Strike business signup takes one sitting when your paperwork is on the desk before you start. This guide walks every screen in the order Strike shows it, then covers the five places merchants most often get stuck and how to get moving again.
The video runs the same steps in English and Spanish. The written version also lives in the riverArk knowledge base: Setting up your Strike business account.
Why riverArk merchants need one
riverArk lets your customers pay with Cash App, Strike, Phoenix or any app that pays a Lightning invoice. The money lands in your own Strike business account, in dollars, or in bitcoin if you choose. riverArk never holds your money. It creates the payment request and reports the sale. That is why the Strike account comes first: it is where you get paid.
Have these open before you start
- Your IRS EIN letter (CP 575 or Letter 147C). Lost it? See what documents Strike asks for.
- Your formation documents: articles of organization for an LLC, articles of incorporation for a corporation.
- A recent business tax or bank document.
- Any licenses your business holds.
- The legal name, address and website of the business, exactly as they appear on those documents.
- The name and email address of every owner and operator.
- Your business checking account login, for the bank step at the end.
The signup, screen by screen
1. Choose "Sign up as a Business"
Go to dashboard.strike.me on a computer and choose Sign up as a Business. Strike's developer docs describe the business flow starting there (Strike account overview). Do not start in the personal app flow: a personal account cannot take the place of a business account.
2. Confirm your email with the code
Strike emails a confirmation code. Enter it to continue. Use an inbox you check daily: approval notices and support replies go there.
3. Pick your username
Your username ends in @strike.me. It is your payment address, and it is the exact text you enter in riverArk to connect the two accounts. Use your business name, keep it short, and write it down.
4. Select your country and state
Pick the country and state where the business is registered. Strike says both must be supported (Strike account overview), and its list of countries includes the United States, all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico (Where is Strike available?). If you pick the wrong country, Strike asks you to contact support to change it (How do I create an account?). If Strike asks for a phone number, use one you can receive a text on: Strike's general signup sends a six-digit SMS code.
5. Enter the business details
Strike asks for the legal name, address, EIN and formation details of the business, plus its website and the intended use of the account (How do I create an account?). Type the legal name exactly as it appears on your EIN letter, including "LLC" or "Inc." For intended use, one plain line works: "Accepting customer payments for our [coffee shop, salon, retail store] and settling to dollars."
6. Choose the business type
Pick what you actually sell: retail, food and beverage, services. Do not pick financial services, money services or crypto trading. Accepting bitcoin from customers does not make you a crypto business. Those categories send the application into a stricter review and slow approval down.
7. Upload documents
Upload the EIN letter, formation documents, a business tax or bank document, and any licenses. Scan full pages, in color, all four corners visible, with the same name and address you typed in step 5.
8. Owners and operators verify by email
Strike sends a separate verification email to each owner and operator. Each person confirms their name and address and uploads a government-issued photo ID (Strike account overview). Strike's help center says requirements vary and can include date of birth, a tax ID number and a live selfie. An owner who already has a verified personal Strike account does not need to verify again, as long as the ID used for it has not expired (How do I create an account?). Text your partners the moment you submit: these emails are the number one reason an approval stalls.
9. Wait for approval
With complete documents, approval usually takes one to two days. Strike notifies you when the account is ready, and its help center says to contact support if verification takes more than 24 hours (How do I create an account?).
10. Link your business bank
In the Strike app, go to Account, then Payment methods, and add your business checking account in the same legal name you verified. Strike sends a pending $0.01 charge with a three-digit code in the description. Find it in your bank's transaction history, then enter the code back in Strike under Account, then Payment methods (How do I deposit cash?). The charge clears on its own.
A standard transfer from Strike to your bank takes about three to five business days at no fee. Instant and wire options exist for a fee (How do I withdraw cash?).
11. Connect Strike to riverArk
- Sign up at ark.riverark.io. It is free to start.
- Enter your Strike username during signup, or later under Settings, then Merchant Account.
- Pay the live demo from your own phone so you see a payment land, then put your counter QR code on the register.
Stuck? The five common stall points
An owner never opened the verification email
The application cannot finish until every owner and operator completes their own check. Ask each person to search their inbox and spam folder for a Strike email, and confirm Strike has the right address for them. If an email address was typed wrong, contact Strike support to correct it.
You picked the wrong business category
If you chose financial services, money services or crypto trading, the application is in a stricter review. Contact Strike support, say what you actually sell, and ask to correct the category.
A document does not match what you typed
Strike compares your documents to the form. Common mismatches: an old address on the formation documents, a trade name typed where the legal name belongs, a cropped or blurry scan. Correct the form to match the documents, or upload a current document that matches the form.
The name on the EIN letter and the bank account differ
Your EIN letter, your Strike application and your bank account should all carry the same legal name. If the business changed its name, update it with the bank and the IRS so the paperwork agrees. The IRS can confirm your EIN and issue Letter 147C at 800-829-4933 (IRS: Employer identification number).
Strike asked extra questions about developer use
If you plan to use the riverArk API or a custom integration, that counts as developer use, and Strike can add verification steps. Strike's docs list "a description of your intended use of the Strike API, if applicable" as part of verification (Strike account overview). Answer plainly: what you sell, and that customer payments land in your account. Taking payments with the riverArk counter QR code alone is not developer use.
How to reach Strike support
Inside the Strike app, go to Account, then Help, pick a topic and submit. You can also email support@strike.me from the address on your Strike account. Do not attach ID or financial documents to a first email: Strike sends a secure upload link if it needs one (How do I contact support?). For the riverArk side, open a ticket at support.riverark.io.
Next steps
Once Strike approves you and riverArk is connected, read how to accept Cash App payments at your business for the counter setup, or how to accept Bitcoin for the full picture. For how money moves after a sale, see Strike for business: how merchants get paid in USD.
FAQ
How long does Strike business approval take?
With complete documents, usually one to two days. Speed depends on your paperwork and on every owner finishing their identity check.
What username should I choose?
Your business name. It ends in @strike.me, it is your payment address, and it is what you enter in riverArk under Settings, then Merchant Account.
Which business type should I pick?
What you actually sell: retail, food and beverage, services. Avoid financial services, money services and crypto trading.
Do my partners need to do anything?
Yes. Each owner and operator gets a separate Strike email to confirm their name, address and photo ID. Approval waits until all of them finish.
Can I connect riverArk before Strike approves me?
You can create your riverArk account any time. Payments land once your Strike business account is approved and your username is entered in riverArk.
riverArk does not give investment, tax or legal advice. You can settle every sale in US dollars.