

Ask HN: Simplest way to accept credit cards? - hartator

Going to spin up several SaaS websites as a test project, and I wonder what&#x27;s the easiest way to handle credit cards?<p>I want to avoid incorporating for each project if it&#x27;s possible.
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ShaneCurran
Stripe: [https://stripe.com/](https://stripe.com/)

~~~
hartator
I've already Stripe for a former startup, but I think they have asked me for a
EIN.

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davismwfl
If you are a sole proprietor the EIN is your SSN. So you can still use Stripe
and not worry about it.

You can also setup one llc and have multiple d/b/a's out there so you use one
EIN and have multiple trade names but one company, one bank account etc. You
need to do some accounting around it all, but its not a big deal.

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dragonwriter
> If you are a sole proprietor the EIN is your SSN.

An SSN is a federal tax ID. An EIN is a federal tax id. An ITIN is a federal
tax ID. But an SSN (or ITIN) is not an EIN.

Most businesses should have an EIN, even if they are sole proprietorships (if
you have to pay employment taxes, among other things [0], you _must_ have an
EIN.)

[0] [http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-
Employ...](http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Do-
You-Need-an-EIN)

~~~
davismwfl
Yes, you are correct, they are not the same, one applies to the individual the
other when you meet specific rules by the IRS as your link points out. At one
time I am almost positive the EIN field was required by Stripe (it is possible
I confused it with Balanced or First Data) and for sole proprietors you were
to use your SSN in that field. Effectively the field should have been labeled
TIN if they were using it as a dual purpose field as the IRS uses TIN as the
overall classification for SSN and EIN's (but again they usually provide two
separate fields for them, just look at a W9).

So I should have double checked the form before replying to make sure I didn't
provide potentially inaccurate information. Glad you pointed it out.

A quick double check on Stripe's FAQ just now shows this link, which says the
EIN is optional: [https://support.stripe.com/questions/sole-proprietor-
without...](https://support.stripe.com/questions/sole-proprietor-without-
federal-ein)

