Align vs Mercury: business accounts for companies outside the US

The short answer

Mercury opens accounts only for companies formed and registered in the US or a US territory. A company registered anywhere else can't open one without first forming a US entity. If you have a US company with US operations, Mercury is often the better fit: as of October 2026 it charges nothing to send ACH, domestic wires or USD international wires (an optional $15 for the OUR charge code), and offers cards, bill pay and accounting integrations.

Align opens named USD accounts in the name of a company registered outside the US, with a US account number and routing number for ACH and wires. Dollars you receive land in your balance as USDC or USDT, and Align also offers named EUR, GBP and AED accounts. Align's AED accounts are for companies outside the UAE.

Who can open each account

Mercury. As of October 2026, Mercury's help center says that to be eligible your business must:

• be formed and registered in the United States or a U.S. territory
• have existing or planned operations in the US
• have a US or international address for its principal place of business; residential addresses are accepted, registered agent addresses, P.O. boxes and UPS Store addresses are not

Mercury says you don't need to be a US citizen or resident to apply. It can't open accounts for founders who live in, or businesses that operate in, the countries on its prohibited list, which is based on where you live rather than your citizenship. As of October 2026 that list includes Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Ukraine and Vietnam, along with sanctioned countries such as Cuba, Iran and North Korea.

Mercury also says it can't open accounts for money services businesses and crypto exchanges, businesses in adult entertainment, cannabis or internet gambling, or trusts.

Align. Align opens accounts in the name of your company as it's registered in your own country, so there's nothing to form in the US. Align doesn't onboard companies based in the UAE, and some countries and activities are prohibited or restricted.

Accounts, currencies and rails

As of October 2026, Mercury's help center says it only supports USD accounts and can't hold non-USD balances. Mercury lists these ways to move money:

• ACH and domestic wires, with the same instructions whichever partner bank your account is with
• Real-time payments (RTP), sent and received only on accounts with Column N.A.
• Checks, by checkbook or mailed check
• International wires in USD, or in 40+ local currencies when sending
• Incoming international wires in 139 non-USD currencies, converted to USD before they reach your account. Mercury says Column N.A. converts at the mid-market rate, while Choice Financial Group uses intermediary banks that typically add a 2–3% markup, and that Mercury doesn't control or profit from these conversions

Align's accounts cover four currencies, each over its local rails (AED for companies outside the UAE):

Mercury holds what you receive as US dollars. Align holds it as USDC or USDT, and converts when you pay out in USD, EUR, GBP or AED.

Stablecoins and crypto

As of October 2026, Mercury says:

• accounts "can only hold fiat currency, not cryptocurrency"
• it supports many crypto and Web3 businesses, including startups, DAOs and funds, but not money services businesses or crypto exchanges
• eligible businesses can send funds to third-party crypto exchanges, and wires sent from Mercury carry your business name as the sender

Mercury's help center doesn't describe receiving stablecoins into an account. If stablecoins are part of your flows, ask Mercury before applying.

Align is built around a stablecoin balance. You can receive USDC, USDT and EURC, and send USDC and USDT to wallets. USDT can be received on Ethereum, Tron, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum or Optimism, and USDC on Ethereum, Solana, Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism or Avalanche. See which network to use.

Pricing

Mercury publishes its prices. As of October 2026, its pricing page lists:

• Plans: Mercury at $0 a month; Mercury Plus at $35 a month ($29.90 a month billed annually); Mercury Pro at $350 a month ($299 billed annually)
• ACH, domestic wires and real-time payments: free to send and receive
• USD international wires: free to send, with an optional flat fee of $15 for the OUR charge code, so intermediary fees are charged to Mercury rather than your recipient
• Non-USD international wires: a 1% currency exchange fee; Mercury asks companies exchanging more than $200K to contact it about fees
• Non-USD card transactions: a 3% currency exchange fee

Align's pricing is quoted on request: contact the team.

Regulatory status

How each describes itself, as of October 2026:

• Mercury says it is "a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank", and that banking services are provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC. On 19 December 2025 it said it had applied to the OCC for a national bank charter and to the FDIC for deposit insurance, for a proposed Mercury Bank, N.A. On 20 May 2026 it said it had received conditional approval from the OCC in April, with more work and approvals to come before Mercury Bank opens.
• Align Payments Ltd. is registered with FINTRAC in Canada as a money services business (registration no. N300000203). Its regulated services are provided through licensed financial institutions, its banking partners. Align is not a bank.

Which one fits

Mercury is likely the better choice if:

• your company is formed in the US, or you're forming one, and has US operations
• you want your balance held in US dollars
• you want published pricing, with free ACH and domestic wires, and USD international wires free under the SHA charge code
• you want company cards, bill pay, invoicing and QuickBooks, Xero or NetSuite connections next to your account

Align is designed for a company where:

• the company is registered outside the US and you'd rather not form a US entity
• customers pay in USDC or USDT, or the treasury holds stablecoins
• you need named EUR, GBP or AED accounts as well as USD (AED accounts are for companies outside the UAE)
• suppliers are paid in fiat from a stablecoin balance, converted as part of the payment

Forming a US company is the other route to Mercury and to US banks. How to get a USD account as a non-US company compares it with the alternatives.

How Align compares

Align's virtual accounts are permanent: each is issued to one customer and stays assigned for future payments. For USD you get a US account number and routing number for ACH and wires, plus a named account for SWIFT. ACH and wire access isn't switched on automatically: you request it, and the US banking partner runs a second review after Align's KYB. The partner can decline or set limits.

Payments to suppliers go through your named virtual account, the stablecoin is converted as part of the payment, and Align may ask for the invoice behind it. Align doesn't issue stablecoins.

US account details without a US company

If your company can't open Mercury because it's registered outside the US, this is how you get US account details with Align:

1. Create an account online. It takes a few minutes.
2. Upload your company documents. This takes 5 to 10 minutes if you have them ready. The KYB documents guide lists what to prepare.
3. Wait for the compliance review. Align's compliance team reviews your documents in 1 to 5 business days.
4. Request ACH and wire access. Align's US banking partner runs its own review, and can decline or set limits.
5. Share your details with US customers. Give them your company's legal name exactly as it appears on the account, and the account number and routing number. Payers outside the US use your SWIFT details instead.

The USD business account page covers speed and limits by rail, and getting paid by US customers without a US entity covers invoices and Form W-8BEN-E.

Sources

• Mercury, Eligibility and requirements for opening a Mercury account (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, Prohibited countries (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, Banking for crypto companies (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, Receiving non-USD payments and Finding your wire details (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, Using multiple partner banks on Mercury (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, Sending international payments (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, Pricing (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, What happens after I submit my Mercury business account application? (accessed 23 October 2026)
• Mercury, Mercury applies for OCC national bank charter (December 2025) and Announcing Mercury's Series D (May 2026)
• Align docs, Countries and currencies, USD ACH and wire onboarding and Prohibited and restricted use (October 2026)