💳 Stripe: The Complete Guide to Monetizing Your Website

If you're looking to accept payments online, sell digital products, or build a subscription-based business, Stripe is one of the best tools out there.

From startups to billion-dollar tech companies, Stripe is trusted because it’s:

• Developer-friendly

• Global

• Secure

• Scalable

In this guide, you'll learn:

• What Stripe does

• Different ways to monetize with Stripe

• How to set it up on your site

• Tools and tips to grow your online business

🧾 What is Stripe?

Stripe is a powerful online payment processing platform that lets businesses:

• Accept credit/debit cards

• Handle subscriptions

• Send invoices

• Sell digital and physical products

• Automate payment flows

Unlike PayPal (which redirects users off-site), Stripe offers a seamless checkout experience, keeping users on your site — ideal for conversions.

💡 How to Monetize Using Stripe

There are several ways to turn Stripe into a revenue engine for your online business:

1. Sell Digital Products

Perfect for:

• eBooks

• Templates

• Courses

• Software

Use platforms like:

• Gumroad (uses Stripe under the hood)

• Lemon Squeezy

• Custom HTML + Stripe Checkout

Stripe Checkout example:

html
KopiërenBewerken
<form action="/create-checkout-session" method="POST">
  <button type="submit">Buy Now</button>
</form>

2. Offer Subscriptions or Memberships

Use Stripe’s Billing API to charge customers monthly, yearly, or even weekly.

Use it for:

• Premium newsletters

• SaaS apps

• Online communities

Popular tools that integrate Stripe subscriptions:

• Memberstack

• Outseta

• Ghost (for newsletters)

• Teachable or Podia

3. Sell Services (One-Time or Recurring)

If you’re a freelancer, coach, or consultant:

• Use Stripe Invoicing to send beautiful, branded invoices

• Automate payments with Stripe Payment Links

• Accept bookings with tools like Calendly + Stripe

4. Create a Donation or Tip Page

Perfect for creators, nonprofits, or streamers.

Stripe now supports Payment Links with custom amounts, so you can:

• Add a “Support me” button on your site

• Accept donations in different currencies

• Create suggested giving tiers

🛠️ How to Set Up Stripe (Step-by-Step)

✅ Step 1: Create a Stripe Account

• Go to https://stripe.com

• Sign up and verify your email

• Add your business details and bank account

✅ Step 2: Choose How to Accept Payments

Option 1: Stripe Payment Links (No Code)

• Go to Payments > Payment Links

• Set up a product or donation

• Share the link or embed it on your site

Option 2: Stripe Checkout (With Code)

• Add Stripe's Checkout script to your backend

• Set up a route to create a session

• Redirect users to Stripe’s secure checkout

Example (Node.js):

javascript
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const stripe = require('stripe')('sk_test_...');
const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
  payment_method_types: ['card'],
  line_items: [{price: 'price_123', quantity: 1}],
  mode: 'payment',
  success_url: 'https://yourdomain.com/success',
  cancel_url: 'https://yourdomain.com/cancel',
});

🔌 Stripe Integrations

Use Stripe with:

• WordPress + WP Simple Pay – Accept payments on blogs

• Shopify – Stripe is the default processor

• Bubble – No-code apps with Stripe integration

• Notion + Super + Payment Links – Monetize Notion pages

💸 Stripe Pricing Overview

• 2.9% + 30¢ per successful card charge (U.S.)

• No setup or monthly fees

• Additional fees for currency conversion or advanced features

✅ Monetization Example: Online Course with Stripe

Let’s say you're selling a $49 productivity course:

• Create a product in Stripe

• Generate a payment link or Checkout flow

• Embed the link on your website or email newsletter

• Redirect users to a course platform (or use Zapier to automate access)

You get paid instantly. Stripe handles everything securely.

📊 Bonus: Grow Smarter with Stripe

Stripe also gives you tools to grow:

• Analytics Dashboard – See MRR, retention, churn

• Customer Portal – Let users manage their subscriptions

• Fraud Protection – Built-in radar system

• Tax Compliance – Automates sales tax/VAT in supported regions

🎯 Final Thoughts

Stripe is more than a payment processor — it’s a business platform.

Whether you're just starting or scaling up, Stripe helps you:

• Get paid globally

• Offer subscriptions

• Sell anything online

• Integrate payments into almost any platform

🏁 Action Plan

1. ✅ Sign up for Stripe

2. ✅ Create your first product or service

3. ✅ Share your Payment Link or integrate Stripe Checkout

4. ✅ Start monetizing 🎉

Need help integrating Stripe with your site? Contact us: https://www.digitdok.com/contact-form