Until 2024, you could open a US business bank account with a virtual mailbox or a registered agent address. Then the rules changed. Mercury, Relay, Novo, and most US banks started rejecting applications with addresses they could see were “flagged” mailboxes.
Why banks changed the rules
Regulators started cracking down on shell companies and money laundering. Banks responded by tightening their KYC (Know Your Customer) checks. One of the easiest filters: reject any address that matches a commercial mail-receiving agency (CMRA) list maintained by the US Postal Service.
What gets rejected now
- Virtual mailbox services like iPostal1, Anytime Mailbox, etc.
- Generic registered agent addresses shared by thousands of LLCs
- PO boxes
- Addresses with suite numbers that look like CMRA mailboxes
What a “real” US address looks like
A real address is a commercial property with a unique suite number, backed by a lease in your company’s name and a utility bill that proves the address exists. Banks can verify it. Stripe accepts it. The IRS recognizes it.
How Regiwise solves this
Every Regiwise plan includes a real US business address — not a registered agent address, not a mailbox. A commercial lease in your company’s name with a utility bill as proof. That’s why our bank approval rate is 100%.
