Stripe

Stripe has become the de facto standard for online payments. In 2026, it's the tool I systematically recommend to add payment to any application: custom e-commerce, SaaS subscriptions, one-off payments, marketplaces, donations. Its documentation, reliability, and depth of APIs make it a safe choice for the vast majority of SMBs. Alternatives exist (Mollie, Adyen, local processors), but none currently match the maturity-DX-international-coverage combination.

• →MollieEuropean competitor, slightly cheaper on SEPA: good for 100% EU SMBs
• →AdyenVery high volumes: commission negotiation possible, but heavier setup
• →PayPalAdd as complement if your audience requires it: not as primary
• →Lemon Squeezy / PaddleMerchant of record: useful for SaaS with global VAT management

1. 01

   Stripe Checkout for simple flows: no UI to write, PCI compliance delegated

2. 02

   Stripe Elements when the brand demands custom integration: always Stripe-side for PCI

3. 03

   Signed webhooks processed idempotently: the source of truth, not the API response

4. 04

   Stripe Customer Portal for self-management (subscriptions, invoices): significant time savings

5. 05

   Rigorous testing with Stripe test cards before every production release

• What commission does Stripe take?

  In France, around 1.5% + €0.25 per European card transaction, 2.5% for non-European cards. For subscriptions, the same rate applies. Stripe Connect (marketplace) adds an additional commission. No fixed monthly fee, no setup fee. Compared to Shopify Payments or PayPal, it's equivalent or slightly cheaper.
• How much does Stripe integration cost?

  For a custom e-commerce with Stripe Checkout, expect 1-3 days of integration (simple store), 3-8 days for a more complex case (subscriptions, fine management, ESM). For integrating Stripe Billing with a SaaS, plan 5-10 days. Building reliable webhooks and state management is often the underestimated part.
• Stripe or PayPal?

  Stripe for nearly all cases. PayPal remains useful only if your audience requires it (older European users sometimes have this preference). On DX, robustness, API quality and tooling, PayPal lags considerably. Best practice: Stripe as primary, PayPal as additional option if really requested.
• GDPR and Stripe?

  Stripe is GDPR compliant and has published its DPA since 2018. Payment data transits through their servers (USA and EU depending on flows), with SCC guarantees (Standard Contractual Clauses). For a French site, signing the Stripe DPA and including it in your privacy policy is sufficient. For very sensitive cases (health, minors), a specific legal review is recommended.
• What if there's a problem with Stripe?

  Stripe has operational reliability among the best on the market (uptime > 99.99%). Paid support (Premium Support) is available from $1000/month for critical accounts. For most SMBs, standard support is largely sufficient. In case of account closure (rare but possible if disputed activity), funds are refunded within 30 days and you need to switch to another processor.