Stripe India almost broke my MVP launch
🤯 Stripe India almost broke my MVP launch
This week I hit a wall — not in code, but compliance.
I’m building a solo SaaS to help people speak more clearly and confidently using AI. The app’s ready. The demo’s polished. People are interested.
Then I tried to set up payments with Stripe.
And Stripe said:
❌ Nope. You need a registered business.
❌ A current account.
❌ GST, address proof, business PAN, everything.
I get it — rules are rules.
But as an indie dev just trying to ship and test an idea, this feels like applying for a loan before selling lemonade.
Here's what I learned the hard way:
✅ Stripe India onboarding is not indie-friendly
✅ You can’t go live without business docs
✅ Side-projects and “just testing waters” ideas are blocked by design
I spent more time researching IEC codes and current accounts than working on UX this week 😅
Now I’m asking:
What are other solo founders in India doing for payments?
Razorpay? Something else?
If you’ve figured out a smooth way to collect early revenue without getting stuck in paperwork limbo — I’d love to hear your story.
Let’s help the next indie dev avoid this rabbit hole.
Is Razorpay a merchant of records?
Yes, I have checked razorpay.com/mor_terms
Really feel this, Sourav setting up payments in India can be tougher than building the actual product.
It’s surprising that with all our digital infrastructure, indie founders still struggle with compliance and KYC.
If systems like Samagra ID, DigiLocker, or UPI verification could integrate better with platforms like Stripe, it could make launching small SaaS products so much easier.
Would love to see India’s digital stack evolve to support solo builders and early-stage creators like you.
Totally get this Sourav. I've faced and seen this issue with others a few times as well. Don't think we can blame Stripe, given the compliance norms etc.
You should check out Razorpay. I believe there was an option on Razorpay to setup an individual account where not all business docs / registrations are required.
Yes thanks for the suggestion, I had checked with them and got verified account. But razorpay subscription process is little bit complicated to implement and test compare to stripe. Although trying to set it up as soon as possible 🙂
try Wise bro. i have not used it but does not require you requesting for access. just do the KYC and all the procedures and you are good to go!
Thanks for the suggestion I will look into this
Totally feel this. We ran into the same wall with Stripe India, felt like we needed to be a full-blown company just to test an MVP. We ended up exploring alternative platforms before our first sale on Codester. Would love to hear what others are using too?
I am looking into razorpay but the problem with subscription and managing invoice is quite challenging than stripe. I will update here once I sort out the process. Razorpay verified my profile in just 1 day also suggested me over call what to fix to get verified. This is that a support system should be really kudos to Razorpay team
Hey Sourav, totally feel this.
Thanks for calling out the compliance mess. Stripe India’s setup assumes you're already a full-fledged business, which makes life hard for solo devs just trying to validate an idea. Razorpay or Instamojo might be a bit more flexible, but even those aren’t truly indie-friendly. Some even fall back on Gumroad or UPI pre-orders to bypass the paperwork.
Really appreciate you sharing this - more founders need the heads-up. All the best for your launch!
Oh man! I am also looking to setup Stripe for payments in the near future (within a month). I didn't know that I will need so much of docs. So what's your progress like?
I believe setting up the account as an individual instead of a company might resolve the issue. The Stripe support team suggested this, and I’ve already made the change. However, my account hasn’t been verified yet. I’ll let you know once the verification is complete.
Ok, so it seems like this was a false alarm? Basically, I can register as an individual and receive payments from anywhere in the world using Stripe in India?
Maybe yes, My account isn't verified yet also I have requested to stripe support, I haven't heard back too. But in this time I check with razor pay they just call me and share me what is the problem I need to fix and get verified within 24 hours