Stripe Closed My Account with Money in it: What Businesses Can Do Next

Stripe Closed My Account: What to Do About Funds, Appeals and Payments

An email arrives from Stripe.

Your account is under review, payments have stopped or payouts have been paused.

You may have:

• Orders waiting to be fulfilled
• Customers trying to pay
• Subscription renewals approaching
• Refunds to process
• Staff asking what has happened
• Money showing in your Stripe balance
• No replacement payment route ready

The first reaction is often:

Stripe has closed my account and kept my money.

But that description can cover several different situations.

Stripe may have:

• Requested additional verification
• Started a credit-risk review
• Paused new payments
• Paused payouts
• Applied a reserve
• Restricted one type of activity
• Decided that it can no longer support the business
• Permanently closed payment processing

Those situations do not all have the same outcome.

The first job is therefore to establish exactly what Stripe has done, preserve the account information and protect the business’s payment journey.

This guide explains what UK businesses should check, how to prepare a Stripe review or appeal, what may happen to a remaining balance and how to find a properly underwritten replacement provider.

---

Find Your New Processor

Quick answer: What should I do if Stripe closes my account?

Start with these steps:

1. Read the exact Stripe notice.
2. Confirm whether payments, payouts or both have stopped.
3. Check whether Stripe has requested information or made a final decision.
4. Save account, transaction, payout and dispute reports.
5. Record the current pending, available and reserved balances.
6. Do not close the Stripe account yourself.
7. Protect customers from using a payment route that no longer works.
8. Respond through the review form where one is available.
9. Prepare a complete business and processing explanation.
10. Begin assessing replacement payment providers.
11. Disclose the Stripe restriction or termination accurately.
12. Keep access for refunds, disputes, reports and data migration.

Stripe says that where it closes an account because it cannot support the business, the registered email address should receive a notice explaining the reason. Where the business believes it has been misunderstood or miscategorised, Stripe directs it to the review form linked in that email. 

---

First establish what Stripe has actually done

“Stripe closed my account” is sometimes used to describe any interruption to the service.

The exact account status matters.

Additional information requested

Stripe may need updated:

• Identity information
• Company details
• Ownership information
• Bank details
• Website information
• Product evidence
• Fulfilment information
• Financial information

This does not automatically mean the account is permanently closed.

The notice should explain what is required and whether a deadline applies.

Account or credit-risk review

Stripe may review an account where its view of the business or payment exposure has changed.

Stripe’s own guidance identifies risk indicators that can include:

• Increased disputes
• Increased refunds
• Long delivery periods
• Long billing periods
• Significant increases in payment volume
• Concerns about the merchant’s ability to fulfil customer obligations

Stripe says most businesses can continue processing normally after a review, although reserves or account closure can be applied in higher-risk cases. 

Payments paused

New customer payments may no longer be accepted.

This can affect:

• Checkout
• Payment Links
• Invoices
• Subscription renewals
• Payment Intents
• Terminal transactions
• Connected accounts

Payouts may or may not continue separately.

Payouts paused

The business may still be able to take payments, but money is not being transferred to its bank under the normal schedule.

This creates a different immediate problem from a full processing closure.

The merchant needs to establish:

• Whether new payments remain active
• Why payouts are paused
• What evidence is required
• How much is affected
• Whether a reserve has been applied

Reserve applied

Stripe may retain an amount to cover potential future:

• Refunds
• Disputes
• Reversals
• Negative balances
• Other liabilities

The reserve terms should appear in a Stripe notice, Dashboard information or other communication.

Restricted activity

Stripe may have concerns about one:

• Product
• Service
• Website
• Country
• Connected account
• Payment method
• Part of the business model

The whole business may not necessarily be affected in the same way.

Processing terminated

Stripe has decided it can no longer support the payment activity.

The merchant then needs to deal with:

• Any review or appeal
• Remaining Stripe balance
• Refunds and disputes
• Customer communication
• Data and payment migration
• Replacement processing

---

Find Your New Processor

MAS insight: Read the notice before describing the problem

A replacement provider may ask:

Why did Stripe close the account?

