Stripe Closed Her Account and Held Her Money. Here's How We Got It Back.
A real client, thousands in held commissions, and what it took to get the payout approved.
I met this client in an online community. She sells digital courses and earns affiliate commissions, and she had posted asking for help getting money back from Stripe. Stripe had closed her account before paying out, and there were thousands of dollars in commissions still in it. She thought that money was gone.
What happened
Stripe can pause payouts or close an account when something on it gets flagged. Customer disputes are a common reason. When an account is closed, Stripe usually holds the remaining balance for a while to cover refunds or chargebacks that could still come in. The emails Stripe sends don't explain much, so a lot of people assume the money is lost for good.
How we got it back
In her case, a customer had disputed charges. Stripe needed proof that the sale was legitimate, and it had to be sent inside their timeframe with all the details they asked for. Here's what we did:
- Gathered the emails showing the customer was a real buyer.
- Gathered proof that the purchase was fulfilled and the customer got what they paid for.
- Pulled her payment reports.
- Got on conference calls with her to work through it together.
- Sent everything to Stripe inside their timeframe, with all the correct details.
After that, Stripe approved the payout.
Getting her back in business
Once the money was released, she still needed a way to take payments. I helped her set up a new Stripe account and then built out her Pillar store, including payment plan options for her customers.
She later hired me to set up Pillar stores for some of her own customers.
What she said
"I first met Chad in a community where I posted about needing help recovering affiliate commissions that Stripe was holding. I honestly thought that money was gone forever. Stripe had closed my account before paying anything out. But Chad stepped in, assured me there was a process, and walked me through every step until those funds were recovered.
From the moment I started working with him, I knew he was the tech genius I needed. Not only did he recover the money, but he also helped me set up a brand-new Stripe account after my old one had been banned. He then went on to build out my entire Pillar store, including setting up payment plan options so I can offer flexible checkout to my customers when I sell my digital products.
Chad is so good at what he does that I even hired him to set up Pillar sites for my own customers who wanted them. His skill, patience, and clarity make every tech challenge feel simple and doable.
I highly recommend Chad for all your tech needs. He has absolutely transformed the backend of my business and made things run smoother than I ever imagined."
If this is happening to you right now
Save your records while you still have access. Read what Stripe sent you and find the deadline. Don't start opening new payment accounts to get around it. Get help before you respond, because a late or incomplete response can cost you the payout.
To lower the chances of it happening again:
- Have a clear refund policy that buyers agree to at checkout, and keep a screenshot of it.
- Keep proof that every buyer got access, like the welcome email and any reply from them confirming they got in.
- Have a backup way to get paid so one closed account doesn't stop your sales.
If your Stripe account is under review, closed, or holding your money, book a free 15-minute tech sprint and we'll go over what Stripe sent you.
Written by Chad Bateman, founder of Marketech Designs. Shared with my client's permission.