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Ask HN: How do you appeal a Stripe decision not to open an account?
I'm in a bit of a tricky spot. I'm a developer, and one aspect of my software is a web-store add-on. (So, I don't run a web store, but my software is used in my clients' web stores.) Anyhow, I integrated with Stripe because it's an easy and beautiful integration, and I personally bill my clients using Stripe, so I was already comfortable with it. Anyhow, my soon-to-be client attempts to sign up with Stripe, and they promptly decline to activate their account. They follow up with an email, and they very promptly get back a "this decision is final" message.
("Thank you for reaching out about this. Unfortunately, we still won't be able to accept payments for [redacted] moving forward.")
Anyhow, I'm 99.99% confident that their decision was made in error. The organization is a local franchise of a well-known nationwide non-profit organization, and is about as non-risky as they come. However, while Stripe has a lot in its favor, talking to humans doesn't seem to be a point in its favor. So, after that long introduction, here's the question:
Is there a secret path to get to a higher up at Stripe to get a real human to manually review a decision that was almost certainly made in error? I know lots of you have worked with Stripe, so perhaps some of you have found this path.
- new_guy 6y agoA better question is why would you want too? If Stripe won't take your clients money plenty of other places will.
- mnehring 6y agoThe main reason is that I'd have to program another integration post-haste, and I don't want sloppy code out in the world because I was rushed. I have an existing relationship with Worldpay Integrated Payments by FIS, and so I'm getting in touch with their developer relations team again so I can start an integration for card-not-present. But that'll probably take a couple of weeks to test and get approved. My Stripe code has been battled-tested. Anyhow, Stripe's decision on this account has left me scrambling, because the client's web store was built and ready-to-go, just waiting for the client's API keys, and now it's dead in the water.
- edwinwee 6y agoReal human here. Could you forward that email to me at edwin@stripe.com and we can take another look?
- mnehring 6y agoEdwin - 5 stars on being a real human! I just shot you an email. Also, I love your job title. Did Stripe issue that title to you? Or did you get to make up the title? Either way, it gave me a chuckle.