Door B — Stripe
Start with the sentence Stripe's own lawyers wrote, because it explains your whole situation: under §3.3 of the Stripe Services Agreement, reserve funds are released only when Stripe is satisfied the risk has passed, under Stripe's sole control. No duration. No cap. No promised date. That doesn't mean you're powerless — it means the ladder, climbed in order and in writing, is the product. Here it is.
Stripe keeps a slice (merchants report 5–25%) of every sale for a rolling period as insurance against chargebacks. Your account still works; your cash flow shrinks.
The path: Stay-alive track: documentation pack, partial-release request, and a reserve review at 90 days. Do not close the account in anger — closure usually starts a longer hold.
No money moves while Stripe reviews the business. Reviews are triggered by volume spikes, dispute rates, or business-model questions.
The path: Documentation response, complete and in one pack — partial answers restart the queue.
The account is finished, and the balance is held against future chargebacks. This is the hold with the least contract protection.
The path: Escalation ladder in order: written request for the amount, the clause, and the date → reserve review → written demand → lawyer threshold. Your agreement text is in the kit.
Identity or business verification that never completes: names, addresses, or entity details mismatch across documents.
The path: Mismatch hunt: line up legal name, EIN letter, bank account name, and ID character for character — this hold is usually a typo with a suit on.
| Clock | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Release date in Stripe's agreement | There is none. Section 3.3 of the Stripe Services Agreement says reserves are released only when Stripe is satisfied the risk has passed, under Stripe's sole control — no duration, no cap | Agreement text Stripe Services Agreement §3.3 (Reserve), checked 2026-10-18 |
| Termination holds, in practice | 90–180 days is the range merchants most often report | Reported by sellers Merchant-advocacy compilations (thefinrate, Oct 2026; Traywick Law, Oct 2026), checked 2026-10-18 — reported practice, not a Stripe promise |
| Rolling reserves, in practice | Commonly 5–25% of each sale, held on a rolling basis | Reported by sellers Merchant-advocacy compilations, checked 2026-10-18 — reported practice |
| Formal review point | Stripe's risk policy provides a formal review at the end of a 120-day period for closed accounts | Published policy Stripe Unacceptable Risk Policy appeal route, checked 2026-10-18 |
| Longest reported holds | 90-day holds reported renewed past 210 days | Reported by sellers DirectPayNet merchant reporting, checked 2026-10-18 — reported, not typical |
Checked 2026-10-18. Where the source class says "reported," that is the range sellers report in practice — it is not the platform's promise, and your notice controls.
One payment, both doors, yours to keep. We never ask for your login — you submit everything yourself. See everything inside the kit →