Stripe offers several ways to accept payments online, ranging from a payment link that requires almost no development to a fully customized checkout connected directly to your website or web application.
The best option is not always the most technically advanced one. A small service business collecting occasional deposits may be perfectly comfortable with a Stripe-hosted payment page. An e-commerce platform, SaaS application or membership system may need a much deeper integration where payments, customers, subscriptions and internal records are synchronized automatically.
In our previous article, Stripe Subscriptions vs. Manual Recurring Payments: Which Is Better?, we looked specifically at how recurring payments can be managed. This article takes a broader look at the different ways Stripe itself can be integrated into a website or application.
Main Stripe Integration Options
For most web projects, Stripe integration falls into five general categories:
| Integration | Development Required | Customization | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment Links | Very little or none | Low | Simple payments, deposits and quick launches |
| Stripe-hosted Checkout | Low to moderate | Moderate | Most standard website payment flows |
| Embedded Checkout | Moderate | Moderate | Keeping checkout inside your website |
| Stripe Elements | Moderate to high | High | Custom-designed payment forms |
| Custom Stripe API Integration | High | Very high | Custom software, SaaS, marketplaces and complex workflows |
1. Stripe Payment Links
Stripe Payment Links are the simplest way to begin accepting payments. A payment page is created from the Stripe Dashboard and Stripe generates a URL that can be placed on a website, emailed to a customer, sent by text message or converted into a QR code.
No custom payment form needs to be developed. Stripe hosts the entire checkout page and handles the payment interface.
For example, a contractor collecting a $500 deposit could create a $500 payment link and send it directly to a customer after a quote is approved.
Advantages
- Very fast to configure.
- Little or no programming required.
- Stripe handles the payment page.
- Can support one-time and recurring payments.
- Useful for links sent through email, SMS or invoices.
Limitations
- Limited control over the checkout workflow.
- Less suitable for complicated shopping carts.
- Connecting the payment to internal business processes may require additional development.
Stripe currently includes Payment Links with its standard Payments pricing, so there is normally no separate Payment Links transaction fee on top of the applicable Stripe payment processing fee. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
2. Stripe-Hosted Checkout
Stripe Checkout provides a prebuilt checkout that your website creates programmatically. Instead of displaying the credit card form directly on your website, your application creates a Checkout Session and redirects the customer to a secure Stripe-hosted page.
After payment, Stripe redirects the customer back to your website while your server normally confirms the transaction through Stripe's API and webhooks.
Example
A customer places a $150 order. Your website creates a Stripe Checkout Session for $150, sends the customer to Stripe, receives confirmation after payment and automatically marks order #10582 as paid.
This option offers a good balance between development effort and functionality. Stripe maintains the payment interface while your application still controls what is being purchased and what happens after payment.
Stripe Checkout can support cards, wallets and numerous additional payment methods and can be used for both one-time transactions and subscriptions. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Hosted Checkout Is Often a Good Choice When:
- You want to launch relatively quickly.
- You do not need complete control over every visual element of checkout.
- You want Stripe to maintain most of the payment interface.
- Your website still needs to create orders and process payment results automatically.
3. Embedded Stripe Checkout
Stripe also provides an embedded Checkout option. Instead of redirecting customers to a separate Stripe page, the checkout experience appears inside your website.
This can provide a more continuous customer experience while still allowing Stripe to handle much of the checkout interface.
It sits between hosted Checkout and a completely customized Elements implementation. The business gets more control over how checkout fits into the page, without having to build every payment component independently.
4. Stripe Elements
Stripe Elements provides secure payment interface components that developers can place directly inside a custom website or application.
Instead of accepting the appearance and structure of Stripe's hosted page, developers can build a checkout around the business's own design, validation and purchasing workflow.
Stripe describes Elements as a set of customizable UI components designed for building a payment experience that matches the surrounding website. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Example
A booking application charges customers based on five variables: service type, employee, location, appointment duration and optional equipment. The final price may be calculated dynamically as $80 + $25 + $15 = $120. Stripe Elements can be integrated directly into the booking process so the customer never leaves the application's checkout screen.
Advantages
- Much greater control over checkout design.
- Payment fields can be incorporated directly into existing forms.
- Suitable for complex purchasing workflows.
