Verify a German account
To accept payments through Zeffy, your German nonprofit needs to complete Stripe verification. This guide walks you through the process step by step and includes links to helpful resources in case you get stuck along the way.
What you'll need
Your organization's registration number (depends on your legal form, see Step 2)
Your organization's address
A government-issued ID and a selfie of the same representative
Your organization's IBAN (personal bank accounts are not accepted)
Step 1: Create your Zeffy account
Go to the Zeffy website and sign up with your name and email address.
Step 2: Complete your nonprofit's information
Go to the "Finances" tab.
Select your legal form and enter the matching registration number. A Vereinsregisternummer (association register number) is not always required: the number you need depends on your organization's legal form.
Legal form | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|
Registered association (e.V.) | Association register (Vereinsregister, VR number) | VR 12345 |
GmbH / nonprofit GmbH (gGmbH) or gemeinnützige Unternehmergesellschaft (gUG) | Commercial register (Handelsregister, HRB number) | HRB 12345 |
Cooperative (Genossenschaft) | Cooperative register (Genossenschaftsregister, GnR number) | GnR 123 |
Foundation (Stiftung) | No federal register number at this time | None |
Public-law corporation (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) | No register number | None |
Next, select your organization type:
Nonprofit organization (tax-exempt)
Organization without nonprofit status
For-profit company collecting on behalf of a nonprofit
Enter the following information:
Your organization's legal name
Address
Statement descriptor (how your name appears on your supporters' bank statements)
Once you're done, click "Next".
Step 3: Tell us which category best fits your organization
Once you're done, click "Save and continue".
Step 4: Complete the "Tell us about your business" section
The details you entered in the previous "Organization details" section are carried over to this page automatically. We strongly recommend reviewing each field carefully before continuing, to make sure everything is accurate and up to date.
You may be asked to confirm or provide the following:
Legal business name / legal name of your organization
Doing business as / trade name (if applicable)
Business address
Business phone number
Organization website
Product description
Once you're done, click "Next".
Product description: Briefly describe how your organization will use Stripe and Zeffy, for example to collect donations, sell event tickets, manage memberships or accept program registrations.
Step 5: Legal representative details
Here, Stripe asks for information about your organization's legal representative. This is a person who is authorized to act on behalf of the organization.
On this page, Stripe asks for the following details about this person:
Full legal name
Email address
Job title
Date of birth
Home address
Phone number
Important: The person whose details are entered here will later be asked to complete an identity check. This includes uploading a government-issued ID and completing a live selfie verification. To avoid delays, please make sure the information entered on this page matches the ID that will be used later in the verification process.
Once you're done, click "Continue".
Step 6: Verify the legal representative's identity
The person selected as your organization's legal representative will now be asked to complete Stripe's identity verification process.
This verification has two parts:
Uploading a government-issued photo ID (for example a driver's license, passport or national ID card)
Completing a live selfie check to confirm that the person uploading the ID matches the person shown on the document
Tips for a successful verification
Accepted IDs
Driver's license
Passport (German or international)
National ID card (if applicable)
Requirements and tips
To avoid delays or rejected submissions:
Use a valid, unexpired ID
Make sure the name and date of birth on the ID exactly match the details entered in the previous step
Make sure the ID is not damaged, altered or illegible
Use a mobile device if possible, since phone cameras usually take higher-quality photos than webcams
Take photos in a well-lit area and avoid glare, shadows or blurry images
Place the ID on a plain, dark background
Make sure the entire ID is visible in the photo
Remove sunglasses, hats, masks or anything else that could cover your face during the selfie verification
Make sure your browser or device has permission to access your camera
If your ID or selfie isn't accepted, take a look at ID verification: requirements and troubleshooting for photo quality tips, selfie guidance and browser recommendations.
Step 7: Add or confirm directors/trustees
Stripe needs details about your organization's directors or trustees. These are usually the people who sit on the organization's governing board.
If your organization can be found in public registers, Stripe may pull in some or all of these people automatically. In that case, they will be listed on this page and you only need to confirm that the details are correct.
If no directors or trustees are found in public registers, this page may be empty. In that case, you'll need to add them manually.
To edit or remove an existing director or trustee, click "Edit" next to their name.
To add a new director or trustee, click "Add director".
If the person who completed the identity check in the previous step is also a director or trustee, click "Add director" and select them from the drop-down menu.
If you'd like to add someone else, click "Add director" → "Add new person", then enter their details.
When adding a new director or trustee, Stripe asks for their legal name, email address, job title or role within the organization, date of birth and home address. These details must be provided for every director and/or trustee of your organization.
Why am I being asked for dates of birth and home addresses?
These requirements come directly from Stripe, and Zeffy is not able to bypass them. As a regulated financial service provider, Stripe must comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering regulations, including the requirements that apply in the UK and Europe. Under these rules, Stripe must collect and verify information about the people who control or manage organizations that accept payments.
The information collected is used only for verification and legal compliance. However, it must be provided in order to keep accepting payments through Stripe and Zeffy.
If you have questions about these requirements, especially about why Stripe asks for the dates of birth and home addresses of directors and trustees, you can find more information here in Stripe's documentation.
Once you're done, click "Continue".
Step 8: Review your directors/trustees
As a final step, Stripe asks you to review the list of directors and/or trustees connected to your organization.
This step is only required if:
You added or changed directors/trustees compared to the information Stripe pulled from public registers, or
Stripe could not find any director/trustee information in public registers and you entered it manually.
If this step is required, Stripe offers two verification methods:
Uploading a document that lists your organization's directors or trustees
Completing an electronic attestation
Option 1: Electronic attestation (recommended)
We strongly recommend choosing the "Electronic attestation" option.
With this option, the legal representative who completed the identity check reviews an agreement created by Stripe confirming that the listed directors and/or trustees are correct, then signs it electronically by typing their name.
Stripe shows you the agreement before you sign, and you can download a copy for your records.
Once signed, click "Continue".
Option 2: Upload a supporting document
Alternatively, you can upload a document confirming your organization's directors and/or trustees. The document must include:
Your organization's legal name
Your organization's address
The names of the directors and/or trustees exactly as entered in Stripe
If the details on the document don't match the information entered during verification, Stripe may reject the submission and ask for additional documents.
If you choose to upload a document, please note that the review can take 24 to 72 hours. Until Stripe has finished reviewing the document, we aren't able to confirm whether the verification was successful. If any additional information or documents are needed, Stripe will contact you directly during this review period.
Step 9: Review and submit
Once you've provided your directors' details and completed all required verification steps, the last step is to review your entries and confirm that everything is correct.
Carefully review the details you provided throughout the verification process, then click "Agree and submit" to send your information to Stripe for review.
By submitting, you agree to Stripe's terms of service and agree that Zeffy and Stripe may process the information needed to verify your organization and handle future payments.
Step 10: Add your bank account
After submitting to Stripe, you'll be asked to enter your organization's bank details. Personal bank accounts are not accepted. You will need:
Your IBAN
Important: The bank account must belong to the organization. Personal bank accounts are not accepted. The account holder name should closely match the organization's legal name.