Payments · Guide8 min readUpdated November 2, 2026

Stripe Account Under Review: How Long It Takes and What to Send

Stripe account under review: which review you're in, how long Stripe says each one takes, the documents it asks for, and how a review ends.

Nick Bonnassies, CMO at Tagada · checked against 10 sources

Article summary

TL;DR

It depends on which review you're in. Stripe asks for 3 to 5 business days to review documents, releases a flagged payment after 14 days, and keeps a settlement pause until the issue is resolved. Credit reviews are continuous and have no set length. Send everything the Dashboard task asks for at once: statements, delivery proof and a dated plan.

Stripe asks for "3-5 business days" to review verification documents.
"Stripe reviews accounts continuously, with the frequency depending on the risk signals detected in day-to-day activity".
A settlement pause "doesn't have a standard scheduled expiration date"; a flagged payment is released "14 days from the notification date".
Stripe's appeal guide asks for 12 months of statements from your previous processor if you've used Stripe under 6 months, and delivery proof from the last 30 to 60 days.
Most reviews end with normal processing; others with a reserve or, "in rare cases", a closure.

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On this page

For the general picture of how processors underwrite and review merchants, see merchant account approval. This page covers Stripe's own reviews.

Which review you're in, and how long Stripe says it takes

"Under review" covers several Stripe processes. The task in your Dashboard and the email tell you which one.

Review	What triggers it	How long Stripe says	Payments	Payouts
Document verification	New account, new owner, a threshold reached	"3-5 business days" after you upload3	Usually on	Off if past the deadline4
Flagged payment	A charge "likely to be disputed for fraud"	14 days from the notice6	On	That payment delayed6
Settlement pause	An issue to resolve before funds are released	NoStandard end date5	On5	New proceeds held5
Credit review	Risk signals in day-to-day activity	Continuous, no set length1	Usually on	Can lead to a reserve1
Reserve review	A reserve close to expiry	A few days before expiry7	On7	Part held
Unacceptable risk review	An action under Stripe's risk policy	Payouts typically paused 120 days8	Can be paused8	Paused8

The API names one status plainly: under_review, "The account is under review by Stripe"4. Another, requirements.pending_verification, means "Stripe is currently verifying information" and "No action is required"4.

Fig. 1Four reviews, four clocks

Documents
3 to 5 business days once everything is uploaded.
Flagged payment
Released automatically 14 days after the notice.
Settlement pause
Lasts until the task or review is resolved.
Risk action
Payouts typically paused 120 days, then a formal review.

only one of them is open-ended by design

Stripe Support, read November 2, 2026.

What Stripe looks at in a review

Stripe's credit review covers your business model, processing history, reputation, financial stability and how you use Stripe's products1. It also checks what customers see: how to contact you, your refund, cancellation and delivery policies, and the details of any free trial1.

What tends to start one:

A volume jump Stripe can't explain from your history7.
Rising disputes or refunds7.
Longer delivery windows, preorders or backorders7.
A new product or business model you didn't declare. Stripe asks to be told about changes "immediately"9.

What to send

Send what the task asks, and back every claim with a document. Stripe's appeal guide is the best checklist it publishes2.

Item	What Stripe asks for
Processing history, under 6 months on Stripe	"your most recent 12 months of processing statements" from your previous provider, from its dashboard, showing dispute and refund rates2
Processing history, 6 months or more on Stripe	Recent bank statements2
Financials	Bank balance, transaction history, financial statements, management accounts1
Fulfillment proof	For the last 30 to 60 days: inventory, vendor receipts, shipping schedules, invoices2
Disputes	Their causes, your customer exchanges, steps taken, evidence you submitted2
Fraud controls	How you verify customers and confirm orders; whether you use Radar2
Plan	"Be very specific about the changes you'll make", with a date for each2

Every document must "clearly show that this data is for the same business, website and/or account owner"2. Statements under another entity name slow the review down.

Example

A skincare brand runs a launch and triples its volume in a week. Stripe opens a credit review. The brand uploads 12 months of statements from its previous processor, 45 days of tracking numbers, its refund policy URL and a plan to cap the offer. Illustrative case.

How to submit and follow up

Open the task. Use the red banner or the Account status page under Settings, then View task if shown3 5.
Answer every question in one submission. Partial answers trigger a new request4.
Link your bank account if Stripe offers it. Stripe says this "gives us a current and continuous understanding of your liquidity" and can reduce how often it asks1.
Say early if you can't provide something. Stripe asks you to contact it as soon as possible so it can look for alternatives1.
Watch your email and the Dashboard. A submitted task can move to verification, then close or open a new one4.
Contact support if nothing moves after the stated time, quoting the task.

