge to receive a foreign wire. Our read: at this size the gap between providers is about $20 a month. Pick on whether they reliably pay out to your bank, then on fees.

## Warnings: what not to do

- **Do not use a friend's or relative's Stripe account.** Stripe's [Services Agreement](https://stripe.com/legal/ssa) says "User must ensure that its Stripe Account is not used or modified by anyone other than User". Legally the money is theirs, and if Stripe reviews the account, funds can be held.
- **Do not register with a fake address.** The same agreement defines your Stripe Account Country as "the country or region where User's business address, as reflected in User's account details, is located". Misstating it is how accounts get closed with money inside.
- **Do not split one business across borrowed accounts** to dodge limits. Our read: a frozen payout in your launch month does more damage than a 2% fee difference ever will.

## A note on tax

An MoR handles sales tax and VAT on the sale, not your income tax at home, and foreign payouts may need declaring under local foreign exchange rules. This is not tax advice; one session with a local accountant who knows MoR payouts is worth paying for.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which countries does Stripe not support?

Stripe's global page lists 51 supported countries and regions. Any country not on that list, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Argentina and Sri Lanka, is unsupported for payments. India and Indonesia are listed as Preview, and Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Cote d'Ivoire are listed as Extended network, linking to Paystack.

### What is the easiest Stripe alternative if Stripe is not in my country?

For software and digital products, a merchant of record. Paddle (5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction) and Lemon Squeezy (5% + 50¢) accept sellers from most countries, and Creem (3.9% + 40¢) lists 87 countries for local bank payouts. They sell to your customer, handle sales tax and VAT, and pay you out.

### Can I use Stripe Atlas if I live in an unsupported country?

Stripe says you can apply to Atlas from almost anywhere in the world. It costs US$500 one time, including government fees and the first year of registered agent services, then US$100 a year. You get a Delaware C corporation or LLC, which can then use Stripe US. You also take on US filing obligations, so get tax advice first.

### Can I use a friend's or relative's Stripe account?

No. Stripe's Services Agreement says the account holder must ensure the account is not used or modified by anyone else, and ties the account to the business address in its details. Using someone else's account risks frozen funds and a closed account, and the money legally belongs to them, not you.

### How do I get paid by international B2B clients without Stripe?

Send an invoice and collect by bank transfer. Wise Business costs a one-off 31 USD set-up fee and lists a 6.11 USD fixed fee for receiving USD wire and Swift payments, but check that Wise supports businesses in your country before relying on it.

## Get paid, then get seen

Once checkout works, [launch your product on ZeroRaised](https://zeroraised.com/submit) for free; it is a launch directory for products built without institutional VC. For more guides on payments and growing without investors, [join the ZeroRaised newsletter](https://zeroraised.com/newsletter).

## Sources

All last checked 11 Nov 2026.

- [Stripe global availability](https://stripe.com/global)
- [Stripe Atlas](https://stripe.com/atlas)
- [Stripe Managed Payments eligibility](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/managed-payments/eligibility.md)
- [Stripe Services Agreement](https://stripe.com/legal/ssa)
- [Paddle pricing](https://www.paddle.com/pricing)
- [Paddle supported countries](https://www.paddle.com/help/start/intro-to-paddle/which-countries-are-supported-by-paddle)
- [Paddle: when and how do I get paid](https://www.paddle.com/help/manage/get-paid/when-and-how-do-i-get-paid)
- [Paddle: payout fees](https://www.paddle.com/help/manage/get-paid/is-there-a-fee-taken-for-payouts)
- [Lemon Squeezy pricing](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing)
- [Lemon Squeezy supported countries](https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/getting-started/supported-countries)
- [Creem pricing](https://www.creem.io/pricing)
- [Creem supported countries](https://docs.creem.io/merchant-of-record/supported-countries.md)
- [Creem payouts](https://docs.creem.io/merchant-of-record/finance/payouts.md)
- [Dodo Payments pricing](https://dodopayments.com/pricing)
- [Dodo Payments accepted countries](https://docs.dodopayments.com/miscellaneous/accepted-countries-and-territories.md)
- [Polar fees](https://polar.sh/docs/merchant-of-record/fees)
- [Gumroad pricing](https://gumroad.com/pricing)
- [Firstbase pricing](https://www.firstbase.io/pricing)
- [GOV.UK: register your company](https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation/register-your-company)
- [Estonia e-Residency](https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/become-an-e-resident/)
- [Razorpay pricing](https://razorpay.com/pricing/)
- [Flutterwave Nigeria pricing](https://flutterwave.com/ng/pricing)
- [Wise Business pricing](https://wise.com/pricing/business)

## Frequently asked questions

### Which countries does Stripe not support?

Stripe's global page lists 51 supported countries and regions. Any country not on that list, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Argentina and Sri Lanka, is unsupported for payments. India and Indonesia are listed as Preview, and Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Cote d'Ivoire are listed as Extended network, linking to Paystack.

### What is the easiest Stripe alternative if Stripe is not in my country?

For software and digital products, a merchant of record. Paddle (5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction) and Lemon Squeezy (5% + 50¢) accept sellers from most countries, and Creem (3.9% + 40¢) lists 87 countries for local bank payouts. They sell to your customer, handle sales tax and VAT, and pay you out.

### Can I use Stripe Atlas if I live in an unsupported country?

Stripe says you can apply to Atlas from almost anywhere in the world. It costs US$500 one time, including government fees and the first year of registered agent services, then US$100 a year. You get a Delaware C corporation or LLC, which can then use Stripe US. You also take on US filing obligations, so get tax advice first.

### Can I use a friend's or relative's Stripe account?

No. Stripe's Services Agreement says the account holder must ensure the account is not used or modified by anyone else, and ties the account to the business address in its details. Using someone else's account risks frozen funds and a closed account, and the money legally belongs to them, not you.

### How do I get paid by international B2B clients without Stripe?

Send an invoice and collect by bank transfer. Wise Business costs a one-off 31 USD set-up fee and lists a 6.11 USD fixed fee for receiving USD wire and Swift payments, but check that Wise supports businesses in your country before relying on it.