US business banking for overseas owners rests on a US company, an IRS number and an owner who lives in a country the provider accepts. If you live in Nigeria, the last point is the problem. Mercury, Relay and Wise USD account details are closed to owners with a Nigeria address, and Relay also blocks Nigerian citizenship (provider pages read on 20 October 2026).
Check each provider’s current prohibited-countries page before you pay any formation fee. This guide prices a business bank account for non-US residents as it really arrives: company, agent, transfer fees and tax filings. Tax and legal points belong with a qualified adviser.
Last checked against official sources: October 2026.
1. Business Bank Account for Non-US Residents: Check Your Country First
Fees only matter if the provider will take you. Mercury looks at where the founders live, Relay at the citizenship or residence of every named owner, and Wise at the address on the business and on the owner’s profile.
The table shows what each provider’s pages said on 20 October 2026. Some were read from archived copies dated June to October 2026, so confirm on the live page. Mercury, Relay and Bluevine also want a US-registered company with an EIN.
| Provider | What it checks | Nigeria position |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Country where the founder lives | On the prohibited list |
| Relay | Citizenship or residence of any owner | On the prohibited list |
| Wise USD account details | Business address and owner’s profile address | Not available with a Nigeria address |
| Bluevine | Owner’s residence, from a supported list | Nigeria not listed |
| Revolut Business (US) | Applicant’s residence, from a list | Nigeria not listed |
| Airwallex | Country where the business is registered | Nigeria not an eligible country; the US is |
Important Note: Mercury says a citizen of a listed country living elsewhere may still be eligible after review. Relay gives no such room: Nigerian citizenship alone blocks account opening (list updated 11 August 2026).
These lists change. Relay says its list can change without notice, so read the current page for your own situation.
2. Wyoming and Delaware: What the Company Costs
The company is your first bill. Wyoming’s fee schedule, effective 1 July 2026, lists $100 to file the Articles of Organization and an annual licence tax of $60 or 0.0002 of Wyoming assets, whichever is greater. Delaware’s own pages in October 2026 show an LLC tax of $400, up from $300.
The Delaware rise came through House Bill 400, signed on 21 May 2026 and reported to apply from tax year 2026, so the first $400 payment is reported as due 1 June 2027. Delaware’s form showed a $90 filing fee in August 2026, but fees rose from 1 August 2026, so confirm the current amount.
| Item | Wyoming LLC | Delaware LLC |
|---|---|---|
| Filing to form | $100 (schedule effective 1 Jul 2026) | $90 on the 26 Aug 2026 form copy; current amount not confirmed |
| Yearly state charge | $60 minimum licence tax | $400 tax from tax year 2026 |
| Annual report | Due the first day of the anniversary month | None for LLCs |
| If you pay late | Dissolution risk 60 days after the due date | $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month |
| Registered agent | Required, physical Wyoming address | Required on the certificate |
The arithmetic: a Wyoming LLC costs $100 + $60 = $160 in state charges before an agent. A Delaware $400 tax paid two months late draws the $200 penalty, and 1.5% of $600 is $9 a month, about $18 over two months (a simple illustration; the page gives no compounding rule).
3. The EIN Is Free: What Formation Services Charge on Top
The EIN is the IRS number Mercury, Relay and Bluevine need to see, and the IRS charges nothing for it. The Federal Trade Commission warned in April 2025 about sites charging up to $300 for it. Without a US home or business you cannot use the online form; the IRS lists a phone line (267-941-1099), a faxed Form SS-4 (about 4 business days) or mail (about 4 weeks).
Formation services add their own charges. These are each provider’s stated terms, read on 20 October 2026, used as examples and not recommendations:
- Stripe Atlas: $500 one time, covering the Delaware filing and a first-year agent, then $100 a year for the agent.
- Doola Starter: $297 a year plus state fees, including formation, EIN and registered agent.
- Firstbase Start: $99 one time plus the state fee, an agent at $299 per state per year and a foreign-owned LLC tax package at $899 a year.
