### [How to Set Up Stripe with WPForms in 5 Steps (2026)](https://wpforms.com/how-to-accept-payments-with-stripe/)

**Published:** March 11, 2020
**Author:** Renee DeCoskey

**Excerpt:** Would you like to take online payments through your website using Stripe? As one of the most popular payment gateways, Stripe is a solid choice for selling online. In this post, we'll show you how to create an order form and connect it to Stripe using WPForms.

**Content:**

Setting up Stripe with WPForms takes about 10 minutes — no developer required. You’ll connect your Stripe account, add a payment field to your form, configure your billing options, test in sandbox mode, and switch to live.

In this post, I’ll show youw how you can add Stripe to your website and start collecting payments in a few simple steps.

[Boost Sales With Stripe Payments Now](https://wpforms.com/pricing/)

- [How to Switch Stripe from Test Mode to Live](#aioseo-how-to-switch-stripe-from-test-mode-to-live-111)
    - [Ready to Accept Stripe Payments?](#aioseo-next-boost-your-small-business-marketing-strategy)
- [Related guides](#aioseo-related-guides-123)

### Why Accept Online Payments with Stripe?

Stripe is an online payment processor for [online business](https://wpforms.com/how-to-get-your-online-business-to-the-next-level-contact-forms/).

PayPal lets people pay for things online with or without credit card numbers, but everyone has to have a PayPal account to do this. With Stripe, your customers won’t need to have a Stripe account to checkout on your website from one of your [order forms](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-simple-order-form-in-wordpress/).

And [Stripe](https://wpforms.com/addons/stripe-addon/) is fantastic because it allows people to check out using their credit card or bank account. This lets more people spend money on your website, since some people don’t have a PayPal account.

![multiple payment options with forms](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/multiple-payment-options-with-forms.jpg)While they’re both great options for payment platforms, there are some other big differences. Be sure to check out our post on [Stripe vs PayPal](https://wpforms.com/stripe-vs-paypal-which-one-is-better/) to get an in-depth comparison of these PCI compliant and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) payment options. You can collect [Stripe, Square, Authorize.Net, and PayPal payments](https://wpforms.com/how-to-add-optional-payment-to-your-wordpress-forms/) on WPForms to maximize your income potential!

## How to Accept Payments with Stripe

If you’re ready to start receiving online payments by credit card, follow these easy steps to start accepting them with Stripe on your website:

### Step 1: Connect Stripe to Your WordPress Site

Before we get started, be sure to [install WPForms](https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/step-by-step-guide-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin-for-beginners/) on your WordPress site. WPForms is the [best WordPress payment plugins](https://wpforms.com/stripe-payment-plugin-wordpress/) as it integrates with Stripe and offers various sale-boosting options like coupons and interactive calculated fields.

I recommend using WPForms Pro. This removes the 3% transaction fee that WPForms charges on the Lite (free) tier. Stripe itself charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction regardless of WPForms plan. Plus, you also get access to the Stripe Pro addon that lets you add conditional logic to your payment forms to offer multiple types of payments in the same form.

[![The WPForms pricing page. ](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WPForms-Pricing-Page.png)](https://wpforms.com/pricing/)Once you’ve installed WPForms Pro on your website, you’ll need to go to **WPForms » Settings** in the left menu of your WordPress dashboard. From there, click on the **Payments** tab.

If you’d like to adjust the currency, go ahead and select the option you need from the **Currency** dropdown before proceeding.

![open the payments tab in the wpforms settings](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/open-the-payments-tab-in-the-wpforms-settings.jpg)When you’re ready, scroll down to the **Stripe** section. Here, you should see a field labeled **Connection Status**. You’ll need to click the blue **Connect with Stripe** button.

![Click Stripe Connect button in WPForms payment settings](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Click-Stripe-Connect-button-in-WPForms-payment-settings.jpg)When you connect with Stripe, webhooks are automatically set up. Stripe webhooks make it super easy and convenient for you to manage subscriptions and refunds, in addition to payments, all in one place in your WPForms account.

Next, you’ll be asked to authorize the connection between your forms and Stripe. The exact content you see on this Stripe dashboard page will vary based on whether your Stripe account is already activated.

![Fill the login form](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/fill-stripe-form-1.png)Once you’ve agreed to the requirements, you’ll be redirected back to your WordPress admin area. Here, the **Connection Status** should now have a green checkmark confirming the connection looks good and you’re that much closer to being able to accept payments with Stripe.

