Stripe closures
Stripe Account Under Review: What Stripe Wants and How to Respond
A review isn’t a closure. It’s a request for context. How you answer can decide which way it goes.
What the review is checking
Underwriters are trying to answer a few questions:
- What exactly do you sell, and to whom?
- Do you deliver it? And if you take payment in advance, when?
- What happens when customers are unhappy? Refund policy, support, dispute rates.
- Is the business who it says it is? Ownership, registration, bank account.
- Does it fit our policies? This is where category matters.
What to send
- A plain-English product description. Two or three sentences, no marketing language.
- Proof of delivery. Screenshots of the product, usage data, fulfillment records.
- Policies. Links to your terms, refund policy and privacy policy, all visible on your site.
- Business documents. Registration and owner ID, matching what’s on the account.
- An explanation of anything unusual. A volume spike from a launch, or a cluster of refunds from a bug. Explain it before they ask.
Mistakes that make it worse
- Vague or inconsistent descriptions of your business
- Website pages that disappear or change during the review
- Marketing claims that can’t be backed up (“guaranteed results”)
- Arguing about the policy instead of answering the question
Prepare a plan B at the same time
Even a well-handled review can end in a closure if your category is one Stripe doesn’t want. Getting a second processor approved costs you nothing and removes the panic. See why you need a backup payment processor.
FAQ
How long does a Stripe review take?
It varies widely, from a couple of days to several weeks. Sending complete, consistent documents the first time is the most reliable way to keep it short.
Can I keep taking payments during a review?
Often, yes. Many reviews pause payouts rather than charges. Check the notice in your Dashboard to see exactly what's limited.