Stripe verifies every account before it will send money to a bank. Most of the time this happens invisibly during signup. Sometimes it asks for something extra, and your payments keep working while payouts sit still. Here's how to read what's happening.
The three states you'll see
- Fully verified. You can charge, refund, and receive payouts. In Studio, Settings → Payments shows a green Stripe Connected panel.
- Restricted / action required. Stripe needs one more piece of information. You can usually still take payments, but payouts pause until you supply it. Stripe emails you and shows a banner at the top of your dashboard.
- Disabled. Charging is switched off. This is rare and follows something serious — an unresolved review, a documented policy conflict, or repeated disputes. Only Stripe can lift it; Studio has no override.
Where to look
Your account's live status lives in your own Stripe Dashboard, not in Studio. Open dashboard.stripe.com/account/onboarding and Stripe lists exactly what's outstanding, with an upload button next to each item. If Studio's panel says Onboarding Incomplete, its button — Finish at Stripe or Continue Setup, depending on whether you picked the account or Studio created it — takes you to the same place.
The five things Stripe usually asks for
- A photo ID for the representative. Front and back, corners visible, not a screenshot of a screenshot. Blurry uploads are the most common reason a verification bounces twice.
- Proof of the entity. Your IRS EIN assignment letter, articles of incorporation, or 501(c)(3) determination letter.
- A matching legal name. If what you typed doesn't match IRS records character-for-character, Stripe flags it. "St. Marys Community Church" and "St. Mary's Community Church, Inc." are different names to a verification system.
- Bank account confirmation. If the routing or account number failed, or the account holder name doesn't match the entity, Stripe asks for a bank statement or voided check.
- A working website. Stripe checks that your site describes what you actually charge for and shows a refund policy and contact details. A parked domain or a coming-soon page will get flagged.
Why payouts get held after you were already verified
An account can go from fine to held later. The usual causes:
- An identity document expired. Stripe re-verifies periodically and a lapsed license triggers it.
- A dispute rate climbed. Too many chargebacks relative to volume and Stripe holds funds as a reserve. See Disputes and Chargebacks.
- A sudden volume jump. A capital campaign or a viral appeal can look like fraud to an automated system. It clears once a human reviews it — respond to Stripe's email promptly and explain the campaign.
- What you're charging for changed. If you signed up describing donations and then start selling merchandise, update your account description before the volume shows up.
How to get it resolved fast
- Read the actual banner text in your Stripe Dashboard. It names the specific item, and generic advice won't match your case.
- Upload exactly what's asked, in the format asked. Photograph documents flat, in good light, with all four corners in frame.
- Respond to Stripe's emails within 48 hours. Requests that go unanswered escalate.
- If you're stuck, contact Stripe Support directly. They can see the reviewer's notes; Studio cannot.
What Studio can and can't help with
Studio's Stripe panel reflects your account's status but doesn't control it. Verification, document review, holds, and reserves are entirely between you and Stripe. If Studio shows connected but Stripe shows restricted, trust Stripe — that's the source of truth, and Studio's panel refreshes when you reload Settings → Payments.