Every operator question. Answered.
The questions we get on Telegram before a first order, grouped by topic, written in plain English. No filler, no hedging.
Browse by topic.
20 questions, 6 categories. Click to jump.
Legality & structure
Is this legal, who owns what, what kind of director.
4 questions
Delivery & timeline
How fast you actually receive the package and start processing.
2 questions
MIDs & terminations
How many MIDs per package, what happens when an acquirer kills one.
4 questions
KYC & travel
What you have to provide on your side. Spoiler: almost nothing.
3 questions
Billing & pricing
Setup fee, monthly fee, when the meter starts.
1 question
IBO concept
Definition, role, and how it differs from nominee directors and US signers.
6 questions
Legality & structure
Is this legal, who owns what, what kind of director.
Is this legal?
Yes. Every package is a fully constituted US business entity with a real, consenting US-resident director. Nothing is forged, no identity is stolen, no document is fake. You are simply contracting with a US company and its director to open merchant accounts.
Who owns and controls the company?
Legally, the company is owned by the nominee director on paper. Operationally, you run the business: you control the bank account, you receive the funds, you make every business decision. We do not interfere with your products, funnels, margins or ads.
What about taxes on the US entity?
The entity has its own tax obligations in the US, handled by the director's accounting stack. You are invoiced on your side as a normal service client. Specific setups (LLC vs C-Corp, state of incorporation, 1120 vs 1065) are discussed with your representative so that your structure stays clean.
Is working with an IBO legal in the United States?
Yes, when structured correctly. US corporate law explicitly allows non-resident individuals to own US companies and to appoint local directors. What is not legal is using stolen identities, forged documents or sham entities designed to defraud acquirers. IBOCore only deploys real, consenting, fully-KYC'd directors, which keeps every package on the compliant side of that line.
Delivery & timeline
How fast you actually receive the package and start processing.
How fast will I actually receive my package?
Same day. Packages are permanently in stock. Once payment is confirmed, your full set (entity documents, director details, bank access, email, proxy) is delivered on Telegram within a few hours, often less.
What is the timeline from ordering a package to live processing?
Package delivery is same day. Acquirer onboarding typically takes 3 to 10 business days depending on the processor and the vertical. End-to-end, serious operators move from order to live processing in around two weeks. Monthly billing starts 30 days after package delivery regardless.
MIDs & terminations
How many MIDs per package, what happens when an acquirer kills one.
What happens if my MID gets terminated by the acquirer?
Nothing on our side. There are no clawbacks, no penalties, no surprise fees. MID terminations are inherent to high-risk processing and we do not pretend otherwise. The package stays yours and can still be used with any other acquirer.
Can I open more than one MID on the same package?
Yes. Each package is designed to open one MID at a time for clean underwriting. Once the first MID is live, you can stack additional MIDs on the same entity with compatible acquirers. For multiple parallel MIDs on different processors, buy multiple packages.
Can I use my own ISO agent to open the MID?
Yes. IBOCore is processor-agnostic. You can bring any ISO agent, any acquirer and any payment processor you already work with. We do not lock you into kickback-sharing partners.
Why do high-risk merchants use IBOs instead of opening MIDs directly?
High-risk acquirers require a local director, a clean US credit profile, proof of US residency and a US-incorporated entity. Non-US operators almost never satisfy all four conditions at once. On top of that, many operators need multiple MIDs in parallel to absorb processing caps. Instead of trying to open every MID personally, they use one IBO per entity and scale horizontally.
KYC & travel
What you have to provide on your side. Spoiler: almost nothing.
Do I need to be in the US or travel there?
No. There is zero travel requirement. Everything is delivered remotely on Telegram. You do not need a US address, a US visa, a US bank account, or any US tax presence to use our packages.
Do I need to do KYC on myself?
No. We do not ask for your passport, your utility bill or your selfie. The KYC burden is on the director, not on you. You stay fully anonymous from the acquirer's point of view.
What documents does an IBO provide?
A serious IBO provides a government-issued photo ID, a proof of current US address, a social security number for KYB and tax forms, signed articles of incorporation, a signed operating agreement, an EIN confirmation letter, bank onboarding paperwork, a personal utility bill, a clean credit report and any additional document the acquirer requests during onboarding.
Billing & pricing
Setup fee, monthly fee, when the meter starts.
When does the monthly billing start?
Monthly billing starts exactly 30 days after the package is delivered to you. The clock is anchored on delivery, not on the first deposit, so the timing is predictable and you have a full month to get onboarded with the acquirer before the recurring fee kicks in.
IBO concept
Definition, role, and how it differs from nominee directors and US signers.
What is an IBO?
An IBO (International Business Owner) is a US-resident individual who is legally appointed as the director of a US business entity on behalf of an operator based outside the United States. The IBO carries the legal and KYC responsibility of running the company on paper, while the operator drives the actual business. In a merchant account context, the IBO is the name on the entity, the name on the bank account and the name the processor underwrites.
What is the difference between an IBO, a US Signer and a Nominee Director?
In practice, these three terms describe roughly the same role. A "Nominee Director" is the formal corporate-law term for someone who holds a director title on behalf of another party. A "US Signer" emphasises the fact that the person signs US bank and processor paperwork. "IBO" is the industry term used inside the high-risk merchant account ecosystem. The legal function is essentially identical: a real US individual lends their name, ID and signature to a company they do not operationally control.
Who needs an IBO?
Anyone who wants to process high-risk volume through a US merchant account but is not a US resident. This includes international dropshippers, info-product sellers, subscription operators, SaaS founders, crypto-adjacent merchants, nutra operators, continuity sellers and any entrepreneur whose vertical is denied by banks in their home country. If you cannot open a US MID under your own name, you need an IBO.
Can I use my own US contact instead of renting an IBO?
Technically yes, but in practice it almost always fails. A casual friend or family member in the US will not pass background checks, will not have an adequate credit score, will not want their name on a high-risk MID and will disappear the first time an acquirer asks for a verification call. Professional IBOs are pre-vetted, trained, responsive and contractually committed.
Does using an IBO affect my ability to scale?
No, it is the opposite. Using IBOs is exactly how serious operators scale past single-MID processing caps. Each IBO gives you a fresh US entity and a fresh director identity, which means a fresh underwriting file that acquirers can approve without tripping duplicate-operator flags. The more IBOs you operate, the more parallel processing capacity you carry.
How are IBOs sourced and vetted?
Reputable providers recruit IBOs through long-standing personal networks, not mass advertising. Every candidate passes a criminal background check, a credit score review (typically 650+), a banking history review and a behavioural interview on availability, responsiveness and willingness to cooperate with acquirer due diligence over months or years.
Still have a specific question?
The fastest way to get your exact scenario answered: a short Telegram exchange with your IBOCore representative. Below: the next pages most operators read after this one.
What is an IBO?
Definition, role, and how IBOs differ from nominee directors and US signers.
Read the IBO 101 →Industries we serve
White Hat and Grey Hat verticals we onboard, plus the ones we route elsewhere.
Browse verticals →Why IBOCore
Side-by-side comparison with the rest of the high-risk IBO market.
Compare providers →Got the answer you were looking for?
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