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Stripe Payments

Stripe lets you accept payments in your iOS app. Process one-time purchases, set up subscriptions, and manage customers.
Payment integration is complex and has legal/financial implications. Test thoroughly before going live. Consider consulting with a developer or accountant.

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What You Can Build

  • One-time Payments — Single purchases
  • Subscriptions — Recurring billing
  • In-App Purchases — Digital content
  • Marketplace — Split payments

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Prerequisites

  • Stripe account (free to create)
  • Apple Developer account (for real device testing)
  • Understanding of your pricing model

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Important Considerations

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Apple’s Rules

For digital goods and services (like app features or subscriptions), Apple requires you to use In-App Purchases, not Stripe directly. Use Stripe for:
  • Physical goods
  • Services delivered outside the app
  • Business-to-business transactions
Use Apple In-App Purchase for:
  • Premium app features
  • Digital subscriptions
  • Virtual currency/items

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PCI Compliance

Stripe handles credit card data, so you stay PCI compliant. Never store card numbers in your app.

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Setting Up Stripe

1

Create Stripe account

Go to stripe.com and sign up
2

Get API keys

Dashboard → Developers → API keys
  • Use Test mode keys during development
  • Switch to Live mode keys for production
3

Configure in Nativeline

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Test vs Live Mode

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Test Mode

  • Use pk_test_ and sk_test_ keys
  • Use test card numbers
  • No real money processed
  • Perfect for development

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Test Card Numbers

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Live Mode

  • Use pk_live_ and sk_live_ keys
  • Real money processed
  • Only after thorough testing

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Basic Payment Flow

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Collect Payment

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Using Stripe Payment Sheet

The easiest integration uses Stripe’s pre-built UI:

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Implementation Approaches

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Client-Side Only (Simple)

For simple use cases:
  1. Create PaymentIntent on Stripe dashboard
  2. Confirm payment from app
Limitation: Less secure, limited functionality More secure and flexible:
  1. Your server creates PaymentIntent
  2. App receives client secret
  3. App confirms payment
  4. Server receives webhook confirmation
Server-side component typically requires additional development beyond Nativeline. Consider services like Firebase Functions or Supabase Edge Functions.

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Common Scenarios

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Single Purchase

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Subscription

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Tipping / Variable Amount

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Apple Pay

Stripe supports Apple Pay for faster checkout:
Requirements:
  • Apple Developer account
  • Merchant ID configured in Stripe
  • Device with Apple Pay capability

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Webhooks

For reliable payment confirmation, use webhooks:
  1. Stripe sends event to your server
  2. Server updates your database
  3. App reflects the change

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Security Best Practices

Stripe handles all card data. Your app never sees the actual card number.
Don’t trust client-side confirmations alone. Use webhooks to verify.
Always develop with test keys. Only switch to live for production.
Users can modify client code. Always verify amounts on your server.

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Error Handling

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Common Errors

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Handling in App

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Refunds

Process refunds from Stripe Dashboard:
  1. Payments → Find payment
  2. Click “Refund”
  3. Full or partial refund
For automated refunds, use Stripe API from your server.

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Testing Checklist

Before going live:
  • Successful payment completes
  • Declined card shows error
  • Network failure handled
  • Loading states shown
  • Confirmation displayed
  • Purchase recorded in database
  • Refund process works
  • Subscription renewal works
  • Cancellation handled

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Going Live

1

Complete Stripe account setup

Add business details, bank account for payouts
2

Test thoroughly in test mode

Cover all scenarios
3

Switch to live keys

Update API keys in your app/server
4

Process a real test payment

Use your own card for a small amount
5

Refund the test payment

Verify refund works
6

Monitor closely after launch

Watch Stripe dashboard for issues

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Next Steps

Maps & Location

Add mapping features

Other APIs

Generic API guide