The correct answer should come from Stripe’s actual communication.

Avoid immediately saying:

Stripe accused us of fraud

where the notice actually says:

The account falls outside Stripe’s current risk appetite.

Likewise, do not describe a temporary information request as a final termination.

Save the exact email and use Stripe’s wording accurately.

---

Confirm that the message genuinely came from Stripe

Account-restriction emails create an obvious opportunity for phishing.

Rather than relying only on an email link:

1. Open Stripe through your normal browser or saved bookmark.
2. Log in directly.
3. Check the Dashboard notifications.
4. Confirm that the request appears inside the account.
5. Check that any web address belongs to Stripe.

Stripe identifies official domains including stripe.com, stripe.dev, stripe.events, stripe.global and link.com. 

Do not send:

• Passwords
• Authentication codes
• Full card details
• Customer security codes

to someone claiming to handle the account review.

---

The first 24-hour checklist

When payment continuity is at risk, focus on information and damage control before submitting rushed applications elsewhere.

Save the Stripe notice

Record:

• Date and time received
• Subject line
• Exact reason given
• Review or appeal link
• Deadline
• Funds information
• Contact or case reference

Check the account status

Confirm separately:

• Can the business accept new payments?
• Can customers complete checkout?
• Are Payment Links active?
• Are subscription charges still being attempted?
• Can refunds be issued?
• Are payouts paused?
• Is a reserve shown?
• Is Dashboard access still available?

Record the Stripe balance

Take dated records of:

• Pending balance
• Available balance
• Reserved amount
• Scheduled payouts
• Negative balance
• Currency balances
• Recent deductions
• Refunds
• Disputes

Export account information

Download relevant:

• Transaction reports
• Balance reports
• Payout reports
• Fee reports
• Refund reports
• Dispute reports
• Customer data
• Subscription information
• Invoice data
• Tax records
• Connected-account reports where relevant

Do not attempt to export raw card numbers yourself.

Sensitive payment-data migration has to follow the relevant PCI process.

Check the bank account

Confirm that Stripe still holds the correct:

• Bank account
• Account name
• Sort code
• Account number
• Currency details

Where a payout is already scheduled, note its:

• Amount
• Expected date
• Payout reference
• Destination bank

Protect the customer journey

Do not leave a broken checkout live without explanation.

Depending on the situation, the business may need to:

• Temporarily disable Stripe checkout
• Remove inactive Payment Links
• Pause advertising
• Offer an approved alternative payment route
• Contact customers with failed orders
• Explain delays
• Pause fulfilment where payment has not completed
• Review upcoming subscription renewals

Do not send customers to a personal or unrelated bank account as an emergency workaround.

---

Find Your New Processor

Do not close the Stripe account yourself

A Stripe restriction or processing termination is different from the merchant choosing to delete the account.

Stripe warns that once an account is closed:

• It cannot be reopened
• Dashboard access is lost
• Refunds cannot be processed through the account
• The user cannot respond to customer disputes
• Retrieval of payout information becomes more difficult
• Existing liabilities do not disappear

Stripe recommends retaining the account while refunds or disputes may still arise and exporting data before any eventual closure. 

Stripe also says scheduled payouts may continue after an account is closed, but if a payout fails, resolving it can be difficult because Dashboard access has been removed. 

MAS insight

Stopping payment processing does not mean you should delete the Stripe account.

Keep access while there are:

• Funds
• Refunds
• Disputes
• Reserves
• Reports
• Customer data
• Subscription records
• Migration work

still to deal with.

---

Why does Stripe close or restrict accounts?

Stripe does not publish every factor used in individual account decisions.

However, possible issues can fall into several broad groups.

The business is prohibited or restricted

Stripe maintains prohibited and restricted-business policies.

A business can be lawful and still fall outside Stripe’s appetite because of:

• Stripe’s own requirements
• Financial-partner requirements
• Legal or regulatory obligations
• Risk exposure

Some restricted businesses may be considered only after additional review and explicit approval, while some activities are not supported. Stripe also says its published list is representative rather than exhaustive. 

