Payment problems
When payments go wrong, speed and honesty matter
Pick the situation you’re in. Each guide covers what’s actually happening, what to do right now, and the realistic way back — no rescue fantasies.
Stripe account frozen
A freeze usually means Stripe’s risk systems flagged your account — often with funds held and payouts paused. It is recoverable, and it is survivable.
PayPal account limited
Limitation means PayPal has restricted some or all account functions while it reviews you — often with funds inaccessible for up to 180 days.
Bank rejected your business account
UK banks decline and exit whole sectors as policy — often without saying which policy. There is a regulated alternative, and it isn’t offshore.
Rolling reserve too high
A rolling reserve is the acquirer holding a slice of every settlement against future chargebacks. Set lazily, it can cost more than your processing fees.
Hidden merchant fees
The headline rate is rarely the problem — the drift lives in blends, surcharges and ancillary lines nobody mentioned at signing.
Listed on MATCH
A MATCH listing makes new merchant accounts harder — not impossible. The route back runs through disclosure, remediation and specialist underwriting.
A note on fairness: platform freezes, limitations and reserves are risk policies applied under terms merchants accepted — frustrating is not the same as improper. These guides stick to what is true and what works.
Not sure which situation is yours?
Describe what happened and a specialist will point you at the right path — honestly, including when the answer is to work your current provider’s process.