I'm Sergei Tokmakov, a California attorney. Stripe froze your funds with the boilerplate "review" email and stopped responding. The 30-day attorney demand letter often unsticks funds before AAA arbitration becomes necessary. The $1,200 package attaches a draft AAA arbitration demand as leverage.
Stripe disputes are governed by the Stripe Services Agreement, which mandates AAA Commercial Arbitration in Delaware for almost all disputes. A 30-day attorney demand letter to Stripe legal often unsticks frozen funds before arbitration is necessary. The $1,200 package includes a drafted AAA arbitration demand attached to the letter as leverage. Filing fees for AAA arbitration scale with claim size; cases under $25,000 are often better resolved with the letter alone, while cases of $50,000+ justify the filed arbitration if the letter doesn't move funds. PayPal, Square, Shopify Payments, and most major processors use similar AAA-arbitration frameworks.
Stripe's Payment Services Agreement controls reserves and release timelines. I quote the relevant section so Stripe's counsel sees the contract argument.
Stripe PSAIf Stripe refuses, JAMS arbitration is the contractual remedy. I send the arbitration notice that triggers Stripe's internal escalation.
JAMS RulesStripe wants documentation, invoices, customer correspondence, refund records, chargeback records. I build the record that meets Stripe's release criteria.
Chargeback disputes go through a different process. I route them parallel to the reserve release so the merchant's two problems do not collapse into one stall.
Stripe freezes resolve on documentation and pressure, the attorney letter quoting the PSA and the arbitration forum is what moves the file.
Tap each step to see what it actually does, what it costs, and how often the case resolves at that rung. Most Stripe freezes resolve before the AAA hearing.
The letter quotes Stripe's Payment Services Agreement reserve-and-release language, identifies the specific PSA provision Stripe is operating under, and demands either release or a written basis under the contract. Sent USPS certified mail to Stripe's legal address plus email to risk operations.
Stripe's risk team is a documentation-driven shop. An attorney letter with CA Bar number, PSA citations, and a JAMS-arbitration trigger reframes the file from a low-priority hold to a legal-risk ticket. Most response within 14 days.
~50% resolve at this rungJAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules (or AAA Commercial Rules under Stripe's current PSA) require a pre-arbitration written notice describing the dispute and the relief sought before a demand can be filed. The notice triggers Stripe's internal pre-arb review, which is a different desk than risk operations.
This step alone often unsticks the funds because the file moves from a junior risk analyst to the dispute-resolution desk that knows what an arbitration filing costs Stripe.
~25% resolve at this rungThe arbitration demand is the leverage rung. Stripe's economics flip at this step: defending a single-merchant arbitration costs Stripe more than most held balances under $100,000. The filing triggers a 30-day administrative window in which Stripe's outside counsel typically reaches out to settle.
For balances above $100,000 this is the workable path; for balances under $25,000 the AAA filing fees usually outpace the recovery so the letter alone is the right move.
~20% resolve at this rungMost cases that reach this rung settle in pre-hearing exchange once Stripe's counsel has the merchant's documentary record in hand. Hearings are typically virtual, one to three sessions, on documents and limited testimony.
For seven-figure matters I refer to plaintiff-side fintech-arbitration specialist counsel and the demand-letter package serves as the intake document.
~5% reach this rungThe strongest Stripe demand letter is built from the account record and the freeze timeline. Before drafting, I ask for:
If documentation is incomplete, send what exists. I tell you what's missing and whether the gaps affect the letter's reach.
Email a paragraph + key documents.
I map the facts to the CA statute.
Attorney letter on letterhead.
Two revision rounds included.
USPS certified + email delivery.
Three negotiation responses included.
Email me a short paragraph about the account, the freeze date, and the amount held. I'll respond same day with a scoped flat-fee quote.
Email owner@terms.law