Doola and Firstbase route bank applications to Mercury or partner banks. A paid package does not remove the bank’s country rules, so it does not change whether a Nigeria-resident owner is accepted.
4. Mercury and Relay: Plan Prices and Transfer Fees
Mercury’s pricing page (read 20 October 2026) shows a base plan at $0 a month, Plus at $29.90 and Pro at $299, with no minimum balance or account-opening fee. Relay Starter is $0, Grow $30 and Scale $120 (shown discounted to $90 for a limited time).
Transfer fees are where they differ. People search for a “Relay bank” account, but Relay says it is a fintech and Thread Bank provides the banking. The table sets Mercury’s base plan beside Relay Starter.
| Fee | Mercury (base) | Relay (Starter) |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic wire sent | $0 | $8 |
| International wire sent | $0 in USD (optional OUR coding, flat $15) | $25 by SWIFT |
| Incoming wire | USD international fee not listed | $5 on one page; free on another |
| ACH | $0 | $1 for same-day |
| Non-USD wires and cards | 1% on wires, 3% on cards | Not covered in the pages read |
Pro Tip: Relay’s own pages disagree on incoming wires. The Starter overview lists $5, while its help article says there is no fee. Check its current fee page.
Worked numbers: Mercury’s 1% on a 1,000 EUR wire is about 10 EUR. Ten SWIFT wires a month on Relay Starter cost $250. Relay’s plan pages report $20 a wire on Scale, so $200 plus the $90 to $120 plan, which is $290 to $320.
5. Wise Business Account: Set-Up Fee and Receiving Costs
A Wise business account is a different product. Wise says it is not a bank, and its USD details point to a balance Wise holds for you. For Nigeria the rule is blunt: Wise’s help page (read 20 October 2026) says USD details are unavailable if the business address or the owner’s profile address is in Nigeria.
For owners who can get them, Wise’s business pricing page (read 20 October 2026, undated) lists these costs. The last column works the numbers for a $1,000 payment.
| Item | Stated fee | On $1,000 received |
|---|---|---|
| One-time set-up | $31, covering 22 currencies | $31 once |
| USD by ACH | Free | $1,000.00 |
| USD by wire or SWIFT | $6.11 per payment | $993.89 |
| Currency conversion | From 0.23% | Depends on the pair |
These figures ignore sender and intermediary bank charges. Wise’s help page says verification can take up to 10 working days. Wise can send naira to Nigerian bank accounts, but sending to a country is separate from holding USD details.
6. Deposit Protection: What Each Provider’s Wording Means
Mercury says it is a fintech, not an FDIC-insured bank. Its pricing page advertises up to $5M in FDIC insurance through partner banks and their sweep networks. Relay cites up to $3,000,000 through Thread Bank’s sweep programme, with conditions.
Wise’s money is “safeguarded” rather than FDIC insured, and only customers who opt in to its interest feature get pass-through insurance up to $250,000 (Wise article, 22 June 2026). Read the conditions on each page and do not treat a headline figure as a promise.
7. Form 5472 and the Costs Missing From Pricing Pages
A foreign-owned single-member LLC has no income tax return of its own, but the IRS instructions for Form 5472 (revision 12/2024) say it must file a pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472 attached. It cannot be e-filed. The instructions tie the filing to reportable transactions with a related party, so ask a qualified adviser what counts in your case.
Key Statistic: $25,000 for each missed or substantially incomplete Form 5472, plus $25,000 for each 30-day period (or part) still unfixed more than 90 days after IRS notice (IRS instructions for Form 5472, revision 12/2024).
At 100 days after notice, one missed form comes to $25,000 + $25,000 = $50,000. The form is due with the Form 1120, on 15 April for a calendar-year entity. Whether you owe US or Nigerian tax depends on your facts, so ask an adviser.
One cost has gone. FinCEN’s beneficial ownership rule, effective 14 August 2026, now covers only entities formed abroad and registered in a US state, so a Wyoming or Delaware LLC is not a reporting company. FinCEN charges nothing for filing, so treat any fee demand for one as a warning sign.
