Stripe Shut Down Your Account? High-Risk Solutions That Still Work
If Stripe froze or terminated your account, you’re not alone. Here’s what happened, and what you can do next to keep processing payments.
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Stripe Shut Down Your Account? Here’s What To Do
If Stripe has suddenly frozen your payouts or permanently closed your account, you’re not alone. Thousands of businesses in high-risk categories are affected every month.
The good news? There are reliable alternatives. In this guide, High Wire Payments breaks down why Stripe might shut you down, how long they can legally hold your money, and where you can go next to keep your business live and profitable.
Why is Stripe Holding My Money?
Stripe holds funds to protect against chargebacks and fraud. Common reasons include:
- Sudden spike in sales volume or unusual transaction patterns.
- High dispute or refund rates.
- Violation of Stripe’s Terms of Service or risk thresholds.
In most cases, Stripe is allowed to hold funds for up to 90–180 days to protect against potential disputes. This aligns with Visa and Mastercard chargeback rules.
Reasons Your Stripe Account Was Deactivated
Stripe has full discretion to terminate accounts based on their internal risk models. Common causes include:
- Being flagged as a prohibited business (like supplements, CBD, or coaching).
- Chargeback rate exceeding 1% of transactions.
- High refund activity or customer complaints.
- Use of misleading product descriptions or offers.
Often, no appeal is offered. Stripe’s decision is final unless it was due to mistaken identity or document error.
High-Risk Transactions That Trigger Stripe Reviews
The following categories are red flags for Stripe’s risk engine:
- CBD, kratom, functional mushroom, or nootropic products.
- Subscription-based services, especially without clear refund policies.
- Adult, firearm, or restricted content.
- Digital goods with high refund exposure (coaching, dropshipping, info products).
Even if your products are legal, Stripe may suspend accounts based on payment behavior patterns.
How to Reactivate Your Stripe Account
Reactivating a closed Stripe account is rare. You can try the following steps:
- Open a support ticket and request a reason for deactivation.
- Provide full documentation to prove compliance if asked.
- If they allow, reapply with updated business practices.
In most high-risk cases, it’s better to move to a merchant provider built for your business model.
Are There Better Options?
Yes. Stripe is not built for high-risk merchants. High Wire Payments specializes in helping businesses that process:
- Supplements, CBD, kratom, and vape products.
- Digital goods, coaching, and subscription models.
- Continuity billing and international transactions.
- Anything rejected by Square, Stripe, or PayPal.
With real human support and built-in fraud protection, we help you stay active—without surprise shutdowns.
Final Thoughts
If Stripe shut down your account, don’t panic. It’s not the end of your business—it’s a sign to upgrade your payment partner.
High Wire Payments helps high-risk businesses stay live with stable processing and proactive compliance tools.