# Refund privacy practices for customers of businesses using Stripe

This page is for customers of businesses that use Stripe for payment processing. It covers frequently asked questions about charge refunds and privacy practices.
For questions related to charges, subscriptions, or specific businesses using Stripe, see FAQ for customers of businesses using Stripe.
* [What is Stripe?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#what-is-stripe)
* [Where did you get my email address?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#email-address)
* [Why am I being asked to provide my bank account information?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#provide-bank-information)
* [How do I know this email is legitimate?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#know-email-legitimate)
* [What data does Stripe collect, store, and share?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#what-data-does-stripe-collect)
* [What is the relationship between Stripe and the business providing the refund?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#relationship-between-stripe-and-business)
* [Is my financial information safe?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#financial-information)
* [Who can access my bank account information and for what purposes?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#who-can-access-my-bank-information)
* [Are there alternatives to providing my bank account information?](/questions/refund-privacy-practices-for-customers-of-businesses-using-stripe#alternatives-to-bank-information)
### What is Stripe?
Stripe is a payment service provider that [millions of businesses](https://stripe.com/customers) use to accept payments, send payouts, and manage their businesses online.
### Where did you get my email address?
The business you purchased from supplied Stripe with your email address to facilitate the refund process. Stripe acts as a service provider to process payments and refunds on behalf of the business.
### Why am I being asked to provide my bank account information?
Stripe may request your bank account information on behalf of the business you purchased from. This is necessary to process the refund for goods or services bought using a payment method that does not support direct refunds.
### How do I know this email is legitimate?
Stripe will send refund emails from “**stripe.com**” email addresses in a format similar to “**support+acct\_1234abcd@stripe.com**”.
Check the email address to ensure that the domain is “**stripe.com**” and not a misspelling such as “**stirpe.com**”. You can also hover over the links in the email body to confirm that they point to “**stripe.com**” URLs. See Verified Stripe Domains.
After clicking the button to enter your account information, you can also double check in your browser that the website is a “**stripe.com**” domain.
### What data does Stripe collect, store, and share?
Stripe may access and store copies of the following financial information to facilitate the refund:
* Account details, including account number, routing number, and local account identification number.
* Identity information, including your email, name, Tax ID, and mailing address.
The information obtained by Stripe may vary based on your location and the original form of payment.
We may give the business you purchased from access to your information to facilitate your customer service requests or questions.
### What is the relationship between Stripe and the business providing the refund?
Stripe is a service provider that facilitates the refund on behalf of the business you purchased from.
Stripe does not sell or rent your financial account information to third parties, including marketers. Stripe will use your account information to perform refund services for the business using Stripe, to combat fraud, or to comply with legal requirements, in accordance with our [privacy policy](https://stripe.com/privacy).
### Is my financial information safe?
Stripe maintains organizational, technical, and administrative measures designed to protect financial account information against unauthorized access, destruction, loss, alteration, or misuse. In particular, all data associated with financial accounts is encrypted in transit and at rest.
Because of the sensitive nature of this information, it is also protected by additional access controls, along with ongoing monitoring to prevent data misuse. [Learn more](https://stripe.com/privacy-center/legal#data-transfers) about the safeguards we've put in place to protect data transfers and control access.
### Who can access my bank account information and for what purposes?
Stripe will have access to bank account information you provide. We'll also share the relevant details with our bank partners to process the refund.
We may give the business you purchased from access to your information to facilitate your customer service requests or questions. We will only use your data as outlined in our [Privacy Policy](https://stripe.com/privacy).
### Are there alternatives to providing my bank account information?
If you prefer not to provide your bank account details and/or receive a refund via a direct refund through Stripe, contact the business you purchased from.