IN NO EVENT WILL STRIPE'S AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE FEES PAID BY YOU TO STRIPE IN THE THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE LIABILITY OR (B) $500.
For high-volume merchants paying substantial fees, three months of fees may still represent a tiny fraction of damages caused by service failures or wrongful fund withholding, making legal recovery largely impractical.
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.