When you apply for a payment account, the processor looks at your website. It wants to understand who you are, what you sell, and how a customer can reach you or get their money back. Stripe publishes what it expects in its FAQ on business websites for account activation. This checklist walks through those items in plain terms.
The goal is not to pass a test. It is to describe your business accurately and completely, so the people reviewing it can make an informed decision. A site that is honest and finished is easier to review than one that is vague or half built.
Before you start
Open your site in a private browser window, signed out, on a phone and on a laptop. Read it the way a stranger would. Every item below should be visible without an account, a password or a support ticket.
1. Your business name
Show the name of the business that is applying. If you trade under a different name, make the connection clear, for example in the footer or on an About page. The name on the site and the name in your application should point to the same company. A reviewer should never have to guess who is behind the store.
2. Accurate product descriptions
Each product needs a clear description of what it is and what it costs. Describe the product as it actually is. Remove placeholder listings, vague names and copy that belongs to another store. If you sell variants, list them. If a product is not available yet, take it down or label it clearly.
3. Customer service contact details
Give customers a way to reach you, such as an email address or a phone number, and put it somewhere easy to find. The footer and a Contact page are the usual places. If you use a contact form, also show an email address or phone number that a person checks.
4. Refund, return, dispute and cancellation policies
Publish the policies that apply to what you sell. Explain how refunds work, whether and how items can be returned, how a customer can raise a problem with you, and how to cancel an order or a subscription. If billing renews, say when and how to stop it.
Write these policies for your actual business. A copied template that mentions products, countries or services you do not offer is worse than a short policy that is accurate.
5. Terms
Publish terms of service or terms of sale. Cover how orders work, who can buy, and any limits on how products may be used. If your products carry age or eligibility requirements, state them in the terms and on the product pages, and make sure your checkout actually applies them.
6. A site that is live and reachable
The site must load for anyone, without a password, and must not be under construction. Remove “coming soon” banners, sample text, broken links and empty pages before you apply. If the store is not ready, wait until it is.
7. Claims that match what you sell
Everything on the site should match the products you ship and the business you described in your application. Read your product pages, ads, emails and social posts together. Remove claims you cannot support, especially health and performance claims.
If a product is sold for a specific purpose, the listing, the label and the marketing should all describe that same purpose. A reviewer reads the whole site, and a disclaimer does not change what the rest of the page says.
A final pass
- The business name matches your application.
- Every product has an accurate description and a price.
- An email address or phone number is easy to find.
- Refund, return, dispute and cancellation policies are published and specific to you.
- Terms are published and easy to reach from checkout.
- The site loads without a password and has no placeholder content.
- Claims match the products you sell and the application you submitted.
What this checklist does not do
Stripe and other processors make their own decisions, and they look at more than your website. A complete website does not guarantee approval, and Claddr cannot get an account approved. What a complete website does is give the reviewer an accurate picture of your business.
Requirements change. Read Stripe’s current FAQ before you apply, and again before you make large changes to your store.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.