- Works well with dynamically calculated prices.
Considerations
Elements requires more development than hosted Checkout. Your developers must correctly create payment objects, handle payment states, process errors, configure webhooks and ensure the surrounding application responds correctly to successful and unsuccessful transactions.
5. Custom Stripe API Integration
For more complex systems, Stripe can be integrated directly into the application's business logic using its APIs.
This is common with SaaS products, membership systems, custom e-commerce platforms, booking systems, marketplaces and business applications where taking the payment is only one step in a larger transaction.
A custom integration might automatically:
- Create or update a Stripe customer.
- Create a PaymentIntent.
- Save an authorized payment method.
- Create an internal order.
- Apply promotional pricing.
- Update inventory.
- Create an invoice.
- Activate a customer account.
- Send confirmation emails.
- Process refunds.
- Track failed payments.
- Synchronize subscription status with an internal database.
Example of a Custom Workflow
Consider a membership website charging $49 per month.
- The customer registers.
- The application creates the customer in Stripe.
- A payment method is collected.
- The $49 payment is processed.
- The local membership record is activated.
- A webhook confirms the transaction.
- The website grants access until the next billing date.
- If a future payment fails, the account can automatically be flagged for follow-up.
This level of integration requires more initial development, but it can eliminate a significant amount of manual administrative work.
Businesses that need this type of functionality can learn more about our custom web development services, including integrations between payment platforms, websites, internal databases and third-party APIs.
How Much Does Stripe Integration Cost?
There are two different costs to consider: Stripe's own processing fees and the development cost of implementing Stripe.
Stripe Transaction Fees
For Canadian businesses on Stripe's standard pricing, the current online processing fee for a domestic card is 2.9% + CA$0.30 per successful transaction. Stripe states that its standard Payments plan has no setup fee or standard monthly fee. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
| Sale | Approximate Stripe Fee | Approximate Amount Remaining |
|---|---|---|
| $25.00 | $1.03 | $23.97 |
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 |
| $500.00 | $14.80 | $485.20 |
| $1,000.00 | $29.30 | $970.70 |
Examples above assume a Canadian domestic card and standard Stripe pricing. Actual fees may vary based on country, payment method, currency and account pricing.
Example: 100 Transactions per Month
Suppose a Canadian website processes 100 transactions of $50 each.
- Total sales: $5,000
- Percentage fee: $5,000 × 2.9% = $145
- Fixed fees: 100 × $0.30 = $30
- Approximate total processing fees: $175
- Approximate amount remaining: $4,825
Additional Stripe Costs to Consider
Additional fees can apply depending on how Stripe is being used. Under Stripe's current Canadian standard pricing, examples include:
- International cards: an additional 0.8%.
- Currency conversion: an additional 2% when required.
- Manually entered cards: an additional 0.5%.
- Card disputes: Stripe currently lists a CA$15 dispute received fee, with additional rules applying when disputes are challenged.
- Stripe Billing: pay-as-you-go pricing is currently 0.7% of Billing volume.
- Custom Stripe-hosted domain: currently US$10 per month.
These charges can change and certain payment methods have their own pricing, so fees should always be confirmed for the country and payment methods used by the business. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Example With Stripe Billing
Consider 100 subscribers paying $50 per month, producing $5,000 in monthly subscription volume.
- Approximate domestic card processing fees: $175
- Stripe Billing at 0.7% of $5,000: $35
- Combined approximate Stripe cost: $210 per month
This is one of the reasons it is important to distinguish between Stripe's payment processing service and optional products such as Stripe Billing. We discuss this subject in more detail in Stripe Subscriptions vs. Manual Recurring Payments: Which Is Better?.
What About Development Costs?
The Stripe fee is only part of the cost of accepting online payments. Development requirements can vary considerably depending on the integration.
Adding a Payment Link to an existing website may take very little development. A custom checkout, on the other hand, may require database changes, API development, webhook processing, administrative tools, automated emails, refund functionality and extensive testing.
| Project | Relative Development Effort |
|---|---|
| Add an existing Stripe Payment Link | Very Low |
| Basic Stripe-hosted Checkout | Low |
| Checkout connected to an order database | Low to Moderate |
| Embedded Checkout | Moderate |
| Custom Stripe Elements checkout | Moderate to High |
| Subscriptions with internal account management | High |
| Marketplace or complex SaaS integration | High |
Hosted Checkout vs. Custom Checkout
For many businesses, Stripe-hosted Checkout should be considered before developing a completely custom payment interface.