8. What a Business Bank Account for Non-US Residents Costs in Year One
These illustrations are for an owner a provider accepts, built only from the figures above. They leave out sender fees, conversion and tax advice.
- Wyoming with Firstbase’s agent price: $100 + $60 + $299 = $459, on a $0 plan.
- The same, plus Firstbase’s tax package: $459 + $899 = $1,358.
- Delaware through Stripe Atlas: $500, then the reported $400 tax on 1 June 2027. From year two, $100 + $400 = $500 a year.
- Ten SWIFT wires a month on Relay Starter: $25 × 10 × 12 = $3,000 a year.
Quick Answer: Year one runs from $459 to $1,358 before wire fees, and a heavy wire schedule can add more than the company itself.
So compare the wire line before the plan. At 30 wires a month Starter costs $750 against $690 to $720 on Scale.
9. If You Live in Nigeria: Costs of the Routes You Can Check
Stripe’s global page (read 20 October 2026) lists Nigeria in its extended network with a link to Paystack, and Stripe is not a direct sign-up there. Paystack, a Stripe-owned company, says Nigerian businesses can take international card payments. USD payout needs a Zenith Bank USD domiciliary account.
Paystack’s stated fees are 3.9% plus NGN 100 on naira cards and 3.9% on USD payments, so $39 on a $1,000 USD payment. Payoneer’s pricing (1 January 2026) charges 1%, minimum $1, to receive into a non-local-currency account. Whether a USD receiving account is open to you was not confirmed.
Anyone promising guaranteed Mercury or Relay approval for a Nigeria-resident owner contradicts those providers’ published country rules. This guide does not cover Nigerian rules on holding foreign accounts or owning a foreign company, so ask a qualified adviser and check the Central Bank of Nigeria’s pages.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a business bank account for non-US residents if I live in Nigeria?
Not with the providers covered here, per their pages read on 20 October 2026. Mercury and Relay list Nigeria as prohibited, and Wise USD details are unavailable with a Nigeria address.
Can a Nigerian citizen living abroad open a Mercury account?
Mercury tests residence and says such a citizen may still be eligible pending review. Relay’s test includes citizenship, so it blocks them wherever they live.
Does a US bank account for non residents need an SSN?
Mercury, Relay and Bluevine ask for an EIN, and a foreign owner can get one without an SSN by phone, fax or mail. Stripe’s Atlas pages mention an SSN for Mercury in some cases, so check Mercury’s document list. Our guide to temporary housing in the USA without an SSN helps if you also need somewhere to live.
Is a Wise business account the same as a US bank account?
No. Wise is not a bank and its accounts are not FDIC insured. Its USD details point to a balance Wise holds for you.
How long do approvals take?
Mercury says usually 0 to 2 business days, Relay says most within one business day, and Wise says up to 10 working days. None guarantees approval.
Do I still need a BOI report for a Wyoming or Delaware LLC?
Not under FinCEN’s rule effective 14 August 2026, which exempts US-formed companies. Form 5472 is a separate IRS filing.
11. Next Steps: Price It, Then Pay
A business bank account for non-US residents is only worth pricing once the provider’s country test says yes. Work in this order:
- Open each prohibited-countries page and check residence, citizenship and addresses.
- Check that your business type is not on the declined list.
- Price the company with the state fees and agent above.
- Plan the EIN route: fax about 4 business days, mail about 4 weeks.
- Gather the formation document, EIN document, passport and proof of a real home address.
- Ask a qualified adviser about Form 5472 and tax.
- Pay a formation fee only after steps 1 and 2 pass.
Keep Mercury’s prohibited countries, Relay’s prohibited countries, Wise’s USD details rules, Mercury’s pricing and Wyoming’s fee schedule open as you go. Provider pages change, and the page on the day you apply is the one that counts.
If your income comes from tech or editing work, see the highest-paying tech jobs, video editing jobs abroad and our guide to choosing a UK immigration solicitor, whose credential checks apply to any adviser. Related reading does not replace advice on your own case.
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