FAQ
Executive appointment service is to appoint us as your executive officer. By appointment and your authorization, we will be able to apply for banking and business accounts on your behalf, saving you the needs of fulfilling addition regulatory requirements such as ITIN or travel to the US. We provide Executive Secretary service for ecommerce and payment accounts applications. We also provide Executive Treasury service for bank account application.
- First a fund transfer account provide US account number. It is a great feature if you are not able to open your US bank account with a full service bank right away.
- Second, it provides tremendous flexibility in having the fund readily available cheaply in your home currency. Transferwise also provides one of the best exchange rates in the industry. So it can be used as a pre-bank solution.
- Payment accounts are designed to pay or receive money linked to your registered email. They do not provide account numbers or routing number. So it requires that your counter party also possesses an account with the same vendor in order to make transactions with you. E.g. to receive payment through PayPal from your customer, your customer will have to have a PayPal account or he will have to pay directly through PayPal’s payment gateway using his credit card.
- Fund Transfer Account does not require your counter party to have a registered account with the provider. Once you apply an account with a provide, in our case, Transferwise, you will be provided with a US bank account number as well as US routing number. With your own US account number, you will be able to invoice your customer by asking them to wire or transfer monies to you.
- Your company’s setup is ready to apply for Transferwise account which provides borderless accounts in US dollar. You can use Transferwise to receive US dollar funds as well as making cross-currency money transfer. You will be provided with a US account number so you can invoice your customer directly and have them pay you directly. Account opening resolution included.
- Transferwise account provides not only international fund transfer capability, but also have the special feature of providing you with your unique US bank account number with US routing number. With this US account number, you can receive US dollar funds from your customers in the US. To learn more about Transferwise, please check out its full services here
- There are two other options in which you may still open a banking or US-fund accepting account.
- First you may open a Transferwise account. Transferwise account provides not only international fund transfer capability, but also have the special feature of providing you with your unique US bank account number with US routing number. With this US account number, you can receive US dollar funds from your customers in the US. To learn more about Transferwise, please check out its full services here.
- The second way is to appoint us as your executive secretary. We will then apply for the business bank account on your behalf. We act only on your specific instruction and authorization at all times. All accounts opened this way are fully controlled by you. We do not take part in any fund transfer activities, payment, or invoicing, unless we have specific instruction and authorization from you. (This is a premium service. Please contact us for more details.)
- It is not an easy pursuit to open a US bank account, personal or business, if you are not in the country. This is true everywhere in the world and not just in the United States. However, with updated technologies and compliance work-around, you are able to apply for bank accounts with our partner banks.
- Exclusively for FastCorpUSA’s members, we partner with East West Bank to provide personal account opening service. You will not need to travel to the United States immediately to open your personal bank account.
- You are advised to visit your banker when you have a chance to visit the US in the future. Visiting your banker is a good business practice. It also provide a chance for your banker to get to know you in person (KYC), discuss your business needs (KYCC) and the future of your business (KYB.)
- In addition, you are advised to contact your banker first if you plan to transfer or transact an unusually large amount of fund or to perform unusually numerous transactions in the amount between $6,000 to $9,900. Unusually large fund transfers are also not encouraged unless it is for capital investments or long term financial investments with the bank. Deliberate efforts to circumvent the $10,000 reporting rule will be deemed suspicious.
- Please be advised that not using your bank account properly may result in bank’s termination of your account.
- In most cases, if you engage in legitimate business and use your bank account the normal way a legitimate business would require, you should not have to worry too much.
- In addition, our quarterly compliance review will lay out things that you may want to pay attention to. We provide an extra layer of peace of mind for you. Please contact us anytime if you have questions regarding maintaining a good standing with your bank account or if you run into any issue.
- East West Bank does not require US travel. You do not need US-based executives to apply.
- Santander Bank requires US-based executive making the application. All other US banks require US travel. Banking resolution included.
- Business Bank Account by East West Bank or Santander Bank.
- Personal Bank Account by East West Bank.
- There are two ways to apply for a business bank account due to the different process and requirements from different banks that we partner with.
- The process to open a business bank account is different between East West Bank and Santander Bank.
- With East West Bank, we simply introduce you to our banker at East West Bank. He or she will then arrange a time in which you can verify your indentify through video notary and video conferencing. You can apply both personal and business accounts with East West Bank.
- With Santander Bank, you cannot open personal bank account without physically traveling over to the US and pay a personal visit to the bank.
- With Santander Bank, you can open a business bank account through with our unique Executive Appointment service. You will appoint us as your Executive Secretary. Through this appointment, we will be able to apply for business bank account for you. Once the application is complete, you will control all activities of your business bank account through Santander’s online banking platform. We do not and cannot control your bank account on your behalf. In turn you have 100% control over your company’s bank account.
- We provide free bank account assistance to all our members regardless of your membership subscription level.
- Your company is set up in a way that is ready and compliant for bank account applications. Certificate of good standing as well as bank account application documents are prepared for you. We have everything you need to open a business account ready for you.
- We provide free bank account assistance to all our members regardless of your membership subscription level.
- With updated technologies and compliance work-around, you are able to apply for bank accounts with our partner banks.
- It all stems from a succession of new regulations to combat money laundering and terrorism. Laws such as Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money laundering acts, and Patriot Act are enacted for this purpose. Gradually cumbersome requirements are placed upon financial institutions to make sure they do not break the law unwittingly.
- Eventually all banks have adopted the policy of KYC, or even KYCC and KYB. KYC refers to know your customer; KYCC refers to know your customer’s customer; KYB refers to know your business. It all comes down to conforming the customer identification program (CIP)
References:
https://www.fincen.gov/sites/default/files/2018-04/FinCEN_Guidance_CDD_FAQ_FINAL_508_2.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_Identification_Program
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act#Title_III:_Anti-money-laundering_to_prevent_terrorism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_your_customer#KYCC
- In short, there is no requirement for anyone to have to travel to the US to open their bank accounts. But in practice, no bank would allow you to open one without first getting to know you. It is part of the compliance measures that banks have taken over the year.
- It is not an easy pursuit to open a US bank account, personal or business, if you are not in the country. This is true everywhere in the world and not just in the United States. The process has become very difficult and long because of the world’s increasing rules and regulations against money laundering.