Connecting Stripe

Stripe is the most widely supported payment processor in ActiveManage, handling credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SEPA, BACS, ACH, Klarna and dozens of regional methods. Connecting it is a few-minute job — but doing it right ensures live charges flow safely and refunds work without manual intervention.

What You Need from Stripe

1. A Stripe account in Live mode.
2. The publishable key (begins pk_live_) — safe for client-side use.
3. The secret key (begins sk_live_) — server-side only, treat like a password.
4. The webhook signing secret — used to verify Stripe-originating webhook calls.

Step-by-Step

1. Open Architect Panel → Stripe Integration.
2. Paste publishable and secret keys. The secret is encrypted at rest.
3. Click Create webhook endpoint — the platform auto-registers /api/stripe/webhook on your Stripe account, copying the signing secret in.
4. Choose capture mode:
   • Automatic: charge captured immediately.
   • Manual: charge authorised but not captured (you confirm later, e.g. when shipping).
5. Click Test connection — the platform creates and immediately voids a $0.50 test charge on a Stripe test card.
6. Save.

Worked Examples

• SaaS subscriptions: Automatic capture, charges run on subscription renewal date.
• eCommerce store: Manual capture — only capture when warehouse confirms shipment.
• Marketplace: Stripe Connect setup — each vendor onboards via Stripe Connect; platform fee is automatically routed.
• Donation platform: One-off automatic captures with no recurring billing.

Warning: Never commit the secret key to source control. Configure it via the platform's encrypted secrets store. Stripe will rotate the key if it sees it in a public Git repo.