Sources: Stripe Support and Stripe Docs, read November 2, 2026.

What keeps working during a review

More than most merchants think:

Payments, in most reviews. A reserve doesn't stop them, and neither does a settlement pause5 7.
Your available balance, during a settlement pause: "A settlement pause doesn't hold funds that were already in your available balance"5.
Refunds and dispute responses. Keep answering disputes; lost ones come out of your balance.

What stops depends on the review: new payouts during a settlement pause5, and charges as well as payouts under a risk action8.

How a review ends

Stripe gives three outcomes for its credit review1:

Fig. 2The three ways a Stripe review ends

Normal processingMost cases, per StripeKeep the file you built for next time
A reservePart of each sale heldNote the window, plan an appeal
ClosureRare: very high risk or a long stay in a monitoring programExport cards, appeal, move volume

most accounts land on the first line

Stripe Support, Credit Account Review Process FAQ, read November 2, 2026.

Stripe names the closure cases: the business is very high risk, "has remained in a card network monitoring program for an extended time", or breaks the Stripe Services Agreement1. Next steps for each outcome: Stripe reserve and Stripe closed or banned your account.

Mistakes that make a review longer

Opening a second Stripe account for the same business. Using Stripe "with false, manipulated, inaccurate, or misleading information" about your identity or business is a prohibited use9.
Uploading documents for another entity, or statements that don't match the website2.
Changing the store mid-review, with new products or offers.
Closing the account to get your money: you lose the tools to answer disputes and the balance isn't released faster.
Sending a request instead of proof. A review is decided on documents2.

By industry

Industry	What a Stripe review focuses on	Guide
Supplements	Claims, trial terms, subscriptions	Does Stripe allow supplements?
Skincare	Drug-like claims, refill subscriptions	Does Stripe allow skincare products?
Fitness	Upfront programs, refund policy	Does Stripe allow fitness products?
Info products	Delivery over time, income claims	Does Stripe allow info products and online courses?
Online pharmacy	Licenses, prescription checks	Does Stripe allow prescription drugs?
Telehealth	Licenses, case-by-case review	Does Stripe allow telehealth services?

How Tagada helps

Keep selling while a review runs

Onboarding: "One KYC. One signed package. We distribute it across our processor network and follow up so you don't have to."10
Enhanced review for regulated verticals: "If you sell something real, we will get you paid."10
Already on Stripe? "We orchestrate those too", with "Automatic cascade, weighted routing, sticky MID"10. The cascade goes to another processor when one is down or times out.
Support: "24/7 human support on Slack Connect"10.

Tagada follows Visa and Mastercard rules and the laws that apply to payments.

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Updated on November 2, 2026

Nick Bonnassies

CMO at Tagada

CMO at Tagada. Before Tagada, Nick built direct-to-consumer brands that generated over $115M in sales, raised over $25M in crowdfunding and sold two of them. He also works as a fractional CMO on marketing operations and AI systems.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Stripe account review take?

It depends on the review. Stripe asks for 3 to 5 business days to check documents. A flagged payment is released after 14 days. A settlement pause lasts until its issue is resolved. Credit reviews are continuous, and a risk action typically pauses payouts for 120 days.

Why is my Stripe account under review?

Usually because something changed: a volume jump, more disputes or refunds, longer delivery times, or a new product. Stripe also reviews accounts continuously, more often when risk signals rise. The Dashboard task tells you what Stripe needs.

Can I accept payments while my Stripe account is under review?

In most reviews, yes. Reserves and settlement pauses don't stop payments. Payouts may be held in part. Under an unacceptable risk action, Stripe can pause charges too. Check the task: it says what is restricted.

What documents does Stripe ask for in a review?

Typically processing or bank statements, financial statements, proof of fulfillment for the last 30 to 60 days, an explanation of disputes, and a dated plan. With under 6 months on Stripe, it asks for 12 months of statements from your previous processor.

How can I speed up a Stripe review?

Answer every question in one submission, with documents that match your Stripe account, website and owner. Link your bank account if offered. Don't change your store mid-review or open a second account. Contact support if the stated review time has passed.

Sources

Checked November 2, 2026

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