Wise Merchant Account Froze $400K of Systeme.io's Funds.

When you’re running a digital business, you need to know one thing: if you don’t own the platform, you don’t control the money.

This week, the CEO of Systeme.io revealed that Wise froze their account containing over $400,000. No warning, and no explanation! Just locked access to nearly half a million dollars funds that belong to affiliates, staff, and the company itself.

It’s not the first time something like this has happened. And it won’t be the last.

Systeme.io isn’t some small side hustle. It’s a platform with thousands of users worldwide - creators, affiliate marketers, educators ... many of whom rely on it to run their businesses, and make a living.

To see a well-established company like this get blindsided by a financial provider should be a wake-up call. Because if it can happen to them, it can happen to you!

And the scary part? Wise didn’t even provide a clear reason at first. That’s often how it goes, vague mentions of compliance, risk, or ‘further checks’ while your funds are stuck for weeks or even months.

Meanwhile, your business still needs to pay people. Your affiliates still expect commissions. And your operations don’t just pause because your payment processor has.

Wise isn’t the only one. Over the past decade, we’ve seen PayPal freeze or terminate accounts with no warning, including accounts belonging to high-profile digital marketers selling their own products.

Some of these marketers had large affiliate networks and multiple six-figure revenue streams running through PayPal. One day, they logged in and found their account blocked. Some never saw that money again. We’re talking hundreds of thousands ... even millions lost.

Stripe has also had its share of horror stories. If your business model doesn’t quite fit their risk profile, you're out. And often without any meaningful recourse.

The fact is, these platforms don’t owe you loyalty. If their algorithm flags your account, you’re just another risk to mitigate. Their terms are written in a way that gives them full power to act unilaterally.

We’re not here to spread fear. The point is to take smart, proactive steps before you find yourself locked out of your own income.

Here’s what every serious digital entrepreneur should be doing:

Don’t rely on one single platform to collect or send money. Use multiple processors, even if one is your main channel, have others as backups.

Transfer out funds regularly. Keep only what you need to operate. The longer your money sits, the higher the risk if something goes wrong.

If you sell your own products or services, consider accepting payments directly via bank transfers or crypto (if that suits your audience). Yes, it takes more setup, but it gives you control.

What would you do if your biggest processor froze funds for 30 days? Build buffers and cash reserves so that one disruption doesn’t bring everything crashing down.

Sometimes, these freezes are triggered by transaction volumes, refund rates, or international payments. Make sure your business activity aligns with the platform’s policies, and don’t assume they won’t change overnight.

The digital world gives us so much freedom. But it also creates a false sense of security. We build funnels, automate sales, launch campaigns, and forget that the foundations we’re building on don’t belong to us.

If a tech platform decides you’re no longer welcome, you often have little room to fight back. So rather than being reactive, let’s be smart about building resilient systems.

That means:

📩 If you’re building a digital business and want to learn how to create a more resilient income model without relying too heavily on platforms you don’t own, visit dianameyer.net to get started.

💬 Have you or someone you know experienced something similar? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below. This is a conversation we need to keep open 😉

P.S. I’ve started opening up more conversations like this on LinkedIn, especially when it comes to the behind-the-scenes risks of building online income. If this topic resonates with you, come join the chat or connect with me here.