Stripe Check Scan Service Payment Method Terms

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Last updated: April 28, 2025

These Payment Method Terms (“Terms”) apply when you use the Stripe Check Scan Service (as defined below) to accept paper checks as a Payment Method.  

1. Definitions

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this section or the Stripe Services Agreement are defined in the body of these Terms.

“Electronic Check” means an electronic image of, and electronic information derived from an eligible paper check (as described in these Terms and the Documentation), including information captured from the Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) line.    

“Hardware” means a mobile phone camera or other scanning hardware that provides capture functionality by scanning a paper check and digitizing the image into an Electronic Check. 

“Paying Bank” means the bank on which the original paper check to which the Electronic Check relates is drawn or through which the original paper check is payable.     

2. The Stripe Check Scan Service

The Service provided under these Terms allows you to accept as a Payment Method, eligible paper checks that you have captured to create  Electronic Checks, and submit those Electronic Checks as Transactions (“Stripe Check Scan Service”).  

3.  Enabling the Stripe Check Scan Service

a. You must submit each Electronic Check as a Transaction to Stripe.  Stripe will review all submitted Electronic Checks and forward any Electronic Checks ready for acceptance to a bank that is our Financial Partner for purposes of offering the Stripe Check Scan Service (“Partner Bank”).  If Stripe identifies an error for any submitted Electronic Check, Stripe may notify you or your Platform (as applicable).  If the error can be corrected, you will give your Customer an opportunity to make the correction and resubmit the check.  Your Platform  may conduct additional review of Electronic Checks before submitting them through the Stripe Check Scan Service as a Transaction.  Your Platform may reject an Electronic Check in its sole discretion.

b. All Electronic Checks you submit through the Stripe Check Scan Service must include: (i) the front and back of the paper check with the image in the proper orientation, and (ii) the following information in a clearly readable manner: amount, your name as the payee, Customer signature as payor, date, check number, account number, routing and transit number, MICR line, and your endorsement or additional information written under the signature as required under these Terms.  

c. You acknowledge that Stripe or Partner Bank may at any time refuse to process paper checks for you, even if the paper check meets the eligibility requirements described in Section 4 below.  

d. Checks must be payable to you, and you will endorse the back of the check by writing the following under your signature: “For credit to the account of Stripe Payments Company, for mobile deposit only.”   You agree that Stripe may reject checks submitted  to the Stripe Check Scan Service that lack this endorsement.

e. You must review and validate the accuracy and completeness of the check data being captured, including the amount of the check and the legibility of the check image generated. You are responsible for any numerical errors on the deposit data entry.

f. You must retain each paper check in a secure location for a period of 14 days after you submit the Electronic Check, and then securely destroy it (including all Personal Data on the original paper check) unless Stripe instructs you otherwise.  After destruction of the paper check, the Electronic Check will be the sole record of the paper check.

g.  To the extent Law permits, Stripe will deduct the amount of any Electronic Check that you submit through the Stripe Check Scan Service that is returned or rejected for any reason from your Stripe Account at any time without notice to you or as otherwise permitted under the Stripe Services Agreement.  Any Electronic Check that you submit may be returned in the form of a “substitute check,” as that term is defined in the Check Clearing in the 21st Century Act.  If an Electronic Check is returned, it may no longer be eligible for the Stripe Check Scan Service.

4. Restrictions on the Use of the Stripe Check Scan Service and Eligibility Requirements

a. You must not duplicate, negotiate or submit the same original paper checks and you must not submit checks that are illegible or contain MICR data that is not machine-readable.

b. You acknowledge and agree that:

(i) You may only use the Stripe Check Scan Service to accept original paper checks which are denominated in U.S. Dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank, and  

(ii) You cannot use the Stripe Check Scan Service to accept:

  •  U.S. savings bonds or other non-check items (U.S. savings bonds have a routing transaction number of 000090007)
  • Items written for amounts $100,000,000.00 or greater
  • Image replacement documents (IRDs) or any other items with a value other than 4 (or blank) in position 44 of the MICR line
  • Paper drafts without MICR printing
  • Items with more than 19 characters in the on-us field in the MICR line
  • Electronic images that do not comply with ANSI (X9) standards
  • Items in carrier envelopes
  •  Indemnified photocopies
  • Internal documents or other non-check items (deposit tickets or bank batch tickets, for example)
  • Traveler’s checks
  • Money orders/U.S. postal money orders
  • Remotely created checks (whether in paper form or electronically created)
  • Electronically created items (items created electronically and not derived from a paper check)
  • Convenience checks (checks draw against a line of credit)
  • Third party checks (other than checks originally payable to you and endorsed to SPC as required)
  • Checks payable to multiple payees
  • Cash
  • Paper checks that have not been converted to Electronic Checks

