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Set up Stripe for card payments

About 30 minutes, plus verification. Standard US online card pricing is roughly 2.9% plus 30¢ per successful charge; check stripe.com/pricing for the current rate.

1. Create the account

1. Go to dashboard.stripe.com/register and sign up with your email.
2. Confirm your email address from the message Stripe sends.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication when asked. Stripe requires it, and this is the account your money passes through.

2. Activate payments

Stripe will not pay out until it knows who you are. Have these ready:

• Your business type: individual or sole trader is fine for most instructors.
• Legal name and address, exactly as they appear on your tax records.
• Your EIN, or your SSN if you are a sole trader.
• Date of birth and often the last four of your SSN, for identity checks.
• The bank account Stripe should pay into: routing and account number.
• A short description of what you sell, for example "capoeira classes", and your website address.

Work through Activate payments on the dashboard home page. Most accounts are approved immediately; some are reviewed for a day or two. You can collect your keys before this finishes, but no money moves until it does.

3. Copy your API keys

1. In the Stripe dashboard, open Developers, then API keys. If you cannot see it, use the search box at the top and type "API keys".
2. Check the Test mode toggle is off. Test keys begin pk_test_ and sk_test_ and will never take real money.
3. Copy the Publishable key. It begins pk_live_ and is safe to share.
4. Next to Secret key, press Reveal and copy it. It begins sk_live_. Stripe shows this once. If you lose it, roll the key and copy the new one; do not email it to anyone, including us.

4. Create the webhook secret

This is how Stripe tells the system a payment succeeded, so a client's balance updates on its own.

1. Developers → Webhooks → Add endpoint.
2. Endpoint URL: https://findyournet.com/api/stripe-webhook.php
3. Under events to send, choose checkout.session.completed. Add charge.refunded too if you want refunds to sync.
4. Add the endpoint, then open it and press Reveal under Signing secret. It begins whsec_. Copy it.

5. Put them into your dashboard

1. My Account → Settings → Getting Paid.
2. Find the Credit Card box.
3. Paste the publishable key, the secret key and the webhook signing secret into their boxes.
4. Press Save Credit Card. The two secrets are stored and never shown again; their boxes will say "Saved". To replace one, type the new value over it. To remove one, tick Clear this key and save.

Common problems

• My key begins pk_test_. Test mode is still on. Toggle it off and copy again.
• I lost the secret key. You cannot see it again. In API keys, roll it, then copy and save the new one.
• Stripe is asking for documents. Normal for some businesses. Upload what it asks for; your account works normally once the review clears.
• Payouts have not arrived. Stripe holds the first payout for a few days on new accounts. After that it follows the schedule under Settings → Payouts.