Mercury-like bank accounts for adult businesses?

[javok]

Does anyone know of a bank similar to Mercury.com that accepts adult businesses?

We're based outside the US but operate through a Wyoming LLC, so we're looking for a US business bank account.

I'd appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

[fris]

try mitch at netbilling

[DemonitizedPorn]

Does anyone know of a bank similar to Mercury.com that accepts adult businesses?

We're based outside the US but operate through a Wyoming LLC, so we're looking for a US business bank account.

I'd appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

Some serious advice here.
1.-) NEVER do what the group-think-herd does.
2.-) Dump your American company and register your business outside of both North America and European jurisdictions
3.-) Get your ass to Thailand and set up your accounts there.

[Marshal]

Some serious advice here.
1.-) NEVER do what the group-think-herd does.
2.-) Dump your American company and register your business outside of both North America and European jurisdictions
3.-) Get your ass to Thailand and set up your accounts there.

What a lovely idea to get you to jail. For those who have no clue, using a US company as a non-resident gives you sort of a privileged status tax-wise.

To answer to the OP question: you need to go to any US bank office physically.

[DemonitizedPorn]

What a lovely idea to get you to jail.

Maybe I shouldn't question an expert like you BUT!!

It seems to me that it's perfectly legal to:

1. Register a business in a NON-USA nation.
2. Register a bank account in a NON-USA nation

The last time I checked all you have to do is research which nation's laws work best to accomplish your business goals and chose the one that works best for you.

For those who have no clue, using a US company as a non-resident gives you sort of a privileged status tax-wise.
.

Doing business with the USA also gives you a headache with:

A.-) Financial discrimination
B.-) Political censorship
C.-) Platform restrictions (censorship from corporations),
D.-) Payment processor policies
E.-) Patch work of different state laws
F.-) Age-Verification laws
G.-) Copyright problems
H.-) Secton 230
I.-) Advertising discrimination
J.-) The political attacks from Politically conservative Christian supremacists and Political Liberal Radical Feminists.

AND FOR GOOD MEASURE :
I'll also toss in the social STIGMA for making porn. And, having to deal with the world's largest population of pedos looking for CSAM and not being able to do anything to stop them.

[2MuchMark]

Lol @ everyone who thinks they know better than payment processors.

Here's the right advice:

1. If you live in the US, contact the usual list of payment processors: CCBill, Epoch, Segpay, etc.
2. If you have a merchant account, contact Mitch at Netbilling, or Chris at Payzee.
3. Tell your banks of choice exactly what you want to do, and exactly the content you want to sell. Do not lie, do not hold back.
4. Treeat them like your business partner and be 100% honest.
5. As soon as any of them tell you No, ask them how YOU can adjust to THEIR policies, not the other way around.

Banks & processors have to follow the rules of MC and Visa. Don't think for a second they will ignore those rules and risk their businesses just because your situation is somehow special. It's not, they won't, don't ask.

[DemonitizedPorn]

Lol @ everyone who thinks they know better than payment processors.

Here's the right advice:

1. If you live in the US, contact the usual list of payment processors: CCBill, Epoch, Segpay, etc.
2. If you have a merchant account, contact Mitch at Netbilling, or Chris at Payzee.
3. Tell your banks of choice exactly what you want to do, and exactly the content you want to sell. Do not lie, do not hold back.
4. Treeat them like your business partner and be 100% honest.
5. As soon as any of them tell you No, ask them how YOU can adjust to THEIR policies, not the other way around.

Banks & processors have to follow the rules of MC and Visa. Don't think for a second they will ignore those rules and risk their businesses just because your situation is somehow special. It's not, they won't, don't ask.

Sound enough vice !

The only thing I'll add is to #4 : You're new ''Business Partner(s)'' is fickle and a maniacally greedy cunt staffed by idiot bureaucrats. This partner will screw you over for a nickles or because Jesus told some bitch in an office to do it.

