Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands - Merchant Boarding Requirements

Owned by Miles Graves
Sept 16, 2024
2 min read

To onboard a merchant in Puerto Rico (PR) or the US Virgin Islands (VI), partners and their merchants must meet specific requirements and follow the detailed process outlined below.

These steps provide a comprehensive guide to ensure a smooth and efficient onboarding process for merchants in PR boarding to US-based Referrers. By carefully following each step, you can easily navigate the required procedures and criteria, ultimately leading to a successful merchant boarding experience in PR.

Adhering to these guidelines enables you to effectively onboard a merchant in PR while complying with the essential requirements and specified procedures.

Warning: Merchants located in PR or VI are currently unable to board unless they maintain a physical operational presence on-shore within the continental US.

Merchant Requirements

Each of the following requirements must be met:

  • The merchant business must be based in and have a significant physical operational presence in the US.

  • At least one individual based in the US, who holds significant management responsibility, must be present on the business premises.

  • The merchant must have a minimum of 2 or more years in business.

  • Only Corporations, LLC and similar registered business entity types are accepted. (Sole Proprietorships are not accepted at this time.)

  • An Employer Identification Number (EIN) based in the US.

  • A bank account based in the US.

Platform Restrictions for Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands Merchants

The following restrictions apply for Merchants boarding from PR and VI:

  1. Only VCore is available for PR and US Virgin Island Merchant transactions.

  2. eCheck is not supported in PR and VI at this time.

Exception Request Process

Note: The requirements below only apply to non-US citizens boarding US-based businesses. Citizens of PR and VI are also US citizens, each with their own Social Security Number (SSN) and ability to obtain an EIN.

In the event you believe a Merchant should be boarded and meets the criteria above but for some reason receive a decline while autoboarding, you can request an exception for manual review, and follow the process outlined below:

  1. Upload a photo of the foreign passport for all non-US individuals when submitting the Merchant for boarding.

  2. Enter an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in place of SSN. If no ITIN is available, enter the passport number instead.

When this has been properly submitted, the platform’s risk analysts will review, approve, decline, or request more information from the Merchant.

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