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Epitychia
Cross-Border · China
Cross-border · China → United States

US payment rails
for Chinese exporters.

Wyoming LLC, US office address, US merchant processing, and FX settlement to your bank in China. The full package, brokered by an operator who knows the rails — not a Fiverr LLC mill, not a generic incorporation service, not a payment gateway that vanishes after the first chargeback wave.

You manufacture or operate in China. Your customers are in the United States. You want USD pricing, US payment rails (cards and ACH), and settlement back to your bank in China in CNY, HKD, or USD-held. That is not a checkout problem. It is a stack: legal entity, tax ID, business address, banking, merchant processing, FX, and the compliance posture that keeps all of it running. We assemble the stack and operate it with you.

Why this matters now

Three structural shifts in the last 24 months made this a different conversation than it was in 2021. First, US acquirers tightened underwriting on foreign-owned LLCs after a wave of merchant abuse — generic incorporation services made the entity formation cheap, but the resulting LLCs had no operating substance and processors got burned. The bar to place a Chinese-owned LLC into US processing is higher now. Second, Stripe and PayPal moved aggressively on foreign-owner risk, with account terminations that left exporters stranded on six-figure settlements. Third, the cross-border FX corridor stack consolidated: the legacy specialists added intermediary spreads that quietly erode your margin while introducing a second compliance counterparty between you and your money.

The window is open for Chinese operators who want durable US payment rails — but only if the stack is operated end to end by one party. We are that party. We hold the banks, we operate the processing, we run the FX corridor in-house. No introductions, no hand-offs, no spread to a third-party specialist taking a cut on settlement. One operator, one set of rails, one phone number when something needs attention.

What you actually need

The stack has six components. Skip any one and the system breaks at the worst time.

  1. A US legal entity. Wyoming LLC is the standard answer for a foreign-owned operating company. Delaware is the right answer if you plan to raise venture capital. Florida or Nevada are sometimes appropriate. We will explain which applies to you, but in 90% of cases the answer is Wyoming.
  2. An EIN (federal tax ID). Non-residents can obtain an EIN without an SSN. We file the SS-4 by fax with the appropriate non-resident handling — this is the accelerated path. Mail filing for a foreign owner is 10–14 weeks; fax is 2–4.
  3. A real US business address. Not a UPS mailbox. Not a virtual office that resells to 400 other LLCs. Underwriters now cross-reference addresses against the OpenAddresses database and known mail-forwarding services. A flagged address is a declined application. We use real Class-A coworking spaces in Wyoming or Nevada with mail handling, physical presence verification, and a phone number — which is what the underwriting requires.
  4. A US business bank account. We open this in-house through our own banking partners — no aggregators, no third-party intermediaries that can freeze your operating capital with one risk-team flag. The account is in your LLC's name, you are the signer, and the onboarding is structured to clear non-resident KYC the first time. We walk you through every step.
  5. A US merchant processing account. This is where most foreign-owned operators fail. Stripe and PayPal are aggregators with automated underwriting that flag foreign-owner profiles. We are the processor. We underwrite you on our own rails, place you in the program that matches your vertical, structure the descriptor so the cardholder recognizes the charge, and stay on the line through go-live. There is no third party in the middle of your settlement.
  6. A cross-border settlement corridor. Our payment system accepts USD on the front end, converts on the back end, and settles to your bank in China in the currency you prefer — CNY, HKD, or USD-held. We are the cross-border specialist. The FX corridor is in-house. No intermediary specialist takes a spread between us and your money. You see one set of fees, one settlement timeline, one operator accountable for the whole flow.

Why Wyoming specifically

Wyoming is the best US state for foreign-owned operating LLCs. Five reasons, in order of importance:

  • No state income tax, no franchise tax. Annual maintenance is approximately $60 per year, payable to the Wyoming Secretary of State. Delaware is $300+. Nevada is $350+.
  • Strong member privacy. Wyoming does not require member names on the public record. Only the registered agent appears. This matters for foreign owners who do not want their personal details accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
  • Banking acceptance. Our in-house banking partners have explicit non-resident-owned Wyoming-LLC onboarding flows, built for foreign founders. No aggregator friction, no unexplained denials.
  • No SSN required for filing. Wyoming accepts the EIN as the tax-identification field on the formation documents. Many foreign owners do not have ITINs and never need one.
  • Easy dissolution. If your strategy changes, Wyoming LLCs can be wound down cleanly in 30–60 days with minimal cost.

