How to Pass Mercury KYC with a South Carolina LLC (2026)
Mercury bank account requirements for a South Carolina LLC
By Edmond Hui · Last updated: June 2026
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.
Mercury is a fintech banking platform whose deposits are held at FDIC-member partner banks (currently Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC), making it popular with startups and small businesses including those with non-US founders. To open a Mercury account for a US LLC, you must provide the company's formation documents, an IRS-issued EIN confirmation, a government ID for the beneficial owner(s), and a physical US address. Mercury supports all US-state LLC types and is commonly used by foreign founders who have formed a US LLC, since it does not require founders to be US citizens or residents.
What Mercury requires — and how a South Carolina LLC meets each
| Requirement | How your South Carolina LLC satisfies it |
|---|---|
| LLC formation documents | Upload your approved South Carolina Articles of Organization. |
| IRS EIN confirmation letter | Provide your federal EIN (free from the IRS; non-US founders without an SSN must apply via Form SS-4 by fax or phone rather than the online tool) — independent of South Carolina. |
| Government-issued ID for owner(s) | Provide a government ID for each beneficial owner. South Carolina does not list members publicly, so the platform relies on the ID you upload — names must match your operating agreement. |
| US business address | Use a US street address registered to the LLC in South Carolina (your registered-agent or virtual business address). PO boxes are usually rejected. |
South Carolina-specific things to watch
- South Carolina keeps LLC members off public filings, but you must still upload beneficial-owner identification directly to Mercury. State-level anonymity does not exempt you from the platform's KYC.
How to verify your South Carolina LLC on Mercury
- LLC formation documents. Upload your approved South Carolina Articles of Organization.
- IRS EIN confirmation letter. Provide your federal EIN (free from the IRS; non-US founders without an SSN must apply via Form SS-4 by fax or phone rather than the online tool) — independent of South Carolina.
- Government-issued ID for owner(s). Provide a government ID for each beneficial owner. South Carolina does not list members publicly, so the platform relies on the ID you upload — names must match your operating agreement.
- US business address. Use a US street address registered to the LLC in South Carolina (your registered-agent or virtual business address). PO boxes are usually rejected.
Non-US founders
Mercury explicitly supports non-US founders who have formed a US LLC. Non-US founders can use a non-US passport for identity verification. The LLC must be formed and registered in the United States, and a US business address (including a registered agent address) is required. No US Social Security Number is needed from the founder.
Frequently Asked Questions
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