The business was misunderstood or miscategorised

The website or original application may not have explained the activity clearly.

For example:

Consulting business

could refer to many entirely different services.

Or:

Online marketplace

could mean a directory, an ordinary retailer or a platform controlling payments between buyers and independent sellers.

Stripe specifically offers another review where the merchant believes its business has been misunderstood or incorrectly categorised. 

The business model changed

The company may have started with one activity and later introduced:

• New products
• New customer countries
• Subscriptions
• Future delivery
• A marketplace
• Third-party sellers
• Larger transactions
• A regulated service
• A different website
• Another legal entity

An approval based on the original activity should not be assumed to cover every later change.

Processing increased sharply

A sudden increase can make the current activity look different from the profile Stripe originally understood.

For example:

Previous volume: £25,000 per month
Current volume: £250,000 per month

The increase may be completely legitimate.

But Stripe may still need to understand:

• Why it happened
• Whether fulfilment capacity increased
• Whether customer liabilities increased
• Whether the business can fund refunds
• Whether the transaction profile changed

Stripe identifies sharp volume increases as one factor that can trigger a credit-risk review. 

Refunds or disputes increased

Stripe may review whether the business has enough funds and operational capacity to handle potential customer claims.

The useful response is not:

The customers are wrong.

It is to provide:

• Actual numbers
• Dispute reasons
• Refund values
• Causes
• Trends
• Remedial action
• Evidence of improvement

Fulfilment periods became longer

A business taking money months before delivering can create a larger future obligation.

Examples include:

• Travel
• Events
• Bespoke goods
• Pre-orders
• Annual memberships
• Training
• Long-term subscriptions

Stripe’s credit-risk guidance identifies long delivery and billing periods as factors that can increase payment risk. 

Information could not be verified

Possible issues can include:

• Company information
• Ownership
• Identity
• Business bank account
• Trading address
• Website
• Product sourcing
• Licence
• Customer journey

The business should identify precisely which item is unresolved rather than repeatedly resubmitting the same documents without explanation.

Fraud or account-security concerns

The issue may relate to:

• Suspicious transactions
• Unusual login activity
• Account takeover
• Misuse of payment details
• Customers not recognising transactions
• Inconsistent business information

A security review and a commercial business-closure decision are not necessarily the same thing.

---

Find Your New Processor

How to prepare a Stripe appeal or account-review response

Stripe says that where a business believes it has been misunderstood or miscategorised, it should complete the review form linked in the account-closure email. 

A useful response should help the reviewer understand the business quickly.

Do not simply write:

We are a legitimate company and desperately need our account reopened.

That may be true, but it does not answer the risk or compliance question.

Build a clear evidence file.

---

1. Confirm the legal business

Provide the correct:

• Legal entity
• Company number
• Trading name
• Website
• Registered address
• Trading address
• Directors
• Owners
• Business bank account

Explain any mismatch.

For example:

The website uses the trading name ABC Fitness, but the customer contract and Stripe account belong to ABC Holdings Limited, company number 12345678.

---

2. Describe what the business actually sells

Avoid vague labels.

Weak description

Online retailer.

Stronger description

UK ecommerce retailer selling stocked home-fitness equipment to UK consumers. Products are dispatched from our Leicester warehouse within two working days. We do not sell supplements, coaching, digital investment products or third-party marketplace goods.

The stronger description explains:

• Product
• Customer
• Geography
• Fulfilment
• What the business does not do

where that distinction is relevant.

---

3. Explain the customer journey

Show:

Customer visits website

↓

Chooses product

↓

Sees price and terms

↓

Completes Stripe checkout

↓

Receives order confirmation

↓

Order is dispatched or service delivered

↓

Customer receives support

The reviewer should be able to identify:

• What the customer agrees to
• When they pay
• When they receive the product
• How cancellation works
• How refunds are handled

---

4. Provide product and regulatory evidence

Depending on the business, this might include:

• Supplier invoices
• Product photographs
• Warehouse evidence
• Certificates of analysis
• Professional registration
• Regulatory licence
• Insurance
• Fulfilment agreement
• Customer terms
• Stock records
• Contracts
• Legal advice where genuinely relevant

Do not send unrelated documents simply to make the evidence file look larger.

