Stripe — the service that powers invoicing and payments on It's Complicated — requires identity and account verification in two situations: when you first set up your billing account, and occasionally on an ongoing basis as part of financial compliance checks. This article explains both, what you may need to provide, and how to complete the process.
Initial verification when setting up your account
When you create your Stripe billing account for the first time, Stripe will ask you to complete an onboarding flow before you can send invoices or receive payments. This includes providing:
- Your personal details — full name, date of birth, and home address
- Identity verification — typically a government-issued photo ID
- Bank account details — for payouts to be sent to
Stripe will attempt to verify your details automatically where possible. In some cases it may ask you to upload supporting documents. The process typically takes just a few minutes.
Ongoing re-verification
Even after your account is set up, Stripe may periodically request additional information to keep your account compliant with financial regulations. This is normal and not a sign that anything is wrong — Stripe reviews all accounts on its platform, not just those on It's Complicated.
There are three stages you may be notified about:
Upcoming requirements
Stripe has identified that your account will need to provide additional information in the near future. No action is required right now, but completing the verification early is recommended to avoid any disruption to your payments. You'll receive an email notification and see a prompt on your dashboard home screen.
Action required
Stripe now requires additional information to keep your account active. If this isn't completed by the deadline shown, your ability to receive payments may be temporarily paused. You'll receive an urgent email and see a prominent prompt on your dashboard.
Don't ignore action required notifications — missing the deadline can pause your ability to receive payments until verification is complete.
Account restricted
If the required information hasn't been provided by the deadline, your account will be temporarily restricted. You'll receive an email confirming this. Once you complete the verification, your account will be reactivated automatically.
How to complete the verification
The quickest way is to click Complete Now or Provide information on the notification card on your dashboard home screen. This takes you directly into Stripe's verification flow.
You can also navigate there manually:
- Go to Billing → Settings
- Under Account Information, click Edit on Stripe
- Follow the steps in Stripe's secure verification flow
What you may be asked to provide
Stripe will first attempt to verify your details automatically — so you may not need to do anything at all. If additional verification is needed, it may ask for one or more of the following:
- Identity verification — a government-issued photo ID such as a passport or driver's licence. A national ID number may also be requested in some countries.
- Address verification — proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement issued within the last 6 months.
- Business information — your company name, address, and registration number, if your account is registered as a company.
- Ownership or director verification — if your account is registered as a company, Stripe may need to verify the relationship between the business and its owners or directors.
Accepted documents vary by country. You can find the full list for your country on Stripe's documentation pages: acceptable verification documents by country and documents for identity and home address verification.
Uploading documents — best practices
Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejections.
General requirements
- Document information must match your Stripe account details (name, address, or company name)
- Include all pages — documents must not be cropped or missing pages, and all borders must be visible
- Signatures must be clearly visible where required
- Documents must not be expired
- Do not send documents by email — Stripe can only accept documents uploaded through the verification flow
Identity documents (passport, driver's licence, national ID)
- Must be in JPG or PNG format
- Must be in colour
- Must include both sides where the back contains required information
- If your country of residence differs from your account country, a passport is required
Address and legal entity documents (utility bill, bank statement, company registration)
- Must be in JPG, PNG, or PDF format
- PDFs must be taken directly from the original document — not converted, processed, or embedded in other files
- Scans of paper documents (non-photo IDs) may be black and white
Common reasons for document rejection
- Expired document
- Name on the document doesn't match your Stripe account
- Screenshot submitted instead of an original scan or photo
- Document is cropped, incomplete, or missing pages
- Poor image quality or unreadable text
- Wrong file format
- Missing back side of a double-sided ID
- Black and white photo ID (must be in colour)
If your document is rejected, review the reason shown in Stripe's flow, correct the issue, and re-upload. If you're still having trouble, contact our support team directly.
Country-specific requirements
Some countries have additional requirements on top of the standard verification. For example, Netherlands-based accounts must update their account type to a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) and provide a KvK number — their Chamber of Commerce registration number. Both updates are completed through the Stripe verification flow. If you're based in the Netherlands and need help finding your KvK number, you can look it up at kvk.nl.
Still have questions?
If you're unsure what's required or need help completing the process, get in touch with our support team at support@complicated.life and we'll be happy to help.