Launching a membership site with Uscreen can be an exciting journey, but it's crucial to make sure that everything is in order before going live. Stripe, as well as any payment provider, is cautious about new customers and wants to ensure that they can trust both you and your business before partnering with you, and continuously during your partnership.
To help you avoid potential issues and make your launch as smooth as possible, we have compiled some best practices to consider when setting up your Stripe account and website.
1. Enable Stripe Fraud Protections
Protecting your business from fraudulent activities is paramount. Enabling fraud protections on your Stripe account is a crucial step to ensure the safety of your transactions. Fraudulent activities on a new Stripe account is a big red flag for Stripe. We recommend utilizing Stripe Radar and Block Rules:
Stripe Radar & Block Rules
While Stripe does charge a small fee for the full suite of Radar tools, you can enable Block rules completely for free. We HIGHLY recommend doing so.
Follow these steps to get started:
Log in to Your Stripe Account: Access your Stripe account dashboard.
Go to Payments.
Click on Fraud & Risk
Click on Rules
Scroll down to Block Rules and Enable.
Enable the rules that best fit but at minimum you should enable:
CVC Verification
Postal Code Verification
By taking this precaution, you can significantly reduce the risk of fraudulent transactions and chargebacks.
2. Utilizing Captcha on your Join page
CAPTCHA stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart". It is a test that is designed to distinguish between human and computer users. CAPTCHAs are often used to prevent automated spam or abuse.
Here is an example of a CAPTCHA:
A distorted image of text that the user must read and type correctly.
A math problem that the user must solve.
A challenge that requires the user to click on all of the images that contain a certain object.
CAPTCHAs can be effective in preventing automated spam or abuse, but they can also be frustrating for human users. Some CAPTCHAs are difficult to read or understand, and others can be easily bypassed by bots.
We can enable Captcha for your Join pages to help limit spam and bot attempts.
You can discuss enabling Captcha for your join pages by contacting your Onboarding Specialist, Customer Success Manager, or by reaching out to Uscreen Support.
3. Completed Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
For Stripe to view your website as trustworthy, it's absolutely crucial to have completed and well-defined "Terms of Service" and "Privacy Policy" pages on your site. These pages not only protect your business legally but also instill confidence in your customers. Make sure your Terms of Service and Privacy Policy pages:
Clearly outline your website's terms and conditions.
Explain your privacy practices, including how customer data is handled.
Having these pages in place assures Stripe that you are conducting your business ethically and responsibly.
We recommend that you place links to your Terms of Service and Privacy Policy pages in your footer navigation menu. Check out this guide on editing your footer navigation.
NOTE: Uscreen is unable to author Terms of Service and Privacy Policy content for you. We recommend checking out third-party providers or legal counsel to draft official legal documents.
4. Polish Your Website
Before launching your website, it is crucial to thoroughly review it. Broken links or unfinished content can deter potential customers and appear unprofessional to payment providers. Consider the following:
Test all links to ensure they work correctly.
Verify that your website appears polished and professional.
To be blunt, if your website does not look polished and professional, Stripe may be weary of you and your business. Be presentable.
Provocative photos or language on your homepage or catalog, including thumbnail images, can be a red flag for Stripe and other payment gateways, which can lead to account closure.
Address any incomplete sections or content.
Make sure your website fully describes what you offer.
Make sure that the content previewed on your homepage does not push boundaries for what Stripe considers to be Prohibited or Restricted businesses.
Content on your homepage should at all times be considered tasteful and presentable.
A well-maintained website not only attracts customers but also instills trust in your brand.
By following the aforementioned suggestions, you can help ensure that your new Stripe account begins on the right note. This will also help Stripe to trust you as a reliable partner who conducts business in good faith, and that they can associate themselves with a reputable and honest business.
Please be aware that Uscreen is not liable for any actions taken by Stripe, including the termination of their partnership with you. It is important to note that Stripe can end their partnership with you for any number of reasons. Therefore, it is recommended that you review Stripe's documentation on prohibited and restricted businesses.