Etsy Payment Locked to UK (Non-Resident with UK LTD)

Masood · #1 1 Week Ago

Hello Everyone
I run an Etsy shop registered under my UK LTD company. I'm not a UK citizen, but my business is fully registered and legitimate in the UK. I've been selling for 2 years and have built up 100% positive feedback reviews with 850 plus sales.

My WorldFirst account was recently suspended without any prior warning or explanation. I've tried appealing, but haven't received a response yet.

Now I urgently need to set up a new payment method for my Etsy shop before my next payout cycle.

The Exact Problem
Etsy's UK system is locked. My shop's bank country is set to the United Kingdom, and according to Etsy's official help pages, I cannot change this. The payment settings page permanently shows:

Bank Country: United Kingdom (greyed out / unchangeable)
Required fields: Sort Code and Account Number (UK format only)

I cannot enter a US Routing Number even though Etsy's policy says Payoneer deposits must be made in USD.

What Etsy Support Told Me
I contacted Etsy support three separate times and received completely contradictory advice:

Agent #1 Advice Given "Use USD details. If the system asks for a sort code, put your routing number there. If that doesn't work, open a new shop in the US and lose all your reviews and sales."
what i think dangerous and terrible advice.

Agent #2 Advice Given "Use USD details. Etsy only sends USD to Payoneer."
what i think Did not address the sort code issue at all.

Agent #3 "Use USD details. You'll need to verify with a Payoneer bank statement."
what i think Confirmed the USD policy but still ignored the sort code blocker.
at the end of 3rd attempt their representative told me to wait for an email, she have forward this issue to exact deparment they can guide me further

My Questions for the Community

Has anyone successfully used Payoneer GBP details with an Etsy UK shop? Did Etsy accept the Sort Code + Account Number, verify your account, and actually pay out to you?
If you're a non-resident with a UK LTD company, what UK bank account did you open? Wise, Tide, Revolut, Airwallex - or something else? How long did it take?
What documents will Etsy request for verification if I change my bank details? I want to be prepared.
Has anyone successfully appealed a WorldFirst suspension? If so, what worked for you?
Any other creative solutions I haven't thought of?

I've spent two years building this business from nothing. 100% reviews isn't huge for some, but it represents real work, real customers, and real income that supports my life. Losing this shop over a payment processing issue feels devastating.
I know this is just a logistical hurdle - my products, brand, and reputation are still intact - but I need to find a solution fast.
Any advice, personal experiences, or suggestions would mean the world to me right now.

gnettuno · #2 2 Days Ago

Agent #1 advice: Don’t do it.

Agent #2 advice: If you click on your Payoneer GBP account under Account Details you’ll see Guidelines and International Transfer Guidelines. The first line says: “Account can be used to receive international bank transfers from supported marketplaces only, in GBP via the SWIFT network.”
You can click on “supported marketplaces” and see that Etsy is on the list.
Payoneer offers accounts in many currencies, and as far as I know the currencies that have the “supported marketplaces” option are AUD, EUR, GBP, IDR, SGD, and USD.

I successfully created and added a GBP Payoneer account to Etsy about a week ago. Unfortunately my Etsy account was suspended a few days later. The reason is unclear but I suspect it may have been related to listing around 25 items within two days.

As for Wise, Tide, Revolut, Airwallex, etc. any of these may work and many can be opened within minutes by non-residents depending on the country and eligibility requirements. Revolut and Wise can be opened in different countries and provide GBP account details that you can use. I’m not sure about the others.

Hope that helps