The package — what we deliver

A single engagement covers entity, banking, processing, FX, and compliance. You manage your business; we manage the US-side stack.

  • Wyoming LLC formation through a registered agent in our network. Articles of organization, operating agreement, EIN application, member documentation.
  • US business address in Wyoming or Nevada — real Class-A coworking space with physical mail handling, phone, and address-verification compliance for underwriting.
  • US business bank account opened through our in-house banking channel. We run the onboarding end to end. You sign the documents; we handle the rest.
  • Merchant processing on our own rails. We underwrite, we place, we operate. Descriptor strategy, chargeback prevention tooling, MCC alignment, ramp planning — all of it in-house. There is no acquirer hand-off, no third-party processor between you and us.
  • Cross-border settlement corridor. Our payment system takes USD, converts it, and settles to your home bank in your chosen currency. One operator from accept to settle. Pricing meets or beats Stripe on consumer card volume — durability is the upgrade, not the cost.
  • Compliance pre-flight. MCC selection, descriptor language, chargeback protocol, refund policy alignment with acquirer requirements, sanctions screening posture.
  • Tax-structure introduction. Routing to a US-China cross-border tax specialist for ongoing federal and state filings. This is not legal or tax advice from us; we make the warm introduction and stay engaged on the payments side while they handle the rest.

Verticals we handle

Our placement network spans low-risk consumer goods to high-risk specialty categories. The vertical determines the acquirer, the rates, the reserve, and the chargeback tolerance — not whether we can place you.

  • Supplements and nutraceuticals — including structure-function claims and continuity-billing models.
  • Peptides and research compounds — high-risk, requires the right MCC, the right disclaimers, and the right acquirer.
  • Beauty and cosmetics — including premium skincare, color cosmetics, and tools.
  • Apparel and fashion — including private-label and white-label imported goods.
  • Electronics and consumer tech — including private-label hardware and accessories.
  • Industrial and B2B exports — different rails, sometimes ACH-only, sometimes full card acceptance.
  • Adult-adjacent SaaS and digital products — generally MOR territory; we route appropriately.
  • Kratom, CBD, and adjacent compliant categories — placement available with specialized acquirers.

What gets merchant accounts terminated

Most Chinese-owned LLCs that lose their merchant accounts lose them for one of five reasons. We prevent each one in setup.

  1. Misrepresented business model on the application. Description says "consumer electronics," reality is research peptides. The underwriting catches up, and the account is terminated with funds held. Our prevention: we underwrite truthfully and place you with the acquirer whose risk appetite matches your actual business.
  2. Chargeback ratio above 1% (Visa) or 0.9% (Mastercard). This is the threshold that triggers VAMP / VDMP enrollment and, ultimately, account closure. Our prevention: Ethoca and Verifi alerts installed pre-launch, RDR enrollment, refund-policy alignment with cardholder expectations.
  3. Sudden volume spikes 200%+ without notification. Risk teams interpret this as fraud or money laundering and freeze. Our prevention: ramp plans communicated to the acquirer in advance, and quarterly volume conversations as you scale.
  4. Descriptor confusion. Cardholder sees a charge they do not recognize, disputes it, chargeback ratio rises, account terminates. Our prevention: descriptor pre-tested with the acquirer compliance team before launch, customer-recognizable string with phone number.
  5. Wrong MCC. Wrong MCC means wrong interchange, wrong reserve, wrong underwriting — all of which surface eventually. Our prevention: correct MCC the first time, based on the predominant nature of the business and the acquirer's specific category mapping.

Timeline and pricing

A typical engagement runs 4–8 weeks from engagement letter to first live transaction. Setup fees range from USD $4,000 to $12,000 depending on complexity. Ongoing processing rates meet or beat what Stripe publishes — we are not the premium-priced option, we are the durable one. Most foreign-owned operators we onboard save 80–200 basis points versus the elevated foreign-owner rates aggregators quote them, because we underwrite the operator, not the passport. We share the engagement letter and a detailed pricing model on the strategy call after we review your questionnaire.

