Three states donors see
- Verification pending: organizer started Stripe Connect Express onboarding but it has not completed. Donations capped at $500 per donation and $5,000 total. Payouts held. 14-day deadline from the first donation, otherwise the campaign auto-pauses.
- Payout account verified: Stripe confirmed the recipient's payout details. Caps lifted. Payouts on schedule.
- Verification incomplete: rejected, or 14-day deadline lapsed. Campaign paused. Existing donors contacted about refunds.
What the verified badge confirms
We use Stripe Connect Express. When the badge says Payout account verified, Stripe has confirmed:
- The organizer's legal name and date of birth.
- Identity documents (government-issued ID, last-4 SSN where required).
- Bank account ownership.
- Address and other Know-Your-Customer details required for US payouts.
What the verified badge does not confirm
The badge does not say Identity verified, Story verified, or Medical claim verified. We deliberately do not use that wording. Stripe verifies payout capability, not the truthfulness of a campaign's story. Donate based on the organizer's account, not specific promises about outcomes.
The 14-day verification window
When the first donation arrives on a verification-pending campaign, a 14-day countdown begins. The organizer must complete Stripe Connect Express verification within that window. If they do not, the campaign auto-pauses and the refund-or-resolution path triggers.
Donation caps while pending
To limit blast radius, donations are capped while verification is pending: $500 per donation and $5,000 in total raised. When the campaign reaches $5,000, the donate button is blocked with copy explaining why; donations resume after verification completes.