stripe-best-practices

Guides Stripe integration decisions — API selection (Checkout Sessions vs PaymentIntents), Connect platform setup (Accounts v2, controller properties), billing/subscriptions, Treasury financial accounts, integration surfaces (Checkout, Payment Element), and migrating from deprecated Stripe APIs. Use when building, modifying, or reviewing any Stripe integration — including accepting payments, building marketplaces, integrating Stripe, processing payments, setting up subscriptions, or creating connected accounts.

Latest Stripe API version: 2026-02-25.clover. Always use the latest API version and SDK unless the user specifies otherwise.

Integration routing

Building...	Recommended API	Details
One-time payments	Checkout Sessions	references/payments.md
Custom payment form with embedded UI	Checkout Sessions + Payment Element	references/payments.md
Saving a payment method for later	Setup Intents	references/payments.md
Connect platform or marketplace	Accounts v2 (`/v2/core/accounts`)	references/connect.md
Subscriptions or recurring billing	Billing APIs + Checkout Sessions	references/billing.md
Embedded financial accounts / banking	v2 Financial Accounts	references/treasury.md

Read the relevant reference file before answering any integration question or writing code.

Key documentation

When the user's request does not clearly fit a single domain above, consult:

Integration Options — Start here when designing any integration.
API Tour — Overview of Stripe's API surface.
Go Live Checklist — Review before launching.