Hello,

I used emerald billing for a small local isp project I am doing, and it only supports authorize.net merchant account. I am under the age of 18, don't have a dba, don't have a business checking account, so I can't apply. Are there any alternatives to get an account? Maybe a third party that gives me an account or something silimiar? Also parents are out of the question for now.

Please no rude comments or here is another kid running a hosting company, that is not what I am trying to do.

Thanks, Kyle

What about your parents? Or a business partner that's of legal age? Since you are under 18, you can't form a legally binding contract, which is why companies like that won't let you have an account(a simplistic explanation, but adequate for wht).

-David

Parents might be the only way to go in this case...

- Matt

I am under the age of 18, don't have a dba, don't have a business checking account, so I can't apply.
Legally, you'll still need a DBA - you can't accept credit cards without one.

And you'll likely need a business checking account - most banks don't allow you to accept funds froma merchant account or vice versa.

Also, curious to know why parents are out of the question? When I was under 18 my parents were more than willing to help me get started.

Hi Kyle,

You will definitely need to get partners or an over-18 associate to be the signer on the account. For the reason mentioned earlier in this thread - contracts signed with an underage individual are not legally enforceable.

Most of the other items that you mention can be worked around. (i.e. a Web site can serve as DBA with some merchant processors, and some processors can allow you to use a personal checking account vs. business one)

Legally, you'll still need a DBA - you can't accept credit cards without one.
That is incorrect. I know a local doctor who has his own merchant account (through Novus, I believe) and it bills under his name - he does not have a DBA. You don't need a DBA unless you're running a business under a name other than your own - in Kyle's case, he'd probably need one, but it's not necessary in ALL cases. DBAs around here only cost $55 or so (used to be $35 until the county realized that no matter how much they charged, people would still need them :D), and range from about $20-$100+ around the country. To the best of my knowledge, the person's name on the DBA has to be over 18 (I'm not a lawyer or legal expert, so you may want to check this out with your city or county).

- Matt

I stand corrected :beer:

Anywho - it's still my opinion(and advice) that if you're under 18, you should get a partner that is over 18. If you can't, then don't do business.

NOTE:IANAL and I'm a bit rusty on the whole business registration thing (register and forget eh?) .
This is what I remember:
Over here in ontario you can register as a sole propitership no mater what your age.
To form a coproation you must be the age of majourity in your province (18 to 19 depending on province) .
As a note , even if you do register as a sole sole propitership you will still need some one over the age of 18 to enter into most contracts and as a corporation , although you can own 100% of it, you still cant be the CEO or have authorizing power so you would still need some one over the age of 18 to form and sign the contracts.

Originally posted by mainarea
DBAs around here only cost $55 or so (used to be $35 until the county realized that no matter how much they charged, people would still need them :D), and range from about $20-$100+ around the country.

Wow, talk about getting ripped... it's only $11 for one here.

Well, if you have a DBA if you're under 18 there is no way in hell any company will give you a merchant account.

Like others have suggested the only solution to your problem is to get an adult and get the account setup under their names.

To get a merchant account, you need to have a good credit rating.

If you're under 18, I doubt you'll have a good rating, or any rating at all.

aingaran is correct about how no merchant processor will setup a merchant account for someone under 18. Just won't happen - it would make no sense... signing up a merchant and taking full financial liability with a contract that you can't enforce?

It is not a reflection on age but rather the way the law is setup. There might be some 15 year olds who run a business as well or better than a some 18 year olds - but the law doesn't "see" them in the same light.

In terms of the credit issue - as long as an account signer has a valid SSN# that matches up, they can get a merchant account with several different processors even if they have no credit or bad credit.

I am 18 and I partnered up with someone who is highly knowledgable, but under the age of 18. Therefore, I did all of the agreements/bindings for our merchant account/gateway and bank account. If you know someone that you trust, see if they are willing to sign for you.