Stripe Setup

Stripe is the recommended payment provider for BotSubscription. It allows your subscription bot to accept credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and various regional payment methods in over 195 countries.

Why Stripe?

• Global coverage - Accept payments from almost anywhere in the world
• Seamless Checkout - Supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link for one-click payments
• Automatic Subscription Management - Handles recurring billing and failed payment retries
• Fraud Protection - Built-in fraud detection to protect your business
• Trusted Reliability - The industry standard for online payments

Prerequisites

Before connecting Stripe to your subscription bot, you'll need:

1. A Stripe account (Sign up here)
2. A Restricted Key (Recommended) or Secret Key

Creating a Restricted Key (Recommended)

While BotSubscription works with your account's master Secret Key, we strongly recommend creating a Restricted Key to limit the bot's access to only what it needs.

1. Log in to your Stripe Dashboard.
2. Go to Developers > API keys.
3. Click Create restricted key.
4. Name it BotSubscription.
5. Under Permissions, set the following access levels. Most of these are part of the critical infrastructure required for the bot to operate:

Category	Permission	Access Level	Status	Reason
Core	Charges	Read	Required	To confirm successful payments
	Customers	Write	Required	To create and manage subscriber profiles
	Disputes	Read	Optional	To detect and handle chargebacks
	Payment Intents	Write	Required	To process payments and recurring charges
	Payment Methods	Write	Required	To save cards for future renewals
	Products	Write	Required	To sync your subscription plans
	Prices	Write	Required	To manage pricing tiers
	Refunds	Write	Optional	To issue refunds from the bot
	Setup Intents	Write	Required	To setup payment methods without immediate charge
Billing	Invoices	Write	Required	To generate billing records
	Subscriptions	Write	Required	To manage recurring subscriptions
Checkout	Checkout Sessions	Write	Required	To create payment pages
Webhooks	Webhook Endpoints	Write	Required	To automatically configure payment notifications

6. Scroll down and click Create key.
7. Copy the key (it starts with rk_...). You won't be able to see it again.

Connecting Stripe

Open the bot settings using the /settings command and navigate to Merchant Accounts.

Step 1: Install Merchant Account

Click Install Merchant Account to add a new payment provider.

Step 2: Select Stripe

Choose Stripe from the list of available payment providers.

Step 3: Review Requirements

The bot displays the credential needed:

• Secret Key (or Restricted Key rk_...)

The current environment (Sandbox/Test or Production/Live) is shown. Click Configure to proceed.

Step 4: Enter Your Credentials

A secure form appears where you enter your Stripe key:

1. Paste your Restricted Key (or Secret Key)

Click Submit to complete the setup.

Step 5: Confirmation

Once validated, the bot will automatically configure the necessary webhooks and confirm the connection.

Environment Modes

Test Mode (Sandbox)

Use Test Mode to verify your setup without charging real money.

• Status: Enabled when the bot is in Test Mode.
• Cards: Use Stripe Test Cards (e.g., 4242 4242 4242 4242).

Live Mode (Production)

Switch to Live Mode to accept real payments.

• Status: Enabled when the bot is in Live Mode.
• Requirement: You must have a verified business on Stripe.

Troubleshooting

"Invalid API Key" Error

• Ensure you copied the key correctly without extra spaces.
• If using a Restricted Key, double-check that all required permissions are set to Write (or Read where specified). Missing permissions are the most common cause of errors.

"Webhook Creation Failed"

• This usually means your API key lacks the Webhook Endpoints > Write permission.
• Update the key permissions in Stripe Dashboard or create a new one with the correct access.

Payments Not Confirming

• Check if your Stripe account has any verification holds.
• Ensure the webhook was created successfully (check Developers > Webhooks in Stripe).