What is Stripe Radar?
Stripe Radar is a fraud detection system built into Stripe's payments infrastructure. It uses machine learning to identify and block fraudulent transactions in real time, without requiring separate setup or configuration. The system analyses payment patterns, device behaviour, and historical data to flag suspicious activity before it completes. Radar is designed for any business that accepts payments through Stripe, from small online shops to large marketplaces. It works automatically on all transactions, learning from your specific payment patterns over time. The service includes tools to review flagged transactions, create custom rules, and adjust sensitivity based on your needs.
Key Features
Real-time fraud detection
Analyses transactions as they occur and blocks high-risk payments automatically
Machine learning models
Learns from your payment history and industry patterns to improve accuracy
Custom rules engine
Create your own fraud rules based on transaction amount, geography, customer behaviour, or other criteria
Radar Lists
Track and block payments from known fraudsters or high-risk regions
Chargeback insights
Reviews past chargebacks to identify fraud patterns and prevent future ones
Integration with Stripe dashboard
Review, approve, or dispute flagged transactions within your normal workflow
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Free to use for all Stripe customers; no additional cost or setup fees
- Works automatically without needing technical configuration or separate services
- Reduces false positives over time as the system learns your legitimate transaction patterns
- Integrates directly with Stripe payments, so flagged transactions stay within your existing workflow
Limitations
- Only available to Stripe customers; cannot be used independently with other payment processors
- Limited control over the core ML models; customisation relies mainly on rule-based overrides rather than model tuning
Use Cases
E-commerce shops wanting to block fraudulent orders before processing
Marketplaces managing payments from multiple sellers and detecting suspicious vendor activity
Subscription services reducing chargeback rates from compromised cards
High-value merchants creating custom rules for industry-specific fraud patterns
Businesses operating internationally needing region-based fraud controls