c. You will not use the Stripe Check Scan Service to transmit or submit any item (i) which you know or should know to be fraudulent, altered (except for the endorsement required by these Terms), or unauthorized; (ii) that is a substitute check; (iii) that is drawn on your own account; (iv) that has previously been returned as unpaid or uncollected (except as otherwise expressly agreed by Stripe in writing); or (v) that is greater than 180 days old.

5. Funds Availability

Stripe will promptly update your Stripe Account balance to reflect  Transactions processed through the Stripe Check Scan Service pursuant to the applicable funds availability schedule available in the Documentation.  However, if applicable, your Platform may decide to make funds available sooner or later, in which case they will communicate that revised funds availability schedule to you.  Additionally, if our Bank Partner has to create a substitute check from an Electronic Check, you acknowledge that this may affect funds availability timelines. 

6. Representations and Warranties

In addition to any representations or warranties under the Stripe Services Agreement, you represent and warrant that you will:

a. use the Stripe Check Scan Service only for eligible paper checks payable to or endorsed by you for deposit with our Partner Bank;

b. submit via the Stripe Check Scan Service only Electronic Checks eligible for processing including legible Electronic Checks containing machine-readable MICR data;

c. not use the Stripe Check Scan Service to submit any Electronic Check that duplicates an Electronic Check previously submitted or that did not originate as an eligible paper check;

d. ensure that each original paper check for which you have created an Electronic Check is securely retained and then securely destroyed (including all nonpublic personal information on the original paper check) and properly secure all Hardware you use in connection with the Stripe Check Scan Service;

e. not submit or otherwise negotiate any original eligible paper check for which you have transmitted an Electronic Check to us, unless Stripe has expressly requested it in writing; 

f. ensure Stripe submits on your behalf only Electronic Checks payable to you;

g. ensure that the Electronic Check accurately represents all of the information on the front and back of the paper check as of the time it was captured (including payment, identification and endorsement information), and the electronic information includes an accurate record of all MICR line information and the amount of the original paper check; and 

h. ensure that the Paying Bank will not be asked to make payment on an item that it has already paid.  

7.  Liability. 

Neither Stripe, nor any of its Financial Partners, will have liability or responsibility for losses arising from any of the following in connection with deposit of Electronic Checks with the Partner Bank (except to the extent such losses occur as a result of Stripe’s or its Financial Partners gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud):

a. Duplication of images of paper checks deposited using the Stripe Check Scan Service;

b. Alteration of scanned images of paper checks deposited;

c. Deposit of paper checks on accounts with insufficient funds, counterfeit checks, fraudulent paper checks, or paper checks bearing unauthorized or forged endorsements;

d. Deposit of paper checks which do not accurately represent all the information on the front of the check, including all MICR line information and the amount of the check;

e. Hardware failure or failure of internet or mobile services; or

f. Failure to securely store original paper checks once the scanned image has been captured.

Stripe’s Financial Partners may enforce this section directly against you.

8. User Information

In addition to requirements for User Information under the Stripe Services Agreement, you must, upon request by Stripe or your Platform (if applicable), provide the information Stripe or Partner Bank requires to understand the nature of your business.  

9. Additional Platform Terms

If you are a Platform User, the following additional terms apply to you in connection with your use of the Stripe Check Scan Service:

a.  You are responsible for communicating any relevant information or requirements (including these Terms) to your Connected Accounts accepting paper checks as a Payment Method via the Stripe Check Scan Service through you.  

b.  You may decide to make funds available sooner or later than Stripe’s general timing.  You must disclose your funds availability schedule to your Connected Accounts so they know when they can generally expect funds to be available. 

c.  You may conduct additional review of Electronic Checks before submitting them through the Stripe Check Scan Service as a Transaction.  You may reject an Electronic Check in your sole discretion; however, Stripe is not responsible for any such rejection and you will communicate such rejection to your Connected Account.  

d.  Stripe may deduct the amount of any Electronic Check that your Connected Accounts submit through the Stripe Check Scan Service that is returned or rejected for any reason from your Stripe Account or as otherwise permitted under the Stripe Services Agreement.

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