LCSC Requires social security number for all shipping methods - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Junkwizard
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 02:31:17 am
content: I'm no super user, I've only spent a grand or two on lcsc, but there's just no way I've missed this before. I can't go through with my newest order because now they're requiring a social security number for all shipping methods. It's just an insane requirement I don't want my SSN in the hands of yet another agency that can lose it and then I'm on the hook for any financial damage someone can do with my identity. My last order was in july so this is a fairly recent change, I feel like it can't be because of tariffs as I've made post tariff purchases.This is looking like a dealbreaker for me, though I love the site I don't see the wisdom in exposing my SSN yet again just for cheaper prices. I'm looking around aggressively for a supplier of USBC receptacles with comparable prices but the cheapest I've found so far is 10x the the lcsc pricing and availability for a simple power connector usbc connector seems low outside of lcsc. I may have to redesign my board to use a 16p connector.Maybe it's just US website requirement I may try using a vpn or even putting in random numbers.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 02:35:04 am
content: Don't feel bad, I had this happen @ work and unanimously they told me to drop the project if I need to use SSN for a third party websiteIt is not seen as a reasonable concession in the USA to give a SSN for parts orders for engineering work. Unless you are ordering plutonium from w12 or something.The problem is that they can't offer you any protection as a business, like they could for something like a corporate card. So you are making a risk as a employee that the company can't really help you with... there is no real connection between corporate and social security (individual thing). If you did get your identity stolen, and it was said that the buisness you work for made you do it, there would be a big undefined snafu. And its foreign too.Employee claims that identity was stolen as a result of orders from company to court. Judge goesand the last thing you want is your SSN to be assosiated with illegal chip buys or something. With the... chip war... there might be illegitimate activities going on..https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yi3oyO9IZCcGetting the SSN of a likely EE, likely employed by a company that can order chips (through official channels), to make a identity with which to buy chips to mail, its not that bad of a way to help facilitate a scam. if something comes up, a cursory investigation might make it look more legitimate, if the SSN that somehow is associated with a chip buy traces back to a EE with engineering employment/tax history, rather then say... a SSN for a gas station owner from central idaho (which is what you might get with a 'random' SSN/identity steal.

author: TinLethax
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 06:43:16 am
content: Maybe they want your SSN to buy those lasered-off Xilinx FPGAs 🧐

author: mtwieg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 07:50:58 pm
content: Absolutely insane. Did they offer any explanation for why they think they're entitled to your SSN?How much is your identity worth to you?

author: Junkwizard
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 07:59:56 pm
content: Quote from: mtwieg on August 28, 2025, 07:50:58 pmYes they did."Dear CustomerSorry, the EIN or SSN number is the courier's request for customs clearance.If you selected below shipping methods, it doesn't need to fill out the SSN number.But it just applies for the order under USD 200 and a net weight of 1.6 kgs, pls note, tks"So looks like I'll need to keep my unders under 200 and under 1.6 kg.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 08:00:34 pm
content: Not lcsc fault, its all down to yer own customshttps://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1118?language=en_US

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 08:01:12 pm
content: It's likely something related to recent Trump's executive order about taxation of items shipped to US. Most of the courier companies either suspended shipping to US altogether or provide it to a very limited extent due to a havoc it causes.

author: Junkwizard
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 08:16:08 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on August 28, 2025, 08:00:34 pmThe order is significantly under 2500 but I see why they're being cautious, I wish the government would make separate importer ID program for this or something. Having so many things tied to SSNs is just ripe for abuse.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 08:38:56 pm
content: So ordering an Opamp from China now has more security now than voting in California.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 09:03:20 pm
content: Note that ones "SSN" = Social Security Number, while "EIN" = Employer Identification Number.Normally, a US individual uses SSN for tax purposes, while a business uses EIN.They are both "TIN = Taxpayer Identification Number.It is logical, yet a nuisance, if one must pay a tariff, which is a tax, to use the relevant number for US tax purposes.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 10:47:10 pm
content: Quote from: TimFox on August 28, 2025, 09:03:20 pmYes, this is normal for people doing a lot of import to USA. If you dont want to give out your SSN then you can register a LLC and get an EIN:"An EIN is a federal tax ID number for businesses, tax-exempt organizations and other entities. You can get an EIN for free directly from the IRS in minutes."https://www.irs.gov/businesses/employer-identification-numberSounds like OP is already running a business or working for one so should be most of the way there.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 11:19:08 pm
content: Quote from: Junkwizard on August 28, 2025, 02:31:17 amQuoteOn the bright side of things, nearly every American SSN was leaked through credit score agency and other breaches anyway. And the problem is not really using a singe number, it's how broken and unsecure the system is overall, and how far fraudster can go with a little bit of personal info due to a widespread lack of reliable authentication methods. For example, I could not care less if my SSN equivalent is leaked because it's next to impossible to actually use it for anything without social engineering to fool its bearer (me) to make it actually useful.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 11:29:40 pm
content: keep in mind if you order parts with your SSN you confirm that you have something to do with electronics and recently, making fraud more likely to get through, if its compromised from that avenue. Its linking your SSN and a specific thing. How much 'protection' a scammer would get from this, I don't know.If I have 10 million SSN, how would I know which one is the least likely to get noticed doing smuggling fraud? If I use one that got captured recently from a electronics company, I know that I could at least get some form of legitimacy for a purchase, rather then making a stand out purchase. To pass whatever background checks in making some electronics acquisition related thing. Whatever they do, it could be difference between obvious and plausible. It might be a 'preferred' starting point for a fraudulent identity. Let's say if a name check goes through to a legitimately employed EE. If there is some sort of investigation, they won't get the 'red flag' they are hoping for, compared to if it comes up as something obviously unrelated.if there is suspicion, and there is investigation, and you turn up a employed EE vs a captain of a crab fishing boat. Very simple tests can be very useful and immediately hit a red flag or basically useless, depending on what the history of the identity is.