---

5. Explain the payment profile

Include:

• Monthly processing value
• Number of payments
• Average transaction
• Maximum transaction
• Customer countries
• Payment currencies
• Refund rate
• Dispute rate
• Card-present or online split
• Recurring-payment percentage
• Fulfilment period
• Seasonality

For example:

Monthly processing increased from £40,000 to £175,000 after a national retail partnership launched on 1 June. Average transaction value remained £68. The attached agreement, stock invoices and fulfilment records support the increase.

That is more useful than saying:

Our business suddenly became very successful.

---

Find Your New Processor

6. Address the apparent trigger directly

If the restriction followed:

• A volume increase
• Product launch
• Website change
• Dispute spike
• Refund period
• New country
• Subscription launch

explain it.

Use a simple structure:

What happened

Why it happened

What the actual position is

What evidence supports it

What has changed

---

7. Explain remedial action

Where there was a genuine problem, say what has been done.

Examples include:

• Supplier replaced
• Outstanding orders refunded
• Misleading wording removed
• Subscription checkout corrected
• Customer-support team increased
• Product removed
• Restricted countries blocked
• Fraud controls revised
• Delivery period reduced
• Chargeback evidence process improved

Do not claim a problem has been fixed unless the supporting evidence exists.

---

MAS insight: An appeal needs to answer the underlying concern

If Stripe appears concerned about fulfilment, sending another certificate of incorporation is unlikely to resolve it.

If the issue is product legality, a bank statement will not answer it.

If the concern is a sudden volume increase, explain the increase and show the operational capacity behind it.

Match the evidence to the question.

---

A useful Stripe review summary

A one-page summary might contain:

Business

ABC Fitness Limited, UK company, trading since 2019

Product

Stocked home-gym equipment supplied directly by the business

Customers

95% UK consumers, 5% Republic of Ireland

Payment profile

£175,000 monthly card volume, £68 average transaction, £1,500 maximum

Fulfilment

Stocked goods dispatched within two working days

Trigger

Volume increased after a national retail partnership launched

Risk history

Refunds 2.1%, disputes 0.18%, no outstanding fulfilment backlog

Evidence

Retail agreement, warehouse contract, stock invoices, dispatch records and recent management accounts attached

---

What should you not do during an appeal?

Avoid:

• Sending angry or threatening messages
• Submitting contradictory explanations
• Hiding products
• Removing website pages temporarily while continuing the activity
• Opening another undisclosed Stripe account
• Using another person’s Stripe account
• Claiming there have been no disputes where reports show otherwise
• Calling projected sales established history
• Sending documents belonging to another company
• Sending sensitive card data
• Repeatedly submitting incomplete responses

A clear, evidence-led explanation gives Stripe something it can assess.

It does not guarantee that the decision will be reversed.

---

What happens to money left in Stripe?

There is no universal answer such as:

Stripe always holds money for 90 days.

The result depends on:

• Account status
• Pending transactions
• Available balance
• Reserve terms
• Refunds
• Disputes
• Negative balance
• Stripe’s assessment of remaining exposure
• The merchant’s agreement and account notice

Stripe’s current terms allow it to establish and change reserves where permitted and release reserve funds when it considers the relevant risk exposure to have been mitigated. The terms also allow measures including changing payout schedules, delaying or cancelling payouts, applying reserves and suspending payment acceptance in specified circumstances. 

That does not automatically mean the entire balance has been permanently lost.

The merchant needs to identify what each amount represents.

---

Understand the different balance categories

Pending balance

Payments may have been processed but are not yet available under the normal settlement timing.

Available balance

Funds may be available inside Stripe but not yet transferred to the bank.

Scheduled payout

A payout may already have been created and assigned an expected arrival date.

Reserve

Funds are being retained against potential liabilities under stated reserve terms.

Negative balance

Refunds, disputes or other deductions exceed the money currently available.

Currency balance

Funds may sit in different currencies, with separate payout and conversion arrangements.

