Stripe Payment Gateway

Overview

Stripe is a payment service that processes card payments for businesses all over the world. When you connect it to WP Travel Engine, your travelers can pay for trips right on your website using their credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. You don't need to send them to a separate page or handle card details yourself. Stripe takes care of the security side for you.

The Stripe Payment Gateway addon works inside your existing booking form. Travelers pick their trip, enter their details, and pay - all without leaving your site.

What you'll need before you start

Before you set up Stripe, make sure you have these ready:

• The WP Travel Engine plugin installed and active on your WordPress site. A plugin is a small add-on that gives your WordPress site extra features. WP Travel Engine is the plugin that powers your trip bookings.
• The Stripe Payment Gateway addon purchased and installed. This is a separate add-on that connects WP Travel Engine to Stripe.
• A verified Stripe account. You can create one for free at stripe.com. Stripe will ask for some basic information about your business to verify your account. This usually takes a day or two.

How to turn on Stripe as a payment option

This step adds Stripe to the list of payment methods your travelers see at checkout. It only takes a moment, but it's the first thing you need to do before anything else works.

Good, Stripe is now turned on. Next, you need to connect it to your actual Stripe account so it can process real payments.

Connecting your Stripe account

To process payments, your website needs to know it's allowed to use your Stripe account. You do this by entering two special codes called API keys. An API key is a kind of password that lets your website talk to Stripe securely. You'll need two of them: a Publishable Key and a Secret Key.

That's the core connection done. Your website can now process payments through Stripe. The next sections cover optional features you can turn on to make checkout smoother and give you more control over how and when travelers are charged.

Setting up webhooks so Stripe can update your bookings

A webhook is an automatic message that Stripe sends to your website when something happens with a payment. For example, when a traveler's card is charged successfully, Stripe sends a message to let your website know the booking is confirmed. Without webhooks set up, your booking status might not update even though the payment went through. This step makes sure your bookings and payments stay in sync.

That's webhooks sorted. Your website will now know automatically whenever a payment goes through or fails. You won't need to manually check whether a booking was paid for.

Preapproved payments: hold the card, charge later

Preapproved payments let you hold a traveler's card and charge it later, instead of charging right away. This gives you time to review the booking before taking their money.

Say you run small-group treks with a limited number of spots. A traveler books online, but you want to confirm you have space before charging them. With preapproved payments, Stripe checks that the traveler's card is valid and sets aside the funds. You then review the booking and charge the card when you're ready.

This is also useful if you want to approve or reject a booking before the actual charge is made, or if you need to confirm details with a traveler before payment goes through.

To turn it on, go to WP Travel Engine > Settings > Payment > Stripe Payment in your WordPress dashboard and check the box labeled Enable Preapproved Payment. Then click Save Changes.

Saving payment details for later charges

Sometimes you might want to charge a traveler after their original booking. For example, if someone damages equipment on a trek and you need to charge a fee, or if a traveler adds a last-minute upgrade. The Future Usage (Off Session) setting lets Stripe save a traveler's payment details securely so you can charge them later without asking for their card again.

This is called an "off-session" payment because the traveler isn't actively on your website when the charge happens. You're charging them from your Stripe Dashboard using the card they previously saved.

How to turn it on

This setting tells Stripe to save each traveler's card details during checkout, so you can use them for future charges from your Stripe Dashboard.

How to charge a customer using saved details

When a traveler has paid after you turned on Future Usage, their card details are saved in Stripe. Here's how to charge them again:

When this comes in handy

Here are some real situations where saving payment details helps your tour business:

• A traveler cancels at the last minute and your cancellation policy allows a fee. You can charge the fee without asking for their card again.
• A traveler adds an extra service during the trip, like gear rental or a room upgrade. You can bill them for it afterward.
• You want to save a traveler's card on file when they inquire about a trip, then charge them later once they confirm. This is useful for onboarding new customers.

Link by Stripe: faster checkout for returning travelers

Link is a feature from Stripe that remembers a traveler's payment details across websites. If a traveler has used Link before on any site that supports it, they can pay on your site with one click. They won't need to type in their card number or address again.

