How it works
- TrialValid takes your brand name and keeps only capital letters A to Z and digits 0 to 9, up to 10 characters.
- The suffix is sent to Stripe, which joins it to your account prefix as
PREFIX* SUFFIXon the card statement. - If you set a full descriptor yourself, it is checked first: 5 to 22 characters, Latin letters, digits, spaces and punctuation, at least one letter, and none of
< > \ ' " *. - A descriptor that breaks a rule is refused with a message that names the rule, before it reaches Stripe.
Why it works
A buyer who does not recognize a line on their statement is the buyer who asks the bank about it. A descriptor built from your brand name is one they recognize.
Card statements show the prefix on your Stripe account, then * , then the suffix, inside 22 characters in total. The prefix is 2 to 10 characters, so a suffix of up to 10 fits with any prefix. If a brand name has no letter in it, the suffix falls back to TRIAL.
Stripe may replace everything after the 10th character with * TRIAL OVER on charges made at the end of a trial, so put what matters most first.
Traditional approach versus this
| Setting it by hand | With TrialValid | |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the text | Guess what the rules allow | Built from your brand name by a fixed rule |
| Catching a bad value | An error from Stripe, or a rejected change | A clear message before anything is sent |
| Length limit | Look it up in Stripe documentation | Checked for you: suffix up to 10, full descriptor 5 to 22 |
| Brand with no letters | Fails or shows digits only | Falls back to a safe suffix |
Controls
- You can set your own descriptor instead of the one built from your brand.
- The rules are enforced as Stripe states them: 5 to 22 characters, at least one letter, no
< > \ ' " *. - Card payments use the suffix form, so the suffix never exceeds 10 characters.
How long can a statement suffix be?
Up to 10 characters. That leaves room for any Stripe account prefix, which is 2 to 10 characters, inside the 22 character total.
What are the rules for a full descriptor?
Between 5 and 22 characters, Latin characters only, at least one letter, and none of < > \ ' " *.
Why does the end of my descriptor change on some charges?
Stripe may overwrite what follows the 10th character with * TRIAL OVER on charges made when a trial ends. Keep the part buyers recognize in the first 10 characters.
What if my brand name has no letters?
The suffix falls back to TRIAL, because a descriptor needs at least one letter.
Are lowercase letters kept?
The suffix built from your brand is uppercase. A descriptor you set yourself may use any printable Latin characters that pass the rules.