DBA / Trade Name Certificate – Document Requirements

DBA stands for doing business as. It's a registered name your business operates under that is different from its official legal name. Depending on where you're located, this may also be called a trade name, fictitious name, or assumed name.

In some jurisdictions, the DBA/trade name is already listed on your Certificate of Formation. You can re-upload the Certificate of Formation document as a DBA document.

We'll ask you to provide a valid DBA certificate if:

• You've listed a DBA name on your application

• You've asked to add a DBA to your account after onboarding

• You want to use a bank account that's associated with a DBA name

• A DBA name appears on your website, branding, or banking information but isn't reflected in your account yet

This matters because a DBA can affect how deposits and funding are handled on your account.

A valid DBA certificate should include:

• Name/title of the document (e.g., DBA / Trade / Assumed / Fictitious Name Statement)

• Issuer's name and/or logo

• Your legal entity name and the DBA/trade/assumed name

• Date the DBA name was registered

Your DBA certificate needs to line up with your Certificate of Formation:

• DBA certificate needs to be registered in a jurisdiction where the business is formed or qualified to do business

• The entity legal name stated on the DBA certificate has to fully match the name on Certificate of Formation.

If your DBA appears on your website or branding but you don't have a formal DBA certificate, we may be able to accept a document showing proof of domain ownership instead. In some jurisdictions, DBA registration information may also be verifiable through a public business registry.

• File format: PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG

• Image quality: The document must be complete and clear, with all corners and edges visible

• Legibility: We can’t accept documents that are incomplete, illegible, handwritten, or expired.

• Source: The document must come from an official, independent source, not a self-prepared document

• If your DBA name looks like it could be a separate legal entity (for example, it includes a suffix like Inc., LLC, Ltd., or GmbH), we may need to ask some follow-up questions to confirm the relationship between the names.

• A DBA certificate is separate from your Certificate of Formation. It doesn't replace it, and we'll still need your original formation document on file if not yet provided.