# Business risk level considerations and evaluation

Stripe evaluates the risk of new and existing businesses on a regular basis and will take various actions – from asking for more information, to setting a reserve or closing your account – if we think the risk of supporting your business is too high.
### **How we define "risky"**
We take multiple factors into consideration when determining the level of risk associated with your business, including the industry you're operating in, how far in advance your customers buy your products/services and the reputation or history of your business.
The level of risk associated with any business often comes down to the potential for losses through either fraud or disputes, so we encourage you to read up on both before opening a Stripe account. You can learn more about best practices and suggestions for how to minimise these issues in our guide to [preventing disputes and fraud](https://stripe.com/docs/disputes/prevention). 
### **What we look at**
We'll look to confirm that your statement descriptor, and the descriptions of your products and services, are clear and accurate. This minimises customer confusion and prevents unnecessary or mistaken disputes.
We will also check that you provide clear information to your customers about issues that can increase the risk of dispute, such as how to contact your business, your fulfilment policies (e.g. refund, cancellation or delivery policies) and details about any free trials offered.
Lastly, we assess whether your website meets card network standards. We recommend reviewing our [website checklist](https://stripe.com/docs/checklist/website) to ensure that your website meets the network requirements.