![WPForms Stripe connection status](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/wpforms-stripe-connection-1024x237.png)By default, you should have the **Enable Webhooks** option toggled on. This will automatically sync additional payment details with your Stripe dashboard such as refund status for each transaction.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/webhooks-enabled-1024x467.png)### Step 2: Add Stripe to Your Forms

Now that you’ve connected Stripe to your WordPress site, you can start adding Stripe to your forms.

First, you’ll need to [create a new form](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-simple-contact-form-in-wordpress/) or edit an existing one.

In order for your form to work with Stripe, you’ll need at least these 2 fields:

- An items field (Single Item, Multiple Items, Checkbox Items, or Dropdown Items)
- A Stripe Credit Card field

For our example, we’ll create a [simple order form](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-simple-order-form-in-wordpress/) that includes:

- Name
- Email
- Dropdown Items
- Total
- Stripe Credit Card

![stripe payment order form example](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/stripe-payment-order-form-example-.jpg)The Total field is not required for Stripe to work, however, it can be helpful for users to easily see how much they’ll be paying.

And while you’re adding fields to your Stripe form, keep in mind that you can even [add a coupon field](https://wpforms.com/add-coupon-fields-to-stripe-forms/) to offer discounts to your website users and customers.

Once you’ve added all the fields you want to your form, go to **Payments » Stripe**. From the Stripe panel, check the box labeled **Enable Stripe payments**.

![Enabling Stripe payments](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/enable-stripe-payments-1.png)Now, you’ll be able to enter a short **Payment Description**, which will appear on the user’s bank or card statement.

Last, under **Stripe Payment Receipt** you can choose an Email field where Stripe can send a receipt.

![Stripe payment options](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Stripe-payment-options.png)If you’re just going to be receiving one-time payments, you’re all set! If you’d like to set up a recurring Stripe payment, we’ll walk you through that next.

### Step 3: Set Up Recurring or Subscription Payments (Optional)

Great news if you want to [make more money online](https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/make-money-online/) by using a recurring business model. Stripe supports subscription payments.

And you can easily set up a subscription payment within this same settings panel as the last step.

Under the section titled **Subscriptions**, go ahead and check the box labeled **Enable recurring subscription payments**.

![Stripe recurring subscription](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/enable-recurring-subscription-payment.png)Once you’ve checked this box, additional settings will appear.

![how to accept recurring credit card payments](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/configure-stripe-subscription.png)Here are the fields you’ll need to complete:

- **Plan Name —** You’ll need to enter a title for the subscription, such as “Donation to Example Organization”. This will appear within the Stripe transaction.
- **Recurring Period —** You can choose how often the recurring payments should occur: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Yearly, or Yearly.
- **Customer Email (Required) —** Within this dropdown, select an Email field from your form where the customer can be contacted.

### Step 4: Setting Up Conditional Logic for Payments (Optional)

If you choose to upgrade to WPForms Pro, the [Stripe Pro addon](https://wpforms.com/addons/stripe-addon/) gives you the option to set up [conditional logic](https://wpforms.com/features/conditional-logic/) to accept payments with Stripe. Conditional logic lets you create “smart forms” that automatically change the form fields based on a user’s selections.

There are tons of ways you can use conditional logic with Stripe payments like:

- [Let your users choose whether to pay with Stripe or PayPal](https://wpforms.com/docs/how-to-allow-users-to-choose-a-payment-method-on-your-form/ "How to Allow Users to Choose a Payment Method on Your Form")
- [Making payment optional](https://wpforms.com/how-to-add-optional-payment-to-your-wordpress-forms/ "How to Add Optional Payment to Your WordPress Forms")
- Let your users choose whether to submit a one-time payment or start the recurring payment

For example, we’ll set up the last option from that list and let users choose whether to submit a one-time or recurring donation.

To get started, we’ll create a simple [donation form](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-nonprofit-donation-form/). This will need to include either a Dropdown or Multiple Choice field that will let users pick whether they’d like to submit a one-time donation or set up a recurring donation.

In our form, we’ll let users choose between 2 payment options: **Once** or **Monthly**.

![Creating a Dropdown field ](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/one-time-or-recurring-donation-dropdown.png "Dropdown Field")Next, go back to the Stripe settings under **Payments » Stripe**. We’ve already followed the steps in the previous section to set up the basic settings. So now we need to set up the logic for our recurring payment methods options.

First, we’ll set up the monthly recurring payment option. Set the **Recurring Period** to **Monthly**.

Then, scroll to the bottom of the settings (under the **Subscriptions** section) and check the box labeled **Enable conditional logic**.