Held or restricted payout

Stripe may have paused transfer while reviewing the account or particular activity.

---

Questions to ask Stripe about held funds

Ask for written clarification covering:

1. What is the total balance?
2. How much is pending?
3. How much is available?
4. How much is held in reserve?
5. Are any payouts already scheduled?
6. Which transactions or liabilities does the reserve cover?
7. Has a release or review date been provided?
8. Is additional evidence required?
9. Can refunds still be processed?
10. How will future disputes be funded?
11. Can money be deducted for negative balances or customer claims?
12. Which bank account will receive any final payout?
13. Will Dashboard and report access remain available?
14. Is any part of the balance subject to a separate policy or decision?

Use the actual account notice as the starting point.

Do not rely only on timelines shared by another merchant online.

---

MAS insight: “Balance” does not always mean immediately withdrawable money

A Dashboard might show:

£80,000 total balance

but that amount could include:

• £30,000 pending
• £20,000 available
• £25,000 reserve
• £5,000 allocated against disputes or refunds

The first task is reconciliation.

Establish:

What is the money, what status is it in and what has Stripe said will happen to it?

---

Keep fulfilling customers where appropriate

An account restriction does not automatically remove the merchant’s obligations to customers who have already paid.

The business should review:

• Which orders have been paid
• Which payments completed
• Which payments failed
• Which orders can be fulfilled
• Which customers should be refunded
• Whether delivery remains possible
• Whether new orders should be paused

Do not stop fulfilling paid orders simply because the Stripe balance has not reached the bank unless the business genuinely cannot fulfil them.

That can create more:

• Refunds
• Complaints
• Disputes
• Financial exposure

and make the account position worse.

---

Find Your New Processor

Refunds after a Stripe restriction

The business may still need to refund customers.

Before acting, establish:

• Whether Stripe allows refunds
• Which original transaction is involved
• Whether enough available balance exists
• Whether Stripe will debit the business bank account
• How the refund affects the reserve or negative balance
• Whether the customer has also raised a dispute

Avoid refunding a customer by unrelated bank transfer without checking the original transaction.

That can create:

• Duplicate refunds
• Fraud
• A later card dispute
• Reconciliation problems
• Payment to the wrong person

If a refund cannot be processed, document the issue and seek clear instructions from Stripe.

---

Disputes do not disappear when processing stops

A customer may raise a dispute after Stripe has stopped new payments.

The merchant may still need to:

• Review the dispute
• Submit evidence
• Accept the dispute
• Fund the disputed amount
• Pay applicable fees
• Manage customer communication

This is another reason not to close or delete the Stripe account yourself.

Stripe confirms that an account owner remains responsible for refunds and disputes after closure and recommends leaving the account dormant where further action may be required. 

---

How to complain to Stripe in the UK

An account review and a formal complaint are not exactly the same process.

1. Complete the requested review

Use the review or appeal form supplied by Stripe.

Provide complete, relevant evidence.

2. Contact Stripe support

Create a clear chronology containing:

• Account name
• Account ID
• Date of restriction
• Notice received
• Evidence supplied
• Current balance
• Business impact
• Specific questions requiring an answer

3. Submit a formal complaint

Stripe publishes a complaints form and also accepts complaints through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Stripe says it treats expressions of dissatisfaction as complaints and publishes expected acknowledgement and final-response times. 

A useful complaint should state:

• What happened
• Which Stripe decision or service is disputed
• What evidence has been supplied
• What response has been received
• What remains unresolved
• The outcome requested

4. Consider the Financial Ombudsman Service where eligible

For UK users receiving regulated financial services from Stripe Payments UK Limited, Stripe says an unresolved complaint may be eligible for referral to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Stripe states that an eligible referral must normally be made within six months of its final response.

Eligibility is not automatic and depends on the complainant and the nature of the service or complaint. 

5. Consider professional advice

Where a large sum is held, the business is facing insolvency or the contractual position is disputed, legal or financial advice may be appropriate.

A formal complaint should not replace:

• Supplying requested evidence
• Managing customers
• Responding to disputes
• Preparing replacement processing

---

Should I complain directly to the FCA?

