Why is Stripe holding my money? What a reserve means
Ship ItChecked against the official source
Source checked 3 Oct 2026 · Published 3 Oct 2026 · Last reviewed 3 Oct 2026 · By Ctrl+Z Therapy (how we test)
The short answer
It may be a reserve: in Stripe's words, "a temporary hold on a portion of a business's funds for a predetermined period of time." Stripe's reasons include elevated dispute activity, an unexplained sharp increase in processing volume, longer-than-average delivery windows, or a higher risk of not fulfilling orders. Reserve funds are released in full at the end of the reserve period if they're not needed to cover disputes or refunds.
What to do
- Open the Balance page in your Stripe Dashboard and scroll to the Reserve pane at the bottom.
- Before you launch, read Stripe's list of prohibited and restricted businesses. Restricted ones need extra checks by Stripe and may need approval.
Good to know
- Stripe's FAQ doesn't give one size or length for reserves, so we don't either.
Source
Checked on 3 Oct 2026. Prices, limits and settings change, so check the source before you rely on them.