The Signed Reviews Stripe app for reviews sends a review request to each new paying customer and links each review to that charge. Setup takes a few minutes, with minimal permissions and no code.
The Stripe App Marketplace listed 125 apps by March 2024 (Stripe), for taxes, analytics, subscriptions and fraud prevention. Only a handful handle reviews. Signed Reviews matches every review to a real charge in your Stripe account.
Why You Need a Dedicated Stripe App for Reviews
Generic review tools can't verify that a reviewer actually paid you through Stripe: they rely on email invites, customer lists, or Shopify order records that you control. A dedicated Stripe app for reviews reads real charge data directly from Stripe via least-privilege OAuth, so every review is matched to a charge record that comes from your payment processor, not from you. No order fabrication, no fake verification badges, no trust gaps.
What "Stripe-native" actually means
Most review platforms that claim to "integrate with Stripe" do so indirectly: through a CRM connector, a Zapier workflow, a webhook handshake, or a manual CSV export. The integration is a feature checkbox, not an architectural commitment.
A Stripe-native review app is different. It:
- Connects directly to Stripe via OAuth: not through an intermediary platform
- Uses Stripe as its primary data source: charges, customers, refunds, subscriptions are read directly from the Stripe API
- Operates within Stripe's permission model: least-privilege OAuth scopes, enforced by Stripe, not by the app's own policy
- Tracks charge outcomes in Stripe: new successful charges, full refunds and disputes, read from Stripe's own charge records (the charge object carries
refundedanddisputedflags) - Is listed on the Stripe App Marketplace: discoverable by the more than one million businesses using Stripe
The architectural difference: a non-native integration translates between Stripe's data model and the review platform's data model. A native integration doesn't translate. It reads Stripe's data directly. There's no intermediary where data can be dropped, modified, or fabricated.
How the SignedReviews Stripe App for Reviews Works
Setting up the Stripe app for reviews takes under 5 minutes:
Connect Stripe via OAuth. Click "Connect Stripe" in your SignedReviews dashboard. You're redirected to Stripe's OAuth authorization page, a
stripe.comURL. The permissions are least-privilege:charge_read,customer_read,subscription_readandbalance_transaction_source_read(Stripe's permission reference), plus two write permissions,coupon_writeandpromotion_code_write, used only to mint single-use discount coupons for reviewers when the business enables review incentives. No charge or refund capability, enforced by Stripe.Automatic review requests for new paying customers. Once connected, each new paying customer automatically gets a verified review invitation at their payment email: one sequence per customer, an invite plus up to 2 reminders. No manual customer lists, no CSV uploads, no Zapier workflows.
Verified badge displayed automatically. Each submitted review is cryptographically signed over its rating, text, Stripe charge ID and timestamp, producing a tamper-evident review with a "Verified by Signed Reviews" badge. Anyone can check the review on the public verification page. See pricing for plan details.
How the Stripe OAuth connection works
The Signed Reviews Stripe App uses Stripe's standard OAuth 2.0 flow for Stripe Apps.
- You click "Connect Stripe" in your Signed Reviews dashboard. You're redirected to Stripe's OAuth authorization page, a
stripe.comURL, not a Signed Reviews page. - Stripe shows you exactly which permissions are requested. The scopes are:
- Four read permissions: charges, customers, subscriptions, balance transactions
- Two write permissions,
coupon_writeandpromotion_code_write, used only for opt-in review-incentive coupons - No ability to create charges, issue refunds, or move funds.
- You review and click "Connect." Stripe redirects you back to Signed Reviews with an authorization code.
- Signed Reviews exchanges the code for a token: a short-lived access token (Stripe expires these after 1 hour) limited to the scopes you approved. The token never touches your Stripe API keys; it's an OAuth token with strictly limited permissions.
- The connection is live. Each new paying customer automatically gets a review invitation, once. A full refund or dispute hides the associated review automatically (charges are re-checked every 6 hours; partial refunds stay visible).
What Signed Reviews can see:
- Charges: amount, date, customer email, payment status
- Customers: email, name, metadata
- Subscriptions: status, plan, customer
- Refunds: which charges were refunded, when
What Signed Reviews cannot do:
- Create, modify, or refund charges
- Access your Stripe API keys
- See your Stripe dashboard or account settings
- Access any data from connected accounts (if you use Stripe Connect)
This isn't a policy promise. It's enforced by Stripe's OAuth permission model. If Signed Reviews tried a request outside its granted permissions, such as creating a charge, Stripe's API would reject it: a 403 Forbidden means the key "doesn't have permissions to perform the request" (Stripe API errors). The limitation is structural, not contractual.
Stripe App for Reviews vs. Generic Review Platforms
| Generic review platform | Stripe app for reviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Verification source | Email, CSV import, or merchant order data | Stripe charge records (independent processor) |
| Can fake reviews be created? | Yes (fabricate orders, invite non-customers) | Not for free: requires a real Stripe charge with real fees |
| Refund handling | Manual, flag and report | Automatic: a full refund or dispute hides the review (re-checked every 6 hours) |
| Setup | API keys, webhooks, platform connectors | One-click OAuth, no code |
| Verification level | Level 1–3 (email to merchant-supplied) | Level 4 (processor-attested) |
Most review platforms verify against data you provide, which means you're both the subject of the review and the source of the verification. A Stripe app for reviews breaks that conflict of interest by using Stripe as an independent third party. Your Stripe-verified reviews carry a trust signal.
