You log in to Stripe and there is a banner across the top: 'Action required', 'Verify your identity' or 'Additional information required'. Or an email arrives saying your account is under review, or that payments are paused. Sometimes you upload your ID, wait, and the same request comes straight back.
These messages look alike, but they are not the same problem. Stripe has to verify three things: the person who created the account, the business behind it, and in certain countries anyone who ultimately owns or controls that business. It also checks whether it can support what you sell. Each banner is Stripe telling you which of those checks is still open, and the fix depends on which one it is.
Start with Account status, not the email
Stripe says that if your account has outstanding verification requirements, you'll see a banner at the top of your Dashboard. Clicking 'View Account Status' shows exactly what is needed. You can also go there directly: 'Settings', then 'Business', then 'Account status'. That page names the requirement, shows any rejection reason, and is the only place Stripe accepts documents. Stripe states plainly that it can only accept documents uploaded through the Dashboard and that you should not send them by email.
Read the requirement before uploading anything. 'Identity document' and 'proof of home address' are separate requests, and Stripe's documentation says a single document can't fulfil two requirements at once. One upload will not clear both.
'Verify your identity' and rejected ID documents
Stripe asks for a government-issued photo ID when it can't verify your details automatically. If your first upload bounced, Stripe's documentation lists the usual reasons a document is rejected, and almost all of them are fixable in a few minutes.
- Expired: identity documents must be current.
- Screenshot: Stripe needs the original photo (JPEG or PNG) or a scan (PDF) taken directly from the document. Screenshots are not accepted, and neither are photocopies of identity documents.
- Name mismatch: the name on the ID must exactly match the name in your Stripe account settings. Fix the account, not the document: Stripe says to confirm your personal details are correct first, using 'Edit' beside your personal details.
- Cropped or incomplete: all four borders must be visible. For a passport, include the entire personal information page.
- Missing back side: include both sides of a driver's licence or ID card when the back holds required information.
- Black and white: photo IDs must be submitted in colour.
- Poor quality: Stripe's photo tips are to lay the ID on a flat surface, use even light from the front, avoid glare, keep your fingers off the card and let the camera focus. It says a better quality image dramatically increases your chance of being verified.
'Additional information required': business details and documents
When the request is about the business rather than you, Stripe wants a document that proves the business exists and matches your account. Its help page says the document must include the business name, the business address and a company registration number or VAT number, must be up to date and readable, and must match the information on your Stripe account. If the details run across several pages, upload them as one PDF. A proof of home address must be dated within the past six months and show your full name and address.
In the US, the most common block is the tax ID. If you see 'This combination of tax ID and legal name was not recognized by the IRS', Stripe says your legal name and tax ID must exactly match an IRS-issued document such as your SS-4 confirmation letter or Letter 147C, including upper and lower case, symbols and punctuation. If it still won't verify, Stripe's advice is to request a Letter 147C from the IRS and upload it in the Dashboard. Stripe also notes that an SS-4 application is not the same as the SS-4 confirmation letter.
Stripe's help pages say these document reviews can take up to 24 hours.
When the problem is your website
Stripe reviews the website, social media profile or app you use to sell, and an unfinished site can hold up activation. Its business website FAQ sets out what it looks for:
- Your business name and a description of what you sell, matching what you told Stripe.
- A page that loads without a password. A site behind a login or a 'coming soon' screen can't be reviewed.
- For a social profile, the full URL of your specific profile. Stripe says a handle on its own, or just facebook.com, is not enough.
- Before you start selling: customer service contact details, refund and dispute policies, a return policy for physical goods, a cancellation policy where it applies, and terms for any promotions.
- Once the site is complete with everything you sell listed, update the URL in your Dashboard.
- Stripe may ask you to confirm you own the website. It says you'll get an email and a Dashboard notification if that's required.
'Your account is under review' and 'Payments are paused'
Beyond identity, Stripe checks what you sell, whether it can support that product or category, and the overall risk level of your business. Its help page says that if it can't confirm this, it may ask for more information, and depending on the issue your account may not be able to process payments or receive transfers until it is resolved. Some businesses on Stripe's Prohibited and Restricted Businesses list can only be supported with explicit prior approval, and some categories are never eligible. If your account was rejected over prohibited items that you have since removed, Stripe says you can reply to its email, or contact support, with a link to the page showing they are gone.
If Stripe closes an account, it says it emails the reason and shows a red banner in the Dashboard. If you think your business was misclassified, use the form linked in that email to add details.
'Payments are paused' after a verification request usually means a deadline passed. Stripe's documentation says that when a deadline passes with requirements still open, the related functionality is disabled; its verification-update FAQs describe payouts being paused first and payments later. Clearing the outstanding items under 'Account status' is what turns them back on. If only your payouts are paused and payments still come in, see our separate post on Stripe payouts being paused.
One message is different: 'Stripe asked you to verify you control your account'. That is a security check on who is logged in, not a business review. Stripe says your account keeps accepting payments while your access is paused, that you should submit its form from a device and location you've used before, and that the review takes 1-3 business days.
Stuck in a verification loop? Check these before you upload again
If the same request returns after every upload, sending the same file again won't change the outcome. Work through this list first, then contact Stripe support with your organisation type and the documents you have, which is what Stripe's documentation asks for when a document keeps being rejected and you don't know why.
If the loop is the upload screen itself failing on your computer, Stripe's ID upload help offers a few ways around it. The Dashboard can display a QR code so you can finish on your phone, or you can choose to switch to another device. If you'd rather upload a file than take a live photo and aren't prompted to, select 'Other Options' and then upload images. If the verification link isn't working, Stripe suggests restarting your browser, clearing its cache, or using a different browser.
- Read the exact rejection reason under 'Account status'. It usually names the problem.
- Compare your legal name, date of birth and address in Stripe's settings with the document, character by character.
- Make sure you are answering the request that is open: identity, home address, business or tax ID.
- Use a different document type if your country's list allows it, for example a passport instead of a driver's licence.
- If you live in a different country from your Stripe account's country, Stripe only accepts a passport for identity verification.
- Retake the photo in colour, on a flat surface, with all borders visible, instead of reusing an old file.
Prevent it next time
Enter your details in Stripe exactly as they appear on your ID and your official business papers, with the same spelling and punctuation. Keep your website or profile live, public and describing what you actually sell, with your policies and contact details on it. Update your ID before it expires, and update Stripe when your business name, address or what you sell changes. Act on banners when they appear rather than when payments stop.
If you sell through OneSol
On OneSol you connect your own Stripe account, or PayPal, Razorpay or Square, to sell from your OneSol page, and payments go straight to your own account. That means OneSol can't lift a Stripe review; the fix is always with Stripe. Having a second processor such as PayPal connected lets you keep taking payments while Stripe finishes its review. Selling with your own processor is part of the Pro plan.