Stripe · Stripe Terms of Service

Acceptable Use Policy and Prohibited Businesses

Medium severity
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What it is

You may only use the Services for legal business purposes related to your business as described in your Stripe Account and you agree to only process payments for such purposes. You may not use the Services to conduct your business if your business or the products or services you offer are on our list of Prohibited Businesses or do not conform to our Acceptable Use Policy.

Why it matters

Businesses that expand into new product lines or markets without updating their Stripe account description risk termination and fund withholding, even if the new activity is legal.

Consumer impact

Businesses using Stripe may have their payouts withheld or placed in reserve for up to 180 days based on Stripe's unilateral risk assessment, potentially disrupting cash flow with limited recourse. Stripe can terminate or suspend accounts immediately, cutting off access to payment processing and potentially funds held in reserve. You can review and negotiate reserve terms before signing, and should maintain alternative payment processing arrangements as a contingency.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority over unfair or deceptive enforcement of acceptable use policies in payment processing under FTC Act Section 5.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Stripe Terms of Service
Entity
Stripe
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 15, 2026
Last verified
April 4, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000755
Document ID
CA-D-00107
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
f8031ea85047f87e96bd4f8806a7d96cf4b6716e28a2c1a50dc99260b9a49889
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Stripe | Document: Stripe Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-000755
Captured: 2026-03-15 11:34:26 UTC | SHA-256: f8031ea85047f87e…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/stripe/stripe-terms-of-service/acceptable-use-policy-and-prohibited-businesses/
Accessed: April 4, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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