The practical route for an individual UK complaint is generally:

Stripe review or support

↓

Formal Stripe complaint

↓

Financial Ombudsman Service where eligible

The FCA supervises regulated firms, but the complaint-handling and eligible Ombudsman route is normally more directly relevant to resolving an individual business complaint.

---

Does Stripe closure mean the business is on MATCH?

Not necessarily.

Mastercard MATCH is a specific card-scheme and acquirer risk-information system.

It is not simply another name for every merchant-account closure.

Mastercard materials describe MATCH as a system used to notify acquirers about merchants terminated under relevant reason codes and circumstances. 

A Stripe closure email alone is therefore not proof that the business has been MATCH-listed.

What should the merchant do?

• Do not state that the business is MATCH-listed without evidence.
• Do disclose the Stripe restriction or termination.
• Ask a prospective provider what checks it requires.
• Answer scheme-history questions accurately.
• Do not conceal any confirmed MATCH information.

MAS insight

“Stripe closed the account” and “Mastercard MATCH-listed merchant” are not interchangeable statements.

A replacement application should describe what is known, not speculate.

---

Find Your New Processor

Finding a replacement payment provider

The objective is not merely to find someone willing to switch payments back on.

The replacement must be underwritten for:

• The real business model
• Products
• Countries
• Payment values
• Processing history
• Refunds
• Disputes
• Fulfilment period
• Recurring requirements
• Integration
• Previous Stripe action

Otherwise, the business risks another interruption.

---

What to disclose to a replacement provider

Provide:

• Stripe termination or restriction date
• Exact reason given, where available
• Current account status
• Processing statements
• Refund history
• Dispute history
• Stripe balance or reserve information
• Any recent processing increase
• Business changes
• Customer countries
• Average transaction
• Maximum transaction
• Fulfilment period
• Required payment methods
• Required gateway or integration

Weak disclosure

We are changing providers because Stripe was not very good.

Stronger disclosure

Stripe restricted payment processing on 22 July following a credit-risk review after our monthly volume increased from £60,000 to £240,000. The increase followed a signed retail contract. Refunds are 1.8% and disputes are 0.22%. Stripe’s notice and the supporting commercial documents are available.

The stronger version allows the replacement provider to assess the actual situation.

---

Do not open another Stripe account to process the same undisclosed activity

This is unlikely to create a stable solution.

Avoid:

• Opening another Stripe account under a different email
• Applying through another group company without disclosure
• Using a friend’s or supplier’s account
• Sending payments through an unrelated business
• Changing the website wording while continuing the same restricted activity
• Using an incorrect Merchant Category Code
• Hiding previous Stripe processing

The next account should be approved for the company and activity that will actually process the payments.

---

More replacement applications do not automatically improve the outcome

Submitting the same incomplete application to ten providers can produce ten declines.

Start by establishing:

• Why Stripe took action
• Whether the issue is provider-specific
• Whether the business needs to change
• What provider appetite is required
• Which evidence is missing
• Whether the replacement can support the technology

This is where a properly prepared high-risk merchant account application becomes important.

MAS also has a broader guide to terminated merchant facilities.

---

Replacing Stripe Checkout or Payment Links

A straightforward ecommerce merchant may need to replace:

• Checkout page
• Payment form
• Payment Links
• API keys
• Webhooks
• Refund process
• Fraud settings
• Settlement reporting

Before switching the website:

1. Obtain approval.
2. Complete the contract.
3. Build the integration.
4. Test approved payment journeys.
5. Test refunds.
6. Confirm settlement reporting.
7. Update the privacy and payment wording where required.
8. Remove or disable old links.
9. Monitor initial transactions.
10. Retain Stripe access for historic activity.

Do not cancel Stripe immediately after the first successful payment with the new provider.

---

Find Your New Processor

Replacing Stripe for subscriptions

Subscription merchants face a more complicated migration.

It may involve:

Replacement payment provider

Payment credentials

Customer records

Subscription status

Plans and prices

Next billing dates

Failed-payment recovery

Stripe can securely export eligible customer card data directly to another PCI DSS Level 1-compliant processor.

