A statement descriptor is the text that explains a charge on a customer's bank or card statement. On Stripe it must be 5 to 22 Latin characters, include at least one letter and reflect your doing-business-as name. You can set one static descriptor for every payment. For card payments you can also set a 2-to-10-character prefix and add a dynamic suffix to each charge, such as a program name. Stripe notes that clear, accurate descriptors can reduce chargebacks and disputes.
What is a statement descriptor?
It is the name and short text that appear next to a payment on your customer's bank or card statement. Stripe says descriptors "explain charges or payments on bank statements" and that clear, accurate ones "can reduce chargebacks and disputes." Banks and card networks require certain information so customers can understand their statements.
Most banks show the descriptor consistently. Stripe notes some may show it incorrectly or not at all.
What are Stripe's rules for a descriptor?
A complete descriptor, whether one static value or a prefix and suffix together, must:
- Use only Latin characters.
- Be between 5 and 22 characters.
- Contain at least one letter, in both the prefix and the suffix if you use both.
- Leave out these characters:
<>\'"* - Reflect your doing-business-as (DBA) name.
- Be more than a single common term or common website URL.
What is the difference between a static descriptor and a dynamic suffix?
| Part | What it is | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Static descriptor | One value set in the Dashboard | Non-card payments such as ACH, and the card prefix if you set no prefix |
| Prefix (shortened descriptor) | 2 to 10 characters tied to your account | Card payments |
| Dynamic suffix | Details added to each charge | Card payments only |
Stripe joins the prefix, an asterisk, a space and the suffix. The whole thing must stay within 22 characters. Stripe's own example: with the prefix RUNCLUB (7 characters), the suffix can be up to 13 characters, giving RUNCLUB* OCT MARATHON.
If you set a static descriptor but no prefix, Stripe uses the static descriptor as the card prefix and cuts it to 10 characters if it is longer.
How does it work on invoices and subscriptions?
Stripe creates these charges automatically, so you can't set the descriptor on each payment. Stripe picks it in this order: the one set on the invoice, then the one set on the product, then your account default.
Why does the descriptor matter on a payment plan?
A plan can put the same charge on a statement every month for a year. If the descriptor shows a parent company name the customer has never heard of, they may not connect it to the program they signed up for. Stripe's page on multiple accounts gives the example of a customer who bought from "XYZ" but sees a charge from "ABC," which can end in a dispute. A clear name, and a suffix like the program or location on card payments, helps each installment read as what it is.
Can each location have its own descriptor?
Each Stripe account has its own public business information, including its descriptor. Stripe says separate businesses sharing one account can confuse customers, and that each additional account "has its own public information to accurately describe your business and payments." A group with a separate Stripe account per location can give each its own name. Within one account, card payments can carry a per-charge suffix. For a non-card payment such as ACH, Stripe lets you override the static descriptor when you create the payment through its API.
What does a refunded ACH payment look like?
Stripe sends an ACH refund as a separate credit to the customer's bank account. It isn't labelled as a refund. It shows as a credit referencing the original payment's statement descriptor, so Stripe recommends telling the customer when you issue one.
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on Oct 6, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.