A custom checkout makes sense when there is a real business reason for it. Examples include complicated product configurations, multi-step registrations, reservations, account credits, dynamic pricing or situations where payment needs to be tightly connected to the application's existing workflow.
If the customer simply needs to select a product and pay for it, building a complicated custom payment interface may add development cost without delivering much additional value.
Which Stripe Integration Should You Choose?
Choose Payment Links If
You need a simple way to collect payments and have very limited development requirements.
Choose Hosted Checkout If
You need your website to create transactions automatically but are comfortable sending customers through Stripe's checkout page.
Choose Embedded Checkout If
You want customers to remain on your website while still using a largely prebuilt Stripe checkout experience.
Choose Elements or a Custom API Integration If
Payments are part of a larger custom workflow and the application needs significant control over checkout, customer records and post-payment processing.
Do You Need Custom Stripe Development?
Setting up a basic Stripe account is straightforward. Building a reliable payment system around it can be considerably more involved.
A production integration needs to account for successful payments, failed payments, duplicate requests, refunds, disputes, webhook retries, abandoned checkouts and situations where the customer closes the browser before returning to the website.
If your website or application requires Stripe to communicate with an existing database, ordering system, membership platform, CRM or other business software, take a look at our custom web development services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to integrate Stripe into a website?
Stripe Payment Links are generally the simplest option because they can be created without programming. For websites that need to automatically create orders or calculate prices, Stripe Checkout is usually a better starting point.
Does Stripe charge extra for hosted Checkout?
Stripe Checkout is currently included with Stripe's standard Payments pricing. The normal payment processing fees still apply. Optional services such as a custom Stripe-hosted domain can add additional charges. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Can Stripe Checkout be embedded into my website?
Yes. Stripe offers an embedded Checkout option that allows the checkout interface to remain within your website instead of redirecting customers to a separate hosted page.
What is the difference between Stripe Checkout and Stripe Elements?
Checkout is a largely prebuilt payment experience maintained by Stripe. Elements provides individual payment components that developers can incorporate into a more customized checkout interface.
Can Stripe save a customer's credit card?
Stripe can securely store payment methods for future use when the integration and customer authorization are configured appropriately. Your application should store Stripe identifiers rather than raw card numbers.
Can I use Stripe for recurring payments?
Yes. Stripe supports recurring payments and subscriptions. Depending on the application's requirements, recurring billing can be managed through Stripe Billing or through a custom recurring payment workflow. See our article on Stripe Subscriptions vs. Manual Recurring Payments for a detailed comparison.
Do I need webhooks for Stripe integration?
For a reliable custom integration, webhooks are strongly recommended. A customer returning to a success page is not sufficient proof that every payment-related action has been completed. Webhooks allow the server to receive payment, refund, subscription and other events directly from Stripe.
Is a custom Stripe integration more secure than hosted Checkout?
Not automatically. Hosted Checkout reduces the amount of payment-interface code your own development team needs to maintain. A custom implementation can still be secure when Stripe's recommended components and API practices are followed, but it requires more careful development and testing.
How much does Stripe charge for a $100 payment in Canada?
Using the current standard Canadian domestic online card rate of 2.9% + CA$0.30, the fee on a $100 transaction would be approximately $3.20, leaving approximately $96.80 before any other applicable fees. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Can Stripe be connected to an existing custom website?
Yes. Stripe can be integrated with an existing website, web application or internal business system through its APIs, Checkout and Elements. The right approach depends on how closely payments need to interact with the existing application's data and workflow.
Final Thoughts
Stripe provides enough integration options to handle everything from a single payment button to a complex payment platform.
For straightforward transactions, Payment Links or hosted Checkout can keep development costs down. When payment is tightly connected to registrations, memberships, reservations, custom pricing or internal business processes, Elements and direct API integration provide considerably more flexibility.
The important part is choosing the simplest integration that still supports the business requirements. More customization can be useful, but it also means more code to develop, test and maintain.