However:

• Payment credentials saved through Link are excluded.
• Stripe does not include payment history, subscriptions or other account objects in the card-data export.
• Those records need to be retrieved separately through the Dashboard or API.
• Dashboard and API access depend on the Stripe account not being closed or deleted. 

---

Build the subscription migration file

Gather:

• Customer ID
• Stripe customer ID
• Active subscription
• Plan
• Price
• Billing frequency
• Next billing date
• Trial date
• Discount
• Credit
• Cancellation status
• Past-due status
• Previous failure history
• Payment-method type
• Migration eligibility
• Customer contact information

MAS insight: Card migration is not subscription migration

A new provider might successfully receive eligible card details.

That does not automatically recreate:

• The customer’s plan
• Renewal date
• Discount
• Account status
• Contract
• Billing logic

The business needs both:

payment-credential migration

and:

subscription-data migration.

For more information, see the MAS guides to recurring card payments and subscription payment processing.

---

Will customers need to enter their card details again?

Possibly.

It depends on:

• Whether Stripe can export the credential
• Whether the receiving processor qualifies
• Whether the new provider can import it
• Credential type
• Link use
• Network information
• Stored-credential setup
• Customer consent and agreement

Some customers may need to complete a secure payment-method update.

Do not ask customers to email card details.

Use an approved:

• Hosted checkout
• Payment link
• Customer portal
• Secure update journey

---

What happens to subscriptions while Stripe is restricted?

First establish whether Stripe is still attempting the charges.

Possible scenarios include:

Payments continue

Subscription transactions may still be submitted while payouts are paused.

The business needs to decide whether it can continue providing the service while money remains inside Stripe.

Payments fail

Customers may receive failed-payment messages or lose access.

The business should avoid repeatedly retrying through a route known to be unavailable.

Some transactions work

The restriction may affect only specific payment methods or activity.

Billing continues but payment processing does not

The subscription record may remain active even though the payment fails.

The product, CRM and access systems need to be updated accordingly.

MAS insight

A Stripe account restriction is a payment event, not automatically a subscription status.

The business needs to decide whether each customer becomes:

• Active
• Past due
• Grace period
• Suspended
• Cancelled
• Moved to another payment method

---

Platforms and Stripe Connect

A Connect platform may have additional complications.

The restriction could affect:

• Platform payments
• Connected accounts
• Seller onboarding
• Transfers
• Payouts
• Platform fees
• Refunds
• Disputes
• Negative balances

The platform should identify:

• Which Stripe entity received the notice
• Whether the platform or a connected account is affected
• Whether customer payments continue
• Whether seller payouts continue
• Whether balances can be transferred
• What seller communication is required
• What contractual obligations remain

Moving a Connect platform is not simply a gateway change.

It can require a new:

• Seller-onboarding model
• KYC process
• Payment flow
• Payout system
• Negative-balance arrangement
• Platform-pricing model
• Regulatory analysis

---

Find Your New Processor

Customer communication after a Stripe closure

Businesses should communicate carefully.

Do not send customers a detailed accusation or publish speculation about why Stripe acted.

The customer generally needs to know:

• Whether their order succeeded
• Whether payment was taken
• Whether service continues
• Whether delivery is delayed
• Whether they need to use another payment method
• Whether a refund is being processed
• How to contact the business

Example payment failure message

We are currently experiencing an issue with our card-payment provider. Your order has not been completed and no further action is required unless you receive confirmation from us. We will send a secure alternative payment link once available.

Example existing customer message

We are updating our payment arrangements. Your service remains active, but you may receive a secure request to update your payment method. We will never ask you to send card details by email.

Check the actual payment status before telling the customer that no money was taken.