Week 1: Pre-screening questionnaire → 45-minute strategy call → engagement letter signed.
Week 2–3: Wyoming LLC + EIN + US address + banking introductions.
Week 3–5: Merchant account underwriting and placement; FX corridor setup.
Week 5–8: Gateway integration, descriptor finalization, soft launch.
Ongoing: Volume monitoring, chargeback management, optimization.

You stay in your home country. We handle every US-side touchpoint.

Common questions · China → US

Direct answers from operators who place this stack weekly.

Do I need to be physically in the United States to set this up?
No. The Wyoming LLC, EIN, US business address, banking introductions, and merchant processing placement can all be completed without travel. We have non-resident operators in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong running US processing through this exact structure. The owner can remain in China. What does require care is the underwriting narrative — US acquirers want to see a coherent business with a clear operator behind it. We build that story before we apply.
Can I keep my Chinese bank as the final settlement destination?
Yes. Our payment system accepts USD on the front end, converts on the back end, and settles to your bank in China in the currency you choose — CNY, HKD, or USD-held in an intermediate account. There is no third-party FX specialist between you and us. We are the cross-border specialist. That means one operator on the line, one set of compliance standards, one settlement timeline you can plan against, and pricing that does not include another intermediary skimming a spread.
Why a Wyoming LLC instead of Delaware or Nevada?
Three reasons. First, Wyoming has no state income tax and no franchise tax, which means lower ongoing maintenance — about $60 per year versus $300+ for Delaware. Second, Wyoming has the strongest privacy protections for LLC members in the US; member names are not in the public record. Third, Wyoming banking acceptance is excellent — we have direct banking relationships built specifically for non-resident-owned Wyoming LLCs, which means onboarding completes without the friction or unexplained denials that aggregators introduce. Delaware is the right answer if you plan to raise venture capital or scale to a C-Corp; Wyoming is the right answer for a foreign-owned operating company that needs US payment rails.
How long does the full setup take?
Four to eight weeks, end to end. Wyoming LLC formation: 1–3 business days. EIN: 2–4 weeks for non-residents (we file by fax to accelerate). US business address and bank account introductions: 1–2 weeks running in parallel. Merchant processing underwriting and placement: 2–4 weeks depending on vertical and volume. Most engagements are live and processing within 6 weeks of the initial engagement letter.
How much does it cost?
The setup engagement typically runs USD $4,000 to $12,000 depending on complexity (vertical risk, volume scale, multi-entity structures, settlement currency requirements). Ongoing processing rates meet or beat what Stripe publishes — we are not the premium-priced option. The difference is durability: a relationship-underwritten account placed on rails we operate, instead of an aggregator that can freeze you at any time. Most foreign-owned operators we onboard save 80–200 basis points versus what generic processors quoted them, because foreign-owner risk premium gets priced into aggregator rates; we underwrite the operator, not the passport. We share the engagement letter and a pricing model on the strategy call after we see the questionnaire.
What if I already have a US LLC but I cannot get merchant processing?
Common situation. Stripe, PayPal, and Square frequently freeze or terminate foreign-owned LLCs after the first chargeback wave, after a volume spike, or when underwriting catches up to ownership. We work with traditional acquirers (not aggregators) where underwriting is a real conversation, not an algorithm. If your entity is sound, your business is real, and your descriptor matches your activity, we can place you. If something is fundamentally misaligned — wrong MCC, misrepresented model, hidden ownership — we tell you that before we waste anyone's time.
Why not just use Stripe?
Stripe is excellent for US-resident-owned businesses with clean profiles in low-risk verticals. For Chinese-owned operating companies — especially in supplements, peptides, beauty, electronics, anything with returns above 3%, or anything Stripe's automated underwriting flags as elevated — Stripe is unstable. Account terminations come without warning, funds get held 90–180 days, and reinstatement is rare. We offer the same or better pricing than Stripe on consumer card volume, on a payment rail underwritten by a human who wants your business class. The only trade-off is integration time — a few weeks instead of an afternoon — in exchange for processing that will not vanish on you when your first chargeback wave hits.
What about Alipay, WeChat Pay, or UnionPay for accepting payments?