Their reputations and testimonials mean nothing. Eventually, when you decide that you want your business to be more than a 'speed 'bump'' in your garage, they're going to screw you over.

Screwed over even if you obeyed all of their rules. Just look at America's politics and you'll see the kind of dumpster fires they'll create to rob you and ruin you.

[JesseQuinn]

To answer to the OP question: you need to go to any US bank office physically.

BMO Harris used to allow one to open a biz bank account from abroad, not sure if that's changed? for the rest absolutely, an in-office visit is required


OP, there aren't really any banks in the US that are 'adult-friendly'. Demonitized was correct in terms of the current anti-porn climate in the US and debanking is a real thing

here's what I would suggest:

visit the US and open at least two biz bank accounts at different providers. have a 'cover' site on a different domain with an innocuous purpose. web design or programming, whatever. something that actually describes what you do, just without mentioning the porn. ideally in the name of your biz entity

when using the bank account, be VERY careful about money in/money out. vet the names of who pays you and who you pay to, to ensure they aren't also flagged as adult

then keep your fingers crossed and if the worst happens, at least you have a back-up account on ice ready to go

not ideal, just the reality



in terms of a merchant account for processing, I'd suggest MobiusPay over Netbilling for better rates and customer service, but Epoch/Segpay/CCBill are all great if going the non-merch payment processor route. esp Epoch and Seg which appear to offer such a broad range of client payment options

and for the love of god don't try to operate a porn biz in Thailand lol

very unfun times in adult, wish ya good luck out there

[2MuchMark]

Sound enough vice !

The only thing I'll add is to #4 : You're new ''Business Partner(s)'' is fickle and a maniacally greedy cunt staffed by idiot bureaucrats. This partner will screw you over for a nickles or because Jesus told some bitch in an office to do it.

Their reputations and testimonials mean nothing. Eventually, when you decide that you want your business to be more than a 'speed 'bump'' in your garage, they're going to screw you over.

Screwed over even if you obeyed all of their rules. Just look at America's politics and you'll see the kind of dumpster fires they'll create to rob you and ruin you.

It sounds like you are speaking from experience. Can you share more details?

[DemonitizedPorn]

and for the love of god don't try to operate a porn biz in Thailand lol

1. Register only the bank account in Thailand but you'll need a designated representative or at least an address. 99% of the banks won't care if you're operating an adult business. The remaining 1% might ask some questions but their main concern is that there's no money laundering, no human trafficking and that you're not doing something considered illegal by the Thai penal code or the computer crime act.

So this means
(-A.-) Don't incorporate in Thailand
(-B.-) Don't film in Thailand
(-C.-) Don't distribute to Thailand
(-D.-) Don't have servers in Thailand.

The biggest benefit to having a Thai bank account is that you're far enough away from American and European influence. Thailand banking (and the police) deal with a mountain of foreigners every year.

They've got a lot of bigger problems to tackle and more powerful people to appease. They're not going to seize your money or close your accounts because you deal in porn.

I had one extremely minor issue 6 years ago. It was solved with a phone call and gesture of good will in which we configured our firewall to block Thailand.

2. Good nations to register a business in are Hong Kong and Japan.
Japan is easy but bureaucratic. It's especially bureaucratic when it comes to banking which why another nation should be used.

Hong Kong is even easier to incorporate and establish a bank account. But their laws surrounding adult are very strict. The majority of the problems can be avoided by block Hong Kong traffic.

very unfun times in adult, wish ya good luck out there

Only when you follow the herds.

