Stripe's CEO has responded: "The issue was unrelated to @libsoftiktok's views. Stripe stands strongly for freedom of speech. We received a complaint from card networks about how their charge descriptors were causing customer confusion. We passed that along, they fixed the issue, and they're now good to go again." https://x.com/patrickc/status/1760724588571578859
Which OS are you running and which browser? We've optimized for many common browsers/OS combos but have clearly missed yours (nothing to do with your specs).
Some top-of-mind tips regardless of who you use for payments but I'm glad you're using Stripe! Is it for prepfully.com?
Tactical examples below, but the high level takeaway is communication prevents chargebacks. Say what you're going to charge, remind people when a charge is due, and ensure people can self-manage their subscriptions (or make it easier to request a refund than it is to dispute a charge with their credit card company). You seem to have a good handle on the post-chargeback process and are using the right evidence submission processes to at least counter some of them. You could consider adding an explicit agreement to your T&Cs to bolster any claims: stripe.com/docs/payments/checkout/customization#collect-a-terms-of-service-agreement.
---
1. On "accidental" chargebacks: Use a service that lets your customers self-manage their subscriptions. Unfortunately, particularly in the US, it seems some customers opt to dispute payments as it's easier than talking to a business. (https://stripe.com/docs/customer-management)
2. On forgetting: Configure emails to send renewal reminders and receipts if you're using subscription payments and include a link to a hosted page that lets your customers unsubscribe or change their plan if applicable. Especially if you have subscriptions over time frames longer than ~a month.
3. On fraudulent charges: You can dial up your fraud risk tolerance on dashboard.stripe.com/settings/radar/risk-controls.
[Bonus]
4. SEO: Is it easy for Prepfully customers to find out how to get a refund by searching for it? I'd recommend having a dedicated FAQ page with direct links so it takes as few steps as possible to get there. (https://www.google.com/search?q=prepfully+refund)
5. Is your statement descriptor up to date? Your customers might not recognize charges if the statement descriptor is vague. I've seen folks get good results by displaying a hosted refund page (like "prepfully.com/r") that explains the charge, what a customer has signed up for, and how to manage their subscription. Tricky to manage as statement descriptors are short but something to explore.
Thanks for the very helpful response! Yep, it's for prepfully.com.
On 1 -- we don't have any subscriptions at the moment - everything is a transaction. We're planning to roll out a subscription/course module at some point next year, so definitely something to incorporate upfront when we do.
On 2 -- we actually send a "you've booked a session" email, 1 email reminder + 1 (opt-in only) whatsapp reminder pre-session, and 1 email 7-days post-session for feedback at the moment. I'm a bit worried about coming across as spammy if we send anything more. However, I don't send a "payment receipt" email at the moment, so that is perhaps something to explore.
On 3 -- all the chargebacks came from quite honest-seeming customers. After talking to them, it did feel like they made an honest mistake. I have a suspicion that some US banks make it incredibly easy to do a chargeback without asking for much evidence (I'm based in the Netherlands, where for instance you need to provide proof that you directly interacted with a merchant), so suggestion (5) in particular might be very relevant here.
On 4 -- super relevant, thanks! If I look at the first result at the moment it's quite misleading (we definitely allow for refunds), whereas what Google has indexed is the piece where we say "we won't issue a refund if you forget to join a session".
On 5 -- good idea too, and very actionable. We don't put anything beyond "PREPFULLY" at the moment. And our transaction IDs are hashes so they don't communicate much information. So maybe even putting something like "interview coaching" -- will have to see what I can fit, could help people remember.
Will also see how we can bolster our T&C. I'm guessing you meant this in context of winning a potential chargeback dispute? I'm not sure if this would actually reduce the total number of chargebacks.
I came across your comments on Stripe on Hacker News and am reaching out in hopes you can assist with an urgent issue.
Account ID: acct_1N6UyxJ097OmyUsG
site：lovilds.com
Product: Women's Beauty and Skincare Products
My Stripe account has been closed, and $90,000 has been forcibly refunded to customers. I've been in touch with Stripe support, and they've told me my account is under review. It's been nearly two weeks.
Could you please help me understand:
1. Is there a chance for the $90,000 to be returned to my account?
2. Is there any possibility of my account being reinstated?
Your immediate attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated.
