Stripe API
Payments · Banking & Fintech
Stripe is the world's leading developer-first payment infrastructure platform, offering a comprehensive suite of APIs for accepting payments, managing subscriptions, running marketplaces, issuing cards, and managing financial operations across 195+ countries. Stripe processes hundreds of billions of dollars annually for millions of businesses globally and is widely regarded as setting the gold standard for payment API design, documentation quality, and developer experience.
Stripe API Highlights
Stripe API is verified for developer integrations in global and multi-region environments, providing documented endpoints, sandbox testing, and developer support.
Bearer Token (Secret Key: sk_test_... / sk_live_...)
100 read operations/second; 100 write operations/second (per account)
Global
United States
United KingdomStripe API is best for:
Global SaaS companies, marketplaces, and developers building international products that serve non-Nigerian markets Stripe is the gold standard for international card infrastructure but Nigerian companies cannot register Stripe accounts or receive NGN settlements directly.
- Cards:2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
- International cards:+1.5%
- No monthly fee
- Volume discounts available
Stripe API Core Features & Capabilities
Features Included
Not Supported
Stripe API Supported Webhook Events
Every event is signed in the Stripe-Signature header (HMAC-SHA256). Deliveries are retried with exponential backoff for up to 3 days in live mode.
| Event Name | Trigger & Description |
|---|---|
payment_intent.succeeded | A PaymentIntent has completed payment successfully. |
payment_intent.payment_failed | Payment failed or required action could not be fulfilled. |
invoice.paid | An invoice was paid in full. |
customer.subscription.created | A new subscription was created. |
charge.refunded | A charge was refunded partially or completely. |
payout.paid | Funds were deposited into the merchant bank account. |
Required Access Documents for Stripe API
- Non-Nigerian Business RegistrationRequiredStripe requires a business registered in a Stripe-supported country (US, UK, EU, etc.). Nigerian companies cannot open Stripe accounts.
- Government ID (Director)RequiredValid government ID for account verification in the registered country.
Different Stripe API use cases
- SaaS Billing for Global Customers:Nigerian-founded companies incorporated in the US or UK can use Stripe Billing to accept international card payments and manage subscription plans for global SaaS customers.
- International Marketplace (Stripe Connect):Platforms registered outside Nigeria can use Stripe Connect to split payments between marketplace operators and vendors globally including paying international contractors who happen to be Nigerian.
- Learning Stripe Before Building on Paystack:Nigerian developers can use Stripe's sandbox and documentation to learn payment API concepts before implementing the same patterns on Paystack, which follows similar API design conventions.