Set up online payments by connecting your Civic Review account to Stripe. Follow the steps below — the full walkthrough video is at the bottom of this article.
Step 1: Start the connection
Log in to your Civic Review account.
Go to Settings > Payment.
Click Connect with Stripe.
If you don't already have a Stripe account, you'll be prompted to enter your email, create a password, and set up two-factor authentication. There's an option under "More Options" for a SMS code if that's easiest.
Step 2: Choose your business type
Select United States (should default automatically).
Choose Government Entity if you're a city, town, or county — this applies to most Civic Review customers.
Select Company or Partnership only if applicable.
Step 3: Enter business details
Legal business name: your city, town, or county's legal name
DBA: optional, if applicable
FEIN number
Physical address: city hall or your organization's address
Phone number
Business website: your city or county website URL (required)
Project description: typically "business licensing" or "permitting"
Step 4: Add the account representative
This is the person managing the Stripe account day-to-day. Provide:
First and last name
Email address
Job title
You'll come back to verify this person's authority at the end of setup.
Step 5: Add bank details
Search for your bank and log in with your credentials, or enter account details manually.
Set your payout schedule (how often Stripe deposits funds to your account) — this can be changed anytime in settings.
Step 6: Set public payment details
Configure what customers see during checkout:
Statement descriptor (shortened name on bank statements)
Customer support contact info
Step 7: Complete government entity verification
Before you can submit, Stripe requires a verification letter for government accounts:
Click Submit Letterhead to open Stripe's help article with full instructions.
Use a letterhead template — Civic Review has a draft letterhead template in our help center (search "Stripe" in help articles). Make a copy, add your logo and info, and have it signed by a superior designating you as the account representative.
Locate your Stripe Account ID. Here's an article that shows you where to find this on your dashboard, but you can also chat with the Stripe Support bot and ask for your Stripe Account ID and it call pull it for you.
Once you have your verification letter signed, contact Stripe support via the chat assistant. To skip the bot, type: "I have a request, please connect me with a human support person." Repeat if needed until you reach a human.
Tell the support person you have a verification letterhead to upload, and send it over.
Verification typically takes 2–3 business days.
Once verified, return to your Stripe setup and click Submit to finish.
Need help?
Reach out to our support team with any questions — For questions related directly to Stripe settings and setup, feel free to reach out the Stripe Customer Support team: https://support.stripe.com/.
When you get to the support page, click "Contact Support"...
From our experience, Stripe is fairly quick to respond to chat, and also provides phone call options as well.
Here's a video walking through the whole process: