Stripe shut down my indie word game and won't clarify why
by DamnInteresting | 2025-05-23 18:05:37+00:00
I've been putting some finishing touches on my daily web-based word game Omiword (https://www.omiword.com/). It was even discussed on HN in a recent Show HN thread[1]. The idea is for the player to drag tiles within sectors to spell four common English words.

After sharing the game with some people, and receiving mostly positive feedback, one of the frequently requested features was the ability to pay a small one-time fee to unlock access to the puzzle archive. I decided I should get that working before I announce the game to the intended wider audience.

I've been using Stripe for these sorts of projects for over 10 years, and it seemed like a perfect fit for this little game. I created a payment link, coded a webhook, and with a few days of coding and testing, it seemed to be working swimmingly. A few early adopters even elected to pay the $5 USD fee to unlock the archive.

Then on 08 May 2025, I received an email from Stripe:

> We’re writing to let you know that we have determined that your business, Omiword (account ID: [redacted]), is in violation of the Stripe Services Agreement. Specifically, we are unable to accept payments for the use of Stripe in a manner inconsistent with its intended use such as misusing data, or using it to store value, as mentioned on our Restricted Businesses list.

I looked through the Stripe restricted business list[2], and I don't see anything resembling Omiword. I wrote back, explaining that this is just a free daily word game, and players have the option to pay to unlock access to older puzzles. No gambling, no in-game currency, no adult content. Stripe eventually wrote back to say:

> Unfortunately, following an additional review of your account we’re still unable to support your business as it falls under one of our restricted businesses categories.

After further exchanges with their support, I finally got a hint what the issue might be: the initial handful of charges on the account were to my own credit card. I explained that these were just test transactions, getting the webhook working properly in production. I wasn't aware this was an issue. On 13 May they replied:

> We're able to continue accepting payments for your business moving forward as long as all future transactions come from customers and not from you.

Okay, I acknowledged and agreed to this stipulation. I've stuck to it. Nevertheless, Stripe kept sending me automated messages about my account's imminent closure. I contacted support again, and they just kept replying along the lines of, "My team and I are reviewing the details. We're committed to completing this review as soon as possible."

Today, about two weeks after the initial notice, I received this from Stripe:

> This is our final notice, informing you that we’ve determined that your business, Omiword (account ID: [redacted]) is in violation of the Stripe Services Agreement. [...] As a result, your account has now been closed and can no longer accept payments.

Sure enough, the payment link in Omiword now leads to a "Something went wrong" page.

In my experience, Stripe used to be great. But now they spend weeks "investigating" a simple web-based indie game. Further, this game is owned by a Stripe customer with over 10 years in good standing. At this point they've wasted hours of my life, and I have to start over with another payment provider, or give up my modest monetization hopes for this game (speaking of which, any recommendations for a payment alternative?).

I know that Stripe is not obligated to do business with anybody, including me. They're not even required to explain themselves. But if they are going to offer their services, and then cause enormous hassles for people who take them up on it in good faith, their actions should have appropriate consequences for their reputation.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43654350

[2] https://stripe.com/legal/restricted-businesses