This is handy for repeat customers. Say someone books a day tour with you in the spring and comes back to book a multi-day trek in the fall. With Link, their checkout is much faster the second time around. When paying is quicker, more travelers follow through and complete their booking instead of abandoning it halfway.

To turn Link on or off, go to your Stripe Dashboard, click Settings, then Payment Methods, then Stripe Payment, and look for Link By Stripe. Toggle it on.

You don't need to do anything in WordPress for this. WP Travel Engine picks it up automatically once it's turned on in Stripe.

Apple Pay and Google Pay

Apple Pay and Google Pay let travelers pay using the card saved in their phone's digital wallet, without typing in card details. This is especially useful for travelers booking on their phone, which is how many people browse and book trips these days.

• Apple Pay works on Safari, on both iPhone and Mac.
• Google Pay works on Chrome, on both Android phones and desktop computers.

How to turn them on

You'll need to turn these on in both Stripe and WP Travel Engine. It takes about a minute in each place.

Once both are turned on, your checkout form will automatically show Apple Pay or Google Pay to travelers whose device and browser support it. You don't need to do anything else.

Enabling other payment methods in Stripe

Stripe supports more than just cards. You can also offer buy-now-pay-later options like Klarna or Afterpay, depending on what's available in your country. These extra options are turned on in your Stripe Dashboard, and WP Travel Engine will automatically show them on your checkout form if they're compatible with your setup. No extra work needed on your WordPress site.

Troubleshooting

Stripe isn't showing up at checkout

First, check that Stripe is turned on in WP Travel Engine > Settings > Payment > General. Then check your currency setting in WP Travel Engine > Settings > General > Currency. Stripe only shows up if it supports the currency you've selected. If you recently changed your currency, try saving your settings again.

My API keys aren't working

Double-check that you copied both keys correctly from your Stripe Dashboard. Make sure you didn't accidentally copy extra spaces at the beginning or end. Also confirm you're using live keys (starting with pk_live_ and sk_live_) if you're accepting real payments, not test keys.

Booking status isn't updating after a payment

This usually means your webhook isn't set up correctly. Go back to the webhook setup steps above and make sure you copied the webhook URL from WordPress into Stripe. Check that you selected the Payment Intent events. Also verify that you copied the signing secret back into your WordPress settings.

Payment was approved but the customer wasn't charged

You probably have preapproved payments turned on. This means Stripe holds the card but doesn't charge it automatically. You need to go to your Stripe Dashboard and capture the payment manually. Look for the payment under Payments in Stripe and click Capture.

Apple Pay or Google Pay aren't appearing

Check the requirements listed in the "Good to know" note in the Apple Pay and Google Pay section above. Most commonly, this happens because you're testing on a device that doesn't support these features, or you're using a private browsing window. Try opening your checkout page in a regular Safari or Chrome window on a device that has Apple Pay or Google Pay set up.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Stripe account to use this addon?

Yes. You need a verified Stripe account to accept payments through this addon. You can sign up for one at stripe.com.

Can I test Stripe before going live?

Yes. Stripe gives you test API keys that let you run through the checkout process without charging a real card. Use the test keys (starting with pk_test_ and sk_test_) while you're setting things up. Switch to live keys when you're ready to accept real payments.

Where do I find my API keys?

Log in to your Stripe Dashboard and go to Developers > API Keys. You'll see both your Publishable Key and Secret Key on that page.

What does Link by Stripe do?

Link saves a traveler's payment details so they can check out faster next time. If a traveler has used Link on any website before, they can pay on your site with one click. No card number needed.

What is preapproved payment?

Preapproved payment holds a traveler's card without charging it right away. You review the booking first, then charge the card from your Stripe Dashboard when you're ready. It's useful when you want to confirm availability or approve a booking before taking payment.

Can I use Stripe alongside other payment methods?

Yes. You can turn on Stripe along with PayPal, bank transfer, or any other payment gateway WP Travel Engine supports. Your travelers will see all enabled options at checkout and can choose whichever they prefer.

Will my travelers' card details be stored on my website?

No. Stripe handles all card details on their own secure servers. Your website never sees or stores the actual card numbers. This is one of the main reasons tour operators choose Stripe for online payments.