[JesseQuinn]

1. Register only the bank account in Thailand but you'll need a designated representative or at least an address...

Only when you follow the herds.

not about following the herd lol, just man o man this is awful advice

not addressing the OP right now as I gave my advice, but for anyone NOT wanting to play russian roulette with even a significant portion of income, what Demonitized suggests is so wrong

maybe this woulda worked 10-20 years ago, but with AML and KYC and the Thai crackdown on shady nominee structures, this is just asking for trouble. accounts under scrutiny can be and are frozen and the Thai gov has made it a priority in recent years

read about it when that idiot tried to sue ICF cuz they didn't warn him not to set up a cam studio in Thailand. now granted that was 'biz on the ground aka ultimate stupid', but what did him in was the bank account and 'resident agent'. it's not 10 years ago, they're not playing around anymore

if it still works for you, awesome, no shade. but to advocate this extremely risky strategy to others is outdated and irresponsible. adult banking in the US sucks, no doubt. but what you propose is even worse

[DemonitizedPorn]

not about following the herd lol, just man o man this is awful advice

not addressing the OP right now as I gave my advice, but for anyone NOT wanting to play russian roulette with even a significant portion of income, what Demonitized suggests is so wrong

maybe this woulda worked 10-20 years ago, but with AML and KYC and the Thai crackdown on shady nominee structures, this is just asking for trouble. accounts under scrutiny can be and are frozen and the Thai gov has made it a priority in recent years

read about it when that idiot tried to sue ICF cuz they didn't warn him not to set up a cam studio in Thailand. now granted that was 'biz on the ground aka ultimate stupid', but what did him in was the bank account and 'resident agent'. it's not 10 years ago, they're not playing around anymore

if it still works for you, awesome, no shade. but to advocate this extremely risky strategy to others is outdated and irresponsible. adult banking in the US sucks, no doubt. but what you propose is even worse

Well you're the expert so I won't question your experience anymore.

[todservices]

I am using a fintech for 6 months now
pretty good to send/receive crypto, visa card, you also get a bank account in the US and EU iban.
Not sure if I can spam the link here, but if you DM, I'll be happy to send

[Marshal]

Maybe I shouldn't question an expert like you BUT!!

It seems to me that it's perfectly legal to:

1. Register a business in a NON-USA nation.
2. Register a bank account in a NON-USA nation

Of course it is, except that the OP is clearly not a US-resident nor a citizen! Which makes him not pay most of taxes in US, or not at all = 0% taxes.

If you have ever had a look at the alternatives to US and EU for incorporating, you should have figured out that in most of those countries that you suggested to the OP, distributing or working with porn is straight ILLEGAL! That includes Thailand, Hong Kong, and partly Japan (not illegal, but very censored). Also, billing for US/EU alternatives is very restricted.

So, next time you decide to give business or legal advice to anybody here, at least fact-check it first. If that worked for you, and you managed to jump thru hoops, it does not mean it is legal.

Not everybody wants to juggle fire like you do. Some wants to build a stable and serious long term business.

[DemonitizedPorn]

Of course it is, except that the OP is clearly not a US-resident nor a citizen! Which makes him not pay most of taxes in US, or not at all = 0% taxes.

If you have ever had a look at the alternatives to US and EU for incorporating, you should have figured out that in most of those countries that you suggested to the OP, distributing or working with porn is straight ILLEGAL! That includes Thailand, Hong Kong, and partly Japan (not illegal, but very censored). Also, billing for US/EU alternatives is very restricted.

So, next time you decide to give business or legal advice to anybody here, at least fact-check it first. If that worked for you, and you managed to jump thru hoops, it does not mean it is legal.

Not everybody wants to juggle fire like you do. Some wants to build a stable and serious long term business.

Well you're the experts so who am I to question anything you say. And i also truly don't care enough to do it

[morruga]

For godsssssake javok! we only need to open an account with Paxum. We just need to say we operate offshore and show a service bill that matches the name of the director of the LLC. They just want to kknow where to find you if you launder money XD

it's been so long since last time i psoted here...

[Peace]

Adult banking is mostly underwriting and transparency. I would be very direct with product type, ownership, processors, chargeback risk, and compliance docs before opening anything.

The worst setup is a bank that approves fast and then closes the account right when volume starts.