Why the Stripe App model prevents fake reviews
Every fake-review method relies on the reviewer or the merchant being able to fabricate evidence that a purchase occurred. A Stripe-native review app makes this much harder:
| Fake-review method | Why it doesn't work with Stripe-native verification |
|---|---|
| Click farm / bot review | No Stripe charge exists for the reviewer's email → review rejected |
| Merchant creates a fake order | Creating a Stripe charge requires a real payment (Stripe fees apply). Outside subscriptions, Stripe enforces a minimum charge, 0.50 USD for US-dollar settlement (Stripe docs) |
| Brushing (shipping empty box to real address) | Requires a real Stripe charge paid with real money. Fully refunding the charge hides the review automatically |
| Incentivized review (refund after review) | A full refund hides the review at the next 6-hourly re-check |
| AI-generated review from non-customer | No Stripe charge → no invitation → no review path exists |
At Level 3 (merchant-supplied verification), a fake review costs whatever the merchant pays for the fake order, which can be nothing: Shopify lets a merchant create a draft order, apply a discount or mark it as paid (Shopify Help Center). At Level 4 (processor-attested), every fake review costs at least the Stripe processing fee (2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card transaction on Stripe's standard US pricing) plus the product cost, and risks Stripe account suspension for fraudulent activity.
How the Stripe App compares to Shopify review apps
Most review apps live in the Shopify App Store, not the Stripe App Marketplace. Here's the architectural difference:
| Shopify review app | Stripe app for reviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Data source for verification | Shopify order records | Stripe charge records |
| Who controls the data source | The merchant (store admin) | The payment processor (independent) |
| Can the merchant fabricate verification data? | Yes, create a test order | Not for free: creating a Stripe charge costs real money |
| Verification level | Level 3 (merchant-supplied) | Level 4 (processor-attested) |
| Installation | Shopify App Store | Stripe App Marketplace |
| Platform lock-in | Tied to Shopify | Works with any platform where you take payment through your own Stripe account |
A Shopify review app is excellent for Shopify-only businesses. A Stripe app for reviews works anywhere you take payment through your own Stripe account: Shopify (not Shopify Payments), WooCommerce, custom-built SaaS, digital products, invoices, subscriptions. The verification model is independent of the commerce platform.
What to look for in a Stripe review app
If you're evaluating a Stripe app for reviews on the Stripe Marketplace:
- Which permissions does the connection ask for? If the app requests write permissions, ask why. A review app doesn't need to create charges or issue refunds to verify purchases: the only write Signed Reviews uses is minting single-use discount coupons for reviewers, and only when the business enables review incentives.
- Does it handle refunds? Fully refunded or disputed charges should hide their associated reviews automatically.
- Does it work with Stripe Billing / subscriptions? Subscription businesses have recurring charges: check how renewals are handled. Signed Reviews invites each customer once, not on every renewal.
- Does it support Stripe Connect? If you run a platform or marketplace, ask whether the app can read charges made on your connected accounts. Many Stripe apps, Signed Reviews included, read only the account they are installed on.
- Is the verification cryptographic? Does the app sign reviews? A cryptographic signature means the review can be checked for tampering at any point in the future by any party.
FAQ
Is there a Stripe app for reviews that actually verifies purchases?
Yes, the SignedReviews Stripe App is listed on the Stripe App Marketplace and verifies every review against a real, completed Stripe charge, and hides it if that charge is later fully refunded or disputed. It uses Stripe's charge records, not merchant data, as the source of truth for purchase verification.
How is a Stripe app for reviews different from a Shopify review app?
A Shopify review app (like Judge.me or Loox) verifies against Shopify order records, which the merchant controls. A Stripe app for reviews verifies against Stripe charge records, which come from the payment processor, not the merchant. The difference is structural: you can create a Shopify order and mark it as paid without collecting any money; a Stripe charge costs real processing fees and risks account suspension if it is fake.
How long does it take to set up the Stripe app for reviews?
A few minutes. Connect your Stripe account via one-click OAuth (minimal permissions), customize your branding, and you're live. Each new paying customer automatically gets a verified review invitation: no code, no webhooks, no ongoing maintenance. See pricing for plan options. For broader questions about the platform, see the general FAQ.
Bottom line
A Stripe-native review app is a review app whose verification model is built on Stripe's data: independent, least-privilege, and structurally resistant to fabrication. If you process payments through Stripe, a dedicated Stripe app for reviews gives you processor-attested verification that no generic review platform can match.
Further reading:
- Stripe Verified Reviews, the complete guide to processor-attested review collection
- How Stripe Review Verification Works, the technical architecture
- Transaction-Verified Reviews, what they are and why they're the hardest to fake
- Review App for Stripe Payments, the Stripe-native review app landscape
Every review tied to a real Stripe payment
Signed Reviews attaches a cryptographic signature to each review, linked to a completed transaction. Free to start: unlimited self-service reviews, 10 automated invitations, no credit card.
Start free → How verification works