I run a small online store selling handmade leather goods. About three weeks ago I got a notification that a chunk of my Stripe balance was on hold pending review. I sent in the documents they asked for, supplier invoices, tracking numbers, the usual. First two support replies were generic but at least acknowledged the issue. Now it's been eight days since my last message and they haven't responded at all. Every follow-up gets a new ticket number. I've got bills due next week and this money is just sitting there. Has anyone gotten past this? I'm not looking to bash Stripe, I just need to know if there's a specific channel that actually works.
Payments
Stripe held my money and support stopped being helpful
How much are we talking? Under a certain amount they usually release faster. Also did you get a case ID from the first review or just email threads?
I went through something similar last year. What finally moved it for me was filing a complaint with the CFPB. Not saying that's your first move, but after two weeks of silence it was the only thing that got a real human to look at the account. They had the hold lifted in about five days after that.
That's rough. I don't have advice but I'm following because I'm worried about the same thing happening to me. My volume isn't huge but I keep Hearing these stories.
The multiple ticket numbers thing is deliberate in my experience. Every Time you reply to the old thread it re-opens, but starting a new one resets your place in the queue. Stick to the original email chain even if they tell you to submit a new request.
Are you on standard or custom pricing? I've noticed the support tier changes the response speed a lot.
Also meant to add—don't just say 'please help.' Reply with the exact documents attached again, the case number in the subject line, and a clear sentence like 'I am requesting release of held funds by [date].' Vague replies get sorted into the slow pile.
Three weeks is not that long for a review honestly. Mine toook 29 days and then they released everything with no explanation. Not defending it, just saying the timeline might be normal-ish for them.
Did you change anything about your account recently? Bank account update, new product category, sudden jump in sales? Those seem to trigger the longer holds.
No bank change. Sales did pick up because of a market I did last month so maybe that's what flagged it. @paperroute70 I did accidentally start a new thread—they told me to reply to the original but the original was closed. I'll send one more email to the first chain with the docs attached again and see.
Careful with the CFPB route if you're relying on Stripe long term. It works but I've heard of accounts getting more scrutiny afterward. Just something to weigh.
That's fair. I'd only use it if they've truly gone silent and you've exhausted the normal channel. In my case they had stopped responding entirely for two weeks, so I didn't feel like I had another option.
Have you tried reaching out on their Twitter/X support? Not ideal but sometimes the social team escalates faster than email.
Following up on my own post because I just checked my old emails—it was actually 34 days, not 29. So yeah, prepare for a possible long wait.
One more thing.If you're a sole proprietor, they sometimes want proof of business registration even if you didn't need it to sign up. That was my holdup. They never explicitly said it, just kept asking for 'additional documentation.' I finally asked what specific document would satisfy the requirement and they named it
Wanted to close the loop on the bank account question—it's the same one I've had since I opened the account, so that's not it. I'm going to try the original email chain again with the docs and see if the 'specific document' question gets me anywhere. I'll hold off on the complaint route for now.
Good luck. Report back if they give you a real answer.