When Stripe asks for a “commercial register number,” it generally means any type of registration number—for example, depending on the legal form, this could include the Association Register (VR) or the Cooperative Register (GnR) (and, in Austria and Switzerland, the respective registers).
If your organization isn't registered (yet), you may still be able to launch your project—but Stripe may require registration verification by the end of the project at the latest for processing payments and disbursements.
1) What number should I enter?
- GmbH/UG/AG: usually HRB
- e. V.: VR (Register of Associations)
- Cooperative: GnR (Cooperative Register)
Important: Stripe often uses a single field for this ("Commercial Register Number"). So you can also enter VR … or GnR … there.
2) Where can I find the number?
- Germany: https://www.handelsregister.de/
- Austria: https://firmenbuch.at/
- Switzerland: https://www.zefix.ch/
3) What if I don't have a registration yet?
If your business formation or registration process is not yet complete:
- You can create the project with a placeholder for the launch and during the funding phase (e.g., “000000000” or “HRB 0000”), along with the planned company name and address.
- Stripe may request a bank statement for verification purposes at the latest by the time of deposit or payout.
Without the appropriate documentation (register extract), deposits and withdrawals may not be possible.
4) Alternative if the registration is not completed on time
If it is not realistic to complete your registration by the end of the project period, it may make sense to carry out the project as a private individual (natural person) and to change the account type to "private individual" accordingly.
Tip
If you're unsure which number or documents apply to your specific situation, just send us your legal form and the status of your registration—then we can tell you what you should enter.