---

The Stripe closure evidence file

Create one folder containing:

Stripe notices

• Closure email
• Review request
• Reserve notice
• Support messages
• Formal complaint
• Final response

Balance

• Pending funds
• Available funds
• Reserve
• Scheduled payouts
• Negative balance
• Bank receipts

Processing

• Recent statements
• Transaction values
• Approval data
• Refunds
• Disputes
• Fraud reports

Business

• Company details
• Ownership
• Website
• Product evidence
• Licences
• Supplier evidence
• Fulfilment information

Replacement

• Business summary
• Technical requirements
• New-provider applications
• Integration plan
• Token migration
• Subscription migration

This reduces the risk of providing conflicting information to Stripe and replacement providers.

---

The questions replacement providers are likely to ask

Be prepared to answer:

1. What does the business sell?
2. Why did Stripe restrict or close the account?
3. What exact wording did Stripe use?
4. When did it happen?
5. How much was being processed?
6. What was the average transaction?
7. What was the maximum transaction?
8. What percentage was refunded?
9. What percentage was disputed?
10. Were any funds held?
11. Did the business model change?
12. Which countries are involved?
13. How long is fulfilment?
14. Are subscriptions involved?
15. Does the business need payment-data migration?
16. Which gateway or integration is required?
17. Has the underlying issue been resolved?

---

How long will it take to replace Stripe?

There is no universal replacement timetable.

It depends on:

• Sector
• Countries
• Company structure
• Processing history
• Documents
• Previous Stripe action
• Transaction values
• Integration
• Subscription migration
• Provider underwriting
• Acquirer approval

A straightforward ecommerce merchant may move relatively quickly.

A regulated, international, subscription or marketplace business may require significantly more work.

Do not accept a promise such as:

Guaranteed live tomorrow

without understanding:

• Who is underwriting the business
• Whether the sector has been disclosed
• Which provider is contracting
• Whether the gateway is ready
• Whether payment values are approved
• Whether settlement and reserves are known

---

Comparing replacement providers

Do not focus only on restarting payments.

Compare:

Provider appetite

• Sector supported?
• Products approved?
• Countries supported?
• Previous closure accepted?
• Maximum transaction approved?
• Fulfilment model accepted?

Payment methods

• Cards
• Payment Links
• Recurring payments
• Digital wallets
• Pay by Bank
• Direct Debit
• Local methods

Settlement

• T+1, T+2 or another timetable?
• Initial payout delay?
• Reserve?
• Fund hold?
• Weekend treatment?
• Multi-currency settlement?

Technology

• Ecommerce integration?
• API?
• Payment Links?
• Billing?
• Subscription migration?
• Marketplace support?
• Reporting?

Commercial terms

• Pricing
• Fixed fees
• Gateway
• Refunds
• Chargebacks
• FX
• Contract
• Termination

The fastest replacement is not always the most stable replacement.

---

Find Your New Processor

MAS insight: Solve the reason for the closure, not just the loss of Stripe

Suppose Stripe acted because:

• The sector is restricted
• Chargebacks increased
• Fulfilment is too long
• The business model changed
• Products were not disclosed
• Processing jumped dramatically

Moving to another provider without addressing that issue can create the same outcome again.

The replacement application should answer:

Why is this provider suitable for the business Stripe could no longer support?

---

Has Stripe restricted or closed your account?

Tell Merchant Advice Service:

• What Stripe’s email says
• Whether payments, payouts or both have stopped
• Current Stripe balance
• Reserve or release information shown
• What the business sells
• Website
• Company country
• Customer countries
• Monthly processing value
• Number of payments
• Average transaction
• Maximum transaction
• Refund history
• Dispute history
• Fulfilment period
• Whether subscriptions are involved
• Whether Stripe Connect is involved
• Which payment integration needs replacing

MAS can help establish:

• What information a replacement gateway or provider is likely to require
• Whether the activity appears to fit known provider appetite
• Which parts of the application need clearer explanation
• Whether subscriptions or payment credentials need migrating
• Potential replacement payment routes

Merchant Advice Service cannot:

• Access your Stripe Dashboard
• Overturn Stripe’s decision
• Release Stripe funds
• Guarantee account approval
• Guarantee a payout date

Do not send MAS:

• Stripe passwords
• Authentication codes
• Full card numbers
• Card security codes
• Unencrypted customer-payment data

---