Stripe curbs India ambitions over regulatory changes

Stripe, the global fintech giant, said on Friday that it will temporarily move to an invite-only model for new account sign-ups in India, “a tough decision” it is making as it navigates the country’s evolving regulatory landscape.

In a statement posted on its website, Stripe said that businesses in India will no longer be able to sign up for new accounts through the company’s website, and will instead need to request an invite. The startup, which competes with YC-backed Razorpay and Cashfree in India, will now focus on supporting a select number of businesses, particularly those with a focus on international expansion.

“The regulatory landscape in India continues to evolve, and our goal is to offer the same experience in India that we aspire to offer to all our users worldwide,” Stripe said in the statement. “For example, enabling all new users to launch quickly with easy onboarding is a fundamental Stripe feature that we cannot promise in India today.”

The change is unlikely to make a material impact to Stripe’s bottom line as the startup has limited business in the country, and for that matter, many Asian markets.

The startup remains committed to the Indian market in the long-term, it said, stating that it is working to build out the necessary infrastructure to support more users in the country by the second half of 2025.

Businesses in India that were planning to use Stripe for payment processing will need to explore alternative options in the interim. Existing users will not be impacted, the startup said.