Do I Need a Business Website to Sign Up for Stripe?

No. You don't need a business website to sign up for Stripe. When you connect Stripe to TixFox, Stripe asks for one link where people can see what you do. That can be your website, a social media profile such as Facebook or Instagram, or a mobile app. If you have none of these, Stripe's support team can suggest other ways to verify your business.

Stripe asks because it has to confirm who it's processing payments for. Every payment on TixFox goes through your own Stripe account, so this check needs to be done before you can sell paid tickets.

What Stripe accepts as your link

Your website, if you have one.
A social media profile for your business or your events, such as a Facebook page, an Instagram account or a LinkedIn page.
A mobile app listing, if you sell through an app.

For a social profile, paste the full link to your own page, for example https://www.instagram.com/yourpage. A handle on its own, like @yourpage, or the platform's home page, like facebook.com, won't be accepted.

What the page should show

Stripe reviews the page you give it. It should always show:

Your business name.
A description of what you sell, such as the events you run. This should match what you tell Stripe during sign up.

By the time you start selling, Stripe also expects to find:

How customers can contact you.
Your refund and dispute policy.
Your cancellation policy, if you have one.
The terms of any promotions you run.
A return policy, if you sell physical goods.

A social profile has little room for all this. Stripe lets you link from your profile to another page that has the details, as long as that page is easy to reach from the profile.

Why activation gets held up

The page needs a password. Stripe has to be able to open it. Stripe may also ask you to confirm that you own the site.
The site isn't finished. A page that's under construction, or missing the details above, can slow things down. Once it's ready, update the link in your Stripe Dashboard.
Only a handle was entered. Use the full link to your profile.
The site blocks some countries. Remove the block until Stripe has verified you.

No website or social page?

That's fine too. Stripe also asks for a short description of what you sell, so write one clear sentence about the events you sell tickets to. If Stripe still can't verify you without a link, contact Stripe support and ask about other ways to verify your business.

Common questions

Can I use my Instagram or Facebook page?

Yes. Give Stripe the full link to your page, not just your handle.

My bio is too short for my refund policy. What do I do?

Put your policies on another page and link to it from your profile. Stripe accepts this as long as the page is easy to find from your profile.

Can I change the link later?

Yes. You can update your business website in your Stripe Dashboard at any time, for example when your new site goes live.

Do I need Stripe for free events?

No. Free events don't need Stripe.

Who reviews my link, TixFox or Stripe?

Stripe. Verification happens in your own Stripe account, so questions about a held up review are best sent to Stripe support.