One day, you're scaling smoothly. Next, you're locked out of your account, payments frozen, and support isn't giving you a clear answer.
Account suspensions happen fast. And sometimes the red flags aren't even listed in the terms of service. This post pulls together real stories from merchants who've been suspended by Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, and other platforms, and the common patterns they didn't realize were risky until it was too late.
Suspension Triggers That Aren't Obvious (Until You're Hit)
1. Mismatched Fulfillment Times vs. Your Website's Claims
Your store says "ships in 24 hours," but your average delivery takes 7–10 days. That's enough to raise an internal compliance flag.
Platforms compare your fulfillment times, shipping estimates, and refund delays to what you advertise. Even if your actual performance isn't terrible, mismatches between expectations and delivery can trigger customer disputes, especially when combined with tracking issues.
"We got flagged because we were running a holiday sale with 3-day shipping claims, but a supplier delay meant orders went out in 9 days. Chargebacks spiked, then boom—Shopify pulled the plug."
- Fitness gear merchant
2. Marketing Claims That Sound Too Good to Be True
If you're promising instant results, guaranteed outcomes, or anything that might be seen as "high-risk," you're on thin ice, even if you're just quoting testimonials.
Stripe, PayPal, and others monitor for claims around income guarantees, weight loss, skin treatments, or anything resembling medical benefits. Their systems flag certain keywords automatically, and reviewers don't always take context into account.
3. Sudden Traffic or Sales Spikes
Yes, scaling is the goal. But if your sales volume suddenly triples overnight, some platforms treat that like potential fraud or affiliate abuse.
Unless you've pre-warmed your account or told your provider what's coming, a spike in conversions, especially with high average order values, can get your account frozen for a manual review. They want to confirm it's real traffic and that your fulfillment pipeline can keep up.
4. Disputes That Clump Together
Most providers won't suspend you over one or two chargebacks. But if they happen in a cluster (like five in a single day), they might suspect systemic problems.
This gets worse if your customer service channels are slow or if your product category already lives in a higher-risk tier (like supplements, coaching, digital goods, or electronics). Even one "unauthorized" dispute combined with a pending refund or fulfillment delay can snowball.
5. Frequent Refunds Without Explanation
Too many voluntary refunds, even without chargebacks, can look like you're trying to head off disputes. Stripe and PayPal both monitor for this.
Some merchants reported getting flagged after issuing dozens of refunds for a product launch that didn't meet expectations. It wasn't fraud, but the refund pattern suggested a potential fulfillment or quality issue to the algorithm.
Signals You Might Be Getting Close to Trouble
Here's what several merchants said they saw before the suspension happened:
- Payout delays or sudden reserve increases
- Support tickets going "under review" without a clear response
- More customers saying their cards were declined
- Automated notices about your "risk rating" or needing account verification
If any of that is happening, you might already be on a watchlist.
How to Reduce Your Risk Without Killing Growth
Set Clear, Realistic Expectations
Make sure your site's copy matches what you can actually deliver. If fulfillment might take 5 days, don't say 2.
Use Pre-Notifications for Product or Promo Changes
If you're launching something new, scaling ads quickly, or running a major promo, consider emailing your payment processor ahead of time. A simple heads-up can prevent flags.
Track Refund and Chargeback Ratios Weekly
You don't need to wait until you hit the 1% chargeback threshold. Look at patterns, even a 0.4% ratio that jumps to 0.8% in a week might be enough to cause trouble.
Tone Down the Hype
If you're in a high-risk category, avoid using phrases like "guaranteed," "overnight," "instant cure," or "double your money." These aren't just ad flags; they can actually make your whole account a target.
Diversify Your Payment Options
One merchant put it simply:
"We didn't get suspended, because we weren't depending on just one processor. Stripe froze payouts, but PayPal and our alt gateway kept the lights on." -Digital course seller
Having a backup processor (even if you rarely use it) is a smart insurance policy.
Final Thoughts
Suspensions don't just happen to "bad actors." They are fast-growing, legit businesses that accidentally trigger risk filters they didn't know existed.
The best way to stay ahead? Think like the platform. Monitor your dispute ratios, match your marketing to your performance, and don't wait for a suspension notice to take action.
Struggling to Keep Your Chargeback Ratio Low?
Chargebacks are one of the top triggers for account holds, and they don't always come with a warning. Chargeblast helps you stop disputes before they happen by automating alerts, deflections, and evidence that works. Whether you're scaling fast or trying to clean up a messy record, we'll help you stay below the radar and stay live.