Different question. Those are inbound rails for accepting payments from Chinese consumers — useful if you sell to Chinese buyers. We do help platforms add Alipay/WeChat as alternative payment methods alongside card processing. But for a Chinese manufacturer selling to US customers, the primary need is the reverse direction: accepting US cards and ACH, settling that USD to a bank, then repatriating. That is what this package is built for.
Do I have to pay US federal income tax on the LLC?
It depends on your structure and how the LLC is taxed. A foreign-owned single-member LLC is by default a disregarded entity, which means there is no entity-level US income tax. The foreign owner is taxed on US-source effectively-connected income under their own treaty position — which for many Chinese owners selling products manufactured and shipped from China is limited or zero, depending on the China-US tax treaty interpretation. This is a tax question, not a payments question, and we route it to a US-China cross-border tax specialist in our partner network during setup. Do not take this as tax advice; the right answer depends on your facts.
What gets a merchant account terminated, and how do you prevent that?
Five things, ranked: misrepresentation of business model on the application, chargeback ratio above 1% (Visa) or 0.9% (Mastercard), unannounced volume spikes of 200%+, descriptor strategy that confuses cardholders, and operating in a higher-risk MCC than what was underwritten. We prevent each one in setup: we underwrite truthfully (including pricing volatility, refund policy, fulfillment timeline), we install chargeback prevention (Ethoca, Verifi alerts, RDR enrollment), we communicate ramp-up volume with the acquirer in advance, we test descriptors with the acquirer's compliance team before launch, and we place you on the correct MCC the first time. None of this is exotic. It is the work that generic gateway sign-ups skip.
I sell on Amazon FBA. Do I need this, or is Amazon Pay enough?
If 100% of your revenue is through Amazon, you do not need a separate merchant account — Amazon handles settlement to your bank and you can repatriate from there. But most established Amazon sellers also sell direct (Shopify, BigCommerce, their own site) to reduce platform dependency. The moment you go direct, you need US merchant processing in your own name. Our package is built for the direct-to-consumer channel, with Amazon FBA as a complementary distribution path. We have a meaningful number of clients running this exact hybrid.
My product is higher-risk — peptides, kratom, supplements with bold claims. Can you still place me?
Often, yes. High-risk merchant processing is a specific subset of acquirers and a specific underwriting posture, not a euphemism for "we will charge you 8%." We place peptide research compound sellers, kratom retailers, supplement brands with structure-function claims, CBD products, and adult-adjacent SaaS regularly. The economics are different — reserve requirements (typically 5–10% rolling for 6 months), slightly elevated rates, mandatory chargeback prevention tooling — but the rails are durable and the volume runs cleanly. If your specific category is one we cannot place, we tell you that before the engagement starts.
What is a Merchant of Record (MOR) and would I want one instead?
A Merchant of Record is a third party who legally sells your product on your behalf, handling payments, taxes, and chargebacks in their name. Paddle and Lemon Squeezy are the well-known MORs for SaaS. The trade-off: MORs charge 5–8% all-in (vs 2.5–3.5% for traditional processing) but you avoid setting up US entities, sales tax registrations, and merchant accounts. For Chinese sellers selling intangible goods (SaaS, digital products, courses), MOR can sometimes be the right call. For physical product sellers — which is most of our Chinese-owned client base — traditional processing through your own entity is more economical, more durable, and more defensible long-term. We operate MOR-style structures in-house as well when the situation calls for it, so the choice does not require switching providers.
What does the engagement actually look like week by week?
Week 1: you complete the pre-screening questionnaire, we hold a 45-minute strategy call, we send an engagement letter with scope and fees. Week 2: Wyoming LLC formed, EIN application filed, US address activated, US banking onboarding initiated through our in-house banking channel. Week 3: banking live, merchant account underwriting package assembled and submitted on our internal rails. Week 4: merchant account placed, cross-border settlement corridor activated — USD in, your chosen currency out to your home bank. Week 5: gateway integration, descriptor finalization, soft launch with a controlled volume cap. Week 6 onward: scale-up, monitoring, and ongoing optimization. You stay in your home country. We handle every US-side touchpoint, in-house, end to end.
Engagement · China → US

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