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2025, 04:46:58 am
content: I mean.. we've been using the same system for i don't know... decades?If i'm buying as an individual i use our equivalent of SSN, and get VAT applied. if i'm buying as a business i use the business VAT ID and don't get VAT appliedThe already need my other info for the invoice anyway so i don't get all the "tracing it to you"

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2025, 05:16:48 am
content: I provided Digikey my IRD number (NZ equivalent of SSN). It's needed to determine who they are selling to and if they have to pre-charge tax or not.The USA is quite different to the rest of the world with regard to this want of secrecy for personal numbers like SSN or bank account numbers.In NZ your IRD(SSN) doubles as your TAX number, so it needs to be shown on any invoice when you sell anything.And you give people your bank account number all the time, even total strangers when buying second hand goods. Anyone can transfer money online into a bank account number with zero fees.Neither are secret.

author: mtwieg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2025, 12:34:31 pm
content: Quote from: Junkwizard on August 28, 2025, 07:59:56 pmQuote from: themadhippy on August 28, 2025, 08:00:34 pmlol should have guessed it was due to tariff nonsense. Isn't there some way to provide that info directly to CPB, rather than allowing a middleman to pass it along?Quote from: wraper on August 28, 2025, 11:19:08 pmLast time I checked, having your SSN leaked (in a way that associates it with your name and other PI) makes you far more likely to become a victim of identity theft. Usually in the form of opening bank/credit accounts in your name, taking out loans, etc. Often you're not liable for all the money they steal, but it can absolutely destroy your credit score.Stolen EIN, on the other hand, I'm not sure what sort of risk one faces...

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2025, 09:47:15 pm
content: Quote from: mtwieg on August 29, 2025, 12:34:31 pmYou can send without EIN but it can get held up, and then the receiver will have to forward this information to the shipping company within a certain time period. The shipping company is the one doing clearance. If you self clear you can deal with CBP but after you'll still need to send that proof to the shipping company.LCSC is likely not willing to ship without EIN since they will be paying the bill for both shipping and return costs if it gets stuck. The exception could be if you use the "my own shipping account" option, but expect shipping costs to go up:

author: Rat_Patrol
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2025, 04:59:00 am
content: Standard to need an EIN or SSN with this kind of stuff.Just apply for an EIN, problem solved.

author: jpyeron
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2025, 12:51:56 pm
content: This is right.Quote from: themadhippy on August 28, 2025, 08:00:34 pmI re-read Junkwizard posts a few times, and it seems he is ordering "personally" and not for an employer. This makes it harder, but possible.Ultimate costs will depend on jurisdiction (state / county). For example in Maryland one can file for a non-stock corporation, which has no annual filing fees (does have one time setup fees). Which will make one eligible forhttps://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number. There are other ways to get an EIN too, read the instructions there.A few years ago we had to register as an importer too. We were importing items subject to anti-dumping duties and the cost of the bond was more than the bond amount, so we "lent" the money directly to uncle sam. We got the "refund" a few years later. Becoming an importer was easy, once we figured it all out, but figuring it was not easy. This also involved getting International Trade Administration (low volume / low value) licenses too. Lasty, I should warn that the CBP identification number / broker filer code appears to be the TIN suffixed by 00 - so even if you go the CBP registration route, you MAY want an EIN first.Final note, all of my knowledge is from November 2022. Without more specifics, not sure how to help more.