![Enabling conditional logic for recurring payments with Stripe](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/stripe-recurring-payment-conditional-logic.png)This setting will display additional fields where you can set up any conditional rules. For our example, we’ll set up a conditional rule that states:

**Process** payment as recurring if the answer to the “Would you like to make a recurring donation?” Dropdown field is “Yes, I’ll donate monthly”.

![Setting up a conditional logic rule for recurring Stripe payments](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/monthly-donation-conditional-logic.png)Then, **Save** your form and you can go ahead with these[ steps to embed your form](https://wpforms.com/how-to-embed-a-form-on-your-website/) on any WordPress page.

Before launching your payment form, we recommend [testing Stripe payments](https://wpforms.com/docs/how-to-test-stripe-payments-on-your-site/ "How to Test Stripe Payments Before Accepting Real Payments"). You can also check out this article on [common complaints about online payment forms](https://wpforms.com/complaints-about-online-payment-forms/) to make sure you aren’t making the same mistakes.

Great job, you’ve set up a conditional recurring payment!

[Boost Sales With Stripe Payments Now](https://wpforms.com/pricing/)

### Step 5: Track Transactions and Payment Status

As you start making sales or collecting donations with your Stripe form, you’ll also need a way to track the revenue you’ve generated.

You’ve got a few options here. For instance, you can log into your Stripe account to find all transactions made through the forms on your site.

But it’s more convenient to view your payments directly inside your WordPress dashboard. WPForms includes payment tracking right out of the box. To access it, go to **WPForms » Payments**.

This will open a summary of your payment history with a helpful chart that you can filter by:

- Total Payments
- Total Sales
- Total Refunded
- New Subscriptions
- Subscription Renewals
- Coupons Redeemed

![Payments summary](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/payments-summary-972x1024.png)WPForms syncs with your Stripe dashboard to show the status of each payment as well. And if you’re wondering if a specific payment was refunded, you can check its status in the table underneath.

![Payment table](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image-1024x541.png)There are additional details available for every payment. Click on the payer’s name in the table to open a detailed view.

![Clickable payer's name on the payment table](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image-1-1024x281.png)Here, you can learn more about the transaction such as subscription details and the payer’s payment history.

![individual payments page](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/individual-payments-page.png "Individual Payments Page")Need to initiate a refund? Just click the **Refund** button. You don’t have to open your Stripe account; WPForms can directly trigger a refund from this same window.

![refund payment](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/refund-payment-1.png "Refund Payment")Or if you just want to cancel an active subscription, you can do that too. Click the **Cancel** button under the Subscription Details section.

![cancel subscription](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cancel-subscription-1.png "Cancel Subscription")Since WPForms syncs with Stripe for payment tracking, it will automatically update the status of each payment in the table.

![Stripe refund status](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Refund-status.png)These options can save you a lot of time by eliminating the need to access your Stripe account when you need to track, analyze, or manage payments for your WordPress site.

## How to Switch Stripe from Test Mode to Live

Before launching your payment form publicly:

1. In your Stripe dashboard, get your **live** API keys (not the test keys). They start with `pk_live_` and `sk_live_`.
2. In WPForms → Settings → Payments → Stripe, paste the live keys.
3. Process one real low-value transaction (try $1) to confirm everything works end-to-end.
4. Verify the payment appears in your **live** Stripe dashboard (not the test dashboard).
5. If anything fails, switch back to test keys, fix the issue, and re-test before going live again.

**Most common mistake:** Leaving the form in test mode after switching keys. Double-check that WPForms → Settings → Payments → Stripe shows “Live Mode” before publishing.

### Ready to Accept Stripe Payments?

You can start on WPForms Lite (free) — Stripe one-time and recurring payments both work there, with a 3% WPForms transaction fee. **Upgrading to WPForms Pro removes the 3% transaction fee** and adds conditional logic for advanced payment flows. First Stripe form live in 10 minutes.

**[Get WPForms Pro →](https://wpforms.com/pricing/)** 14-day money-back guarantee

## Related guides

[Best Stripe Plugins for WordPress](https://wpforms.com/stripe-payment-plugin-wordpress/)

[How to Accept Recurring Payments in WordPress](https://wpforms.com/how-to-accept-recurring-payments-on-your-wordpress-forms/)

[Stripe vs PayPal: Which One Is Better?](https://wpforms.com/stripe-vs-paypal-which-one-is-better/)

[How to Add Square Payments to WordPress](https://wpforms.com/how-to-add-square-payments-to-wordpress/)

**Categories:** Integrations

**Tags:** order form, paypal, stripe, stripe recurring

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