When subscribers don't recognize a charge, give them a number to call before they call their bank.

Why does Substack need your phone number — and how do you keep your personal one private?

It happens more than you'd expect — a subscriber signed up months ago, forgot, and now sees an unfamiliar charge on their statement. Instead of reaching out to you, they call their bank. That dispute costs you $15 regardless of the outcome, and enough of them puts your Stripe account at risk.

Substack makes this worse: charges appear on bank statements as "STRIPE" — not your publication name. Even a subscriber who remembers signing up may not connect "STRIPE $8.00" to their newsletter subscription. Substack's own support documentation acknowledges this and recommends using a separate number for exactly this reason.

Turning off the phone number toggle in Stripe settings only hides it from receipts and invoices — it doesn't remove it from bank statements. The only real fix is a dedicated number with a greeting that tells subscribers who you are before they reach for the phone to call their bank.

Set up in minutes. Forget about it forever.

Step 1 — Choose your number

Pick a local or toll-free number. Both work with your Stripe account linked to Substack.

Step 2 — Write your greeting

Type what you want callers to hear. ZebraFone reads it to them automatically — no recording needed.

"Thanks for calling. If you're calling about a charge on your bank statement, you're a subscriber to Acme Newsletter on Substack. If you have questions about your subscription, please leave a message and we'll get back to you within 24 hours."

Step 3 — Update Stripe

Since Substack processes payments through Stripe, add your ZebraFone number in Stripe Dashboard → Settings → Business Profile. That's it.

From now on, subscribers who call hear your greeting — including your publication name — and can leave a voicemail if they need help. You get it transcribed and delivered to your inbox.