[thaumasiotes]

> getting a bank account. I can’t speak to the process in the U.K. but in the United States the “know your customer” rules are quite strict and accounts for businesses are doubly so. Just having a set of incorporation papers won’t work and it can’t be done online (in my experience).

This would really hurt the online-only banks if it were true. I opened a (personal) Capital One account online.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_bank

[jeanmichelx]

You need to submit a passport picture though. It's probably easier to fake a badly lit picture of a passport than an actual passport though...

[sjf]

I have opened many online bank accounts using only my social security number. I open bank accounts frequently for the sign up bonuses and haven't ever been asked to submit photo ID online.

[andyhmltn]

Not for all of them. All I had to do to get a Starling account was send them a video of me saying my company name

[robkop]

Lots of people post their passport photos when travelling on instagram, you could quite easily "borrow" one of them to send to the bank.