Choose your Stripe flow

Start with the Stripe flow your product already uses. Proxy does not require a new payment UI, and the technical path ID is only needed after you choose.

Recommended default

If you are starting fresh, use Stripe-hosted Checkout. It is the shortest integration, works for one-time payments and subscriptions, and lets Stripe own the payment form. Choose embedded, custom, or direct creation only when your existing checkout needs that control.

Question 1: What are you selling?

One-time payments

The payer completes one purchase. Continue to the one-time choices below.

Subscriptions

Stripe creates or updates a recurring Subscription. Continue to the subscription choices below.

Both

Choose one path for each purchase type. You can share one Stripe configuration, but implement and validate the one-time and subscription guides separately.

Question 2: Does Checkout create the Stripe object?

This is the most important distinction.

Stripe Checkout creates it

Choose this branch when your server creates a Checkout Session and Stripe Checkout creates the PaymentIntent or Subscription behind it.

• Hosted redirect — recommended: Stripe hosts the payment page.
• Embedded: your page mounts Stripe Embedded Checkout.
• Custom / Elements: your page composes an Elements UI, but it is still backed by a Checkout Session.

If your code calls openCheckout, you are in this branch. An Elements UI does not automatically mean a direct PaymentIntent.

Your server creates it directly

Choose this branch when your code creates the PaymentIntent, SetupIntent, or Subscription without a Checkout Session.

• For a one-time payment, your server creates a PaymentIntent and your existing UI confirms it.
• For a subscription, your server either collects a payment method with a SetupIntent first or uses an already authorized saved PaymentMethod.

Question 3: Where should the payer enter payment details?

Only answer this when you chose Stripe Checkout.

Choice	Best when	Tradeoff
Hosted redirect — recommended	You want the fastest and simplest start.	The payer briefly leaves your page for Stripe.
Embedded Checkout	You want Stripe’s Checkout UI inside your page.	More client integration and newer SDK requirements.
Custom Checkout with Elements	Your page needs a custom Elements layout while Checkout still creates the payment or subscription.	Most presentation control and the highest compatibility floor.

Complete the shared Stripe setup

Every result below assumes the same Stripe connection, Proxy API keys, SDK installation, hosted handoff configuration, and durable handoff endpoint. Complete Before You Code, Install SDKs, and Create the Handoff Link once, then return to the selected terminal guide. The rest of that quickstart implements the recommended hosted one-time path; do not copy its hosted presentation or Stripe client into an embedded, custom, direct, or subscription result. Create the Stripe client in the selected terminal guide with the request API version reported by that path’s stripe doctor output.

Your result

One-time payment

Hosted Checkout — recommended

Stripe Checkout creates the PaymentIntent and redirects the payer.

Implement hosted Checkout →

Technical ID after selection: OT-CO-H

Embedded Checkout

Stripe Checkout creates the PaymentIntent in an embedded Checkout surface.

Implement embedded Checkout →

Technical ID after selection: OT-CO-E

Custom Checkout with Elements

A Checkout Session backs your custom Elements-based payment UI.

Implement custom Checkout →

Technical ID after selection: OT-CO-C

Direct PaymentIntent

Your server creates the PaymentIntent and your existing UI confirms it.

Implement direct PaymentIntent →

Technical ID after selection: OT-PI

Subscription

Hosted Checkout — recommended

Stripe Checkout collects the initial payment method and creates the Subscription.

Implement hosted subscription Checkout →

Technical ID after selection: SUB-CO-H

Embedded Checkout

Embedded Checkout collects the initial payment method and creates the Subscription.

Implement embedded subscription Checkout →

Technical ID after selection: SUB-CO-E

Custom Checkout with Elements

A Checkout Session creates the Subscription while your page renders the payment UI with Elements.

Implement custom subscription Checkout →

Technical ID after selection: SUB-CO-C

Direct after SetupIntent

Your existing UI collects a payment method, then your server creates the Subscription.

Implement a direct subscription →

Technical ID after selection: SUB-SI

Direct with saved payment method

An authorized shared billing account has already selected the payment method; your server creates the Subscription.

Implement a saved-method subscription →

Technical ID after selection: SUB-SAVED

A common source of confusion

A subscription + Checkout Session + custom Elements presentation is Custom subscription Checkout. Choose that result even though the payer sees Elements; the Checkout Session, not the visual component, determines the conceptual path.

Before implementation

1. Complete the shared Stripe setup above, then open the selected guide and confirm its path-specific prerequisites.
2. Run the guide’s proxy stripe doctor --path … --format json command for canonical versions, permissions, events, and unsupported options.
3. Build with Stripe test-mode credentials and one durable Proxy handoff per intended order.
4. Verify the ready, already-paid, action-required, and unavailable states described by the guide.
5. Treat signed provider and Proxy events as wakeups to read current state; do not fulfill from a browser redirect.

Advanced technical reference

The matrix below is for agents and experienced implementers who already chose a flow. Human labels remain first; internal IDs are secondary routing details.

Show the full path-to-guide matrix

Human path	Technical ID	Stripe object creation	Presentation	Guide
One-time payment with hosted Checkout Recommended default	OT-CO-H	Stripe Checkout creates the PaymentIntent	Hosted redirect	Open guide
One-time payment with embedded Checkout	OT-CO-E	Stripe Checkout creates the PaymentIntent	Checkout embedded in your page	Open guide
One-time payment with custom Checkout	OT-CO-C	Stripe Checkout creates the PaymentIntent	Your Elements-based payment UI	Open guide
One-time payment with your PaymentIntent	OT-PI	Your server creates the PaymentIntent directly	Your existing Elements or native UI	Open guide
Subscription with hosted Checkout Recommended default	SUB-CO-H	Stripe Checkout creates the Subscription	Hosted redirect	Open guide
Subscription with embedded Checkout	SUB-CO-E	Stripe Checkout creates the Subscription	Checkout embedded in your page	Open guide
Subscription with custom Checkout	SUB-CO-C	Stripe Checkout creates the Subscription	Your Elements-based payment UI	Open guide
Subscription after collecting a payment method	SUB-SI	Your server creates a SetupIntent, then the Subscription	Your existing Elements or native UI	Open guide
Subscription with an authorized saved payment method	SUB-SAVED	Your server creates the Subscription directly	No new payment UI unless Stripe requires customer action	Open guide

Availability, minimum package/API versions, permissions, events, and unsupported options are generated from the canonical Stripe capability manifest. Run proxy stripe doctor --path <technical-id> --format json after selecting a path.

For exact read permissions and webhook events, continue to Stripe events and permissions. For package/API version floors, use Stripe compatibility.