Free Resource5-minute read

The 5-Minute Stripe
Integration Checklist

Going from zero to accepting payments? Don't wing it. This checklist covers every step — from creating your Stripe account to processing your first real charge. Print it, bookmark it, or check items off as you go.

●Quick reference●Any framework●Beginner friendly

Phase 1

Set up your Stripe account

Before writing any code, get your Stripe account ready. This takes about 2 minutes.

Create a Stripe account

Go to dashboard.stripe.com and sign up. You can start building immediately — no business verification needed for test mode.

Find your API keys

Dashboard → Developers → API keys. You need two: pk_test_... (publishable) and sk_test_... (secret). The secret key goes server-side only.

Enable test mode

Toggle “Test mode” on in the dashboard. Everything you build now uses fake money — no real charges until you flip to live.

Phase 2

Install & configure

Three commands, two env vars — that's all the setup you need.

Install the Stripe SDK

One package, server-side only. No client-side JS required if you're using Stripe Checkout.

terminal

npm install stripe

Add API keys to environment variables

Store them in .env.local (never commit these to git). Your framework reads them automatically.

.env.local

STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_your_key_here
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000

Verify .env.local is in .gitignore

Next.js does this by default, but double-check. Leaked keys = stolen money.

Phase 3

Build the payment flow

The core integration is about 30 lines of code. Here's every piece you need.

Create a server-side checkout route

This API endpoint creates a Stripe Checkout Session and returns the payment URL. Price is always in cents — $29.99 = 2999.

Add a "Buy" button on the frontend

A button that calls your checkout route, gets back the Stripe URL, and redirects with window.location.href (not router.push — it's an external URL).

Build a success page

Where customers land after paying. Keep it simple: “Thank you” + next steps + receipt note.

Set up a cancel URL

Where customers go if they abandon checkout. Usually your homepage or pricing page.

Phase 4

Test your integration

Stripe gives you test card numbers that simulate every scenario. Use them.

Test a successful payment

Use card 4242 4242 4242 4242 with any future expiry and any 3-digit CVC.

Test a declined payment

Use card 4000 0000 0000 0002 — this always declines. Make sure your UI handles it gracefully.

Verify in the Stripe Dashboard

Dashboard → Payments. You should see your test payments listed there with all the details.

Check the success page redirect

After a successful test payment, confirm you land on your success page and it displays correctly.

Phase 5

Go live

The finish line. Swap keys, verify settings, and start getting paid for real.

Complete Stripe account activation

Stripe requires your business details and a bank account before you can accept live payments. Do this early — approval can take a day.

Swap test keys for live keys

Replace sk_test_ with sk_live_ in your production environment variables.

Update your base URL

Change NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL from localhost to your production domain.

Test one real payment

Use a real card, pay the minimum amount, then refund it. This confirms the entire flow works end-to-end in production.

Set up webhook endpoints (optional but recommended)

Webhooks let your app react to events like successful payments, refunds, and failed charges. Critical for subscriptions and fulfillment.

Quick reference

Test card (success)4242 4242 4242 4242

Test card (decline)4000 0000 0000 0002

Price formatAlways in cents ($10 = 1000)

Redirect methodwindow.location.href (not router.push)

That's the whole checklist

Five phases, about 30 lines of code, and you're accepting real payments. But the checklist only tells you what to do — not how to do each step.

Want the complete, copy-paste implementation? Paykits Pro walks you through every step with real code, common gotchas, and production-ready patterns — starting with building your first Stripe Checkout in 15 minutes.

Ready for the full playbook?

8 lessons covering Checkout, webhooks, subscriptions, pricing pages, usage-based billing, and going live. Each one is 15 minutes and copy-paste ready.

Get Paykits Pro — $14.50/mo→

Cancel anytime · Instant access to all 8 lessons