5 Best Foreign Qualification Services

People talking about foreign qualification services while looking at a us map.

Are you starting a new company in a state other than your home state? Or, are you looking to expand your business to an additional location outside your state of formation? There are plenty of providers that can supply your company with foreign qualification service, but which one has the combination of pricing and features you want?

In this foreign qualification services comparison guide, we’ll go over the details of some of the top options in the industry. Let’s find out which is the right fit for you!

1. Bizee (Formerly Incfile) - $149

Bizee is one of the most popular providers in the business services industry, and for good reason. They’re our top pick for foreign qualification, with several advantages that make them a great choice for any entrepreneur seeking compliance in a different state.

  • With over 150,000 businesses served since they opened in 2004, Bizee has plenty of experience providing foreign qualifications and other business solutions.
  • At $149, their price point for foreign qualification is less expensive than any of their competitors.
  • Bizee gets fantastic customer feedback. They have 2,000+ reviews available online, and they maintain excellent average ratings. Their clients are nearly unanimous in their praise of Bizee.
  • If you order foreign qualification service from Bizee, they’ll throw in a year of registered agent service at no extra charge ($99 value).

All told, Bizee is an easy company to recommend, and we have leveraged their services on multiple occasions.

Bizee (Formerly Incfile) logo

2. Harbor Compliance - $299

As you can see, Harbor Compliance’s services are considerably more expensive than their competitors. Still, they have plenty of great features that serve as a reminder that sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

  • Harbor Compliance’s calling card is their premium customer support. Every customer receives service from a designated Compliance Specialist who personally leads you through the foreign qualification obtainment process.
  • They’re a smaller company than the others in this guide, but with 10,000+ customers served since 2012, Harbor Compliance still has a strong track record of providing business solutions.
  • Customer reviews are a major pro. Most of their reviews are overwhelmingly positive in nature, with very few exceptions.
  • Like Bizee, Harbor Compliance’s price point for foreign qualification also includes registered agent service. It’s nice to be able to check off two major compliance requirements in one fell swoop.
  • If your state of foreign qualification has any specific compliance requirements beyond the standard Certificate of Authority, Harbor Compliance will take care of them for you. They handle every possible step to make sure your company is compliant.

While Harbor Compliance is a more expensive option than the others in this guide, their Compliance Specialist customer service system is often worth the extra money.

Harbor Compliance logo

3. CorpNet - $199

CorpNet’s foreign qualification pricing is right around the industry standard rate. They’re a well-rounded company that may not stand out in any major way, but they’re consistent across the board with their services.

  • CorpNet started providing foreign qualification services in 1997, and they’ve helped 100,000+ clients since then. Their experience level is roughly equal to Bizee's.
  • Any purchase you make from CorpNet will be covered by their 100% satisfaction guarantee. This removes any risk from purchasing foreign qualification services from them, as all you have to do to get a refund is ask for one.
  • CorpNet includes registered agent service with every foreign qualification, and they even take care of publication requirements (in states that have them). Many of their competitors — including Bizee — don’t do this.
  • There are several hundred online customer reviews of CorpNet, but it’s difficult to find any unsatisfied clients. In fact, 311 of the 314 reviews I found are positive.

CorpNet doesn’t really have any special features that set their foreign qualification service apart from their competitors, but they still make a strong offering at a fair price point.

CorpNet logo

4. Swyft Filings - $199

Checking in at the same $199 price point offered by CorpNet, Swyft Filings is a company known for their quick turnaround times. Let’s see how they stack up against these other providers in some key areas.

  • Even though they’ve only been around since 2012, Swyft Filings has already helped thousands of customers.
  • Swyft Filings has a satisfaction guarantee covering their foreign qualification service, much like CorpNet does. If this is an important feature for you, your decision should be narrowed down to these providers.
  • They have a higher volume of customer reviews than any other provider. With well over 10,000 reviews available online, it’s impressive that Swyft Filings manages to maintain such strong average scores.
  • With the Norton Shopping Guarantee, Swyft Filings goes a step further than most competitors when it comes to security. This feature provides protection against identity theft, and ensures a safe online shopping experience.

While their services are definitely worth considering, keep in mind though that Swyft Filings will not include registered agent service with your foreign qualification.

Swyft Filings logo

5. BizFilings - $219

Rounding out our top 5 is BizFilings, a company that charges a bit more than most of their competitors, but has an experience advantage that others can’t match. Depending on your needs, this may place them higher on your list.

  • With hundreds of thousands of businesses served since they opened in 1996, BizFilings is the most experienced foreign qualification service provider in this comparison guide.
  • BizFilings offers volume discounts that can drive your total cost down considerably if you need foreign qualification in multiple states.
  • They include 6 months of registered agent service with any foreign qualification purchase. It’s not the full year that Bizee offers, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

On the downside, BizFilings doesn’t have many customer reviews, and they don’t offer a satisfaction guarantee.

BizFilings logo

Pros & Cons of Foreign Qualification Services

Pros of Foreign Qualification Services

  • Instead of learning all the compliance requirements and filing your own foreign qualification, these providers can handle the heavy lifting for you. All you’ll need to do is supply them with some basic information about your company.
  • If you have questions or concerns at any point regarding your foreign qualification, these companies have customer support representatives to help you. Don’t go digging around for your own answers when they’re just a phone call away.
  • All of these services are cheaper than the cost of hiring a lawyer to draft and file your foreign qualification documents.

Cons of Foreign Qualification Services

  • If your business operates in a highly-specialized or highly-regulated field, or if there is any other reason to expect your foreign qualification may be out of the ordinary, you should probably contact a lawyer. Keep in mind that these services cannot provide legal advice.

Which Service Should You Use?

All 5 of these providers are capable of obtaining your foreign qualification. While our preference and recommendation is Bizee, the others all have their own unique advantages that may lead you to make a different decision.