[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":206},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-checklists/payment-integration-checklist":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":186,"date":187,"dateModified":187,"description":188,"draft":189,"extension":190,"faq":191,"featured":189,"headerVariant":192,"image":191,"keywords":191,"meta":193,"navigation":194,"ogDescription":195,"ogTitle":191,"path":196,"readTime":191,"schemaOrg":197,"schemaType":198,"seo":199,"sitemap":200,"stem":201,"tags":202,"twitterCard":204,"__hash__":205},"blog/blog/checklists/payment-integration-checklist.md","Payment Integration Security Checklist: 15-Item Guide Before Adding Stripe",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":180},"minimark",[9,16,19,22,47,62,80,98,116,121,124,127,149,168],[10,11,12],"tldr",{},[13,14,15],"p",{},"Payment security is non-negotiable. Use Stripe Elements or Checkout so you never handle raw card data. 6 critical items must be verified before processing any payments, 5 important items should be done within the first week, and 4 recommended items as you scale. Verify webhook signatures, use test mode first, keep secret keys server-side only, and monitor for fraudulent activity. Follow this checklist before processing any real payments.",[13,17,18],{},"Stripe does the heavy lifting on PCI compliance, but only if you let it. The moment you start handling card numbers yourself or skipping webhook verification, you are taking on liability that no early-stage company wants. Go through each item below before you flip from test mode to live keys.",[20,21],"print-button",{},[23,24,26,31,35,39,43],"checklist-section",{"title":25},"Quick Checklist (5 Critical Items)",[27,28],"checklist-item",{"description":29,"label":30},"Never accept card numbers directly in your code","Use Stripe Elements, Checkout, or Payment Links",[27,32],{"description":33,"label":34},"sk_live_ and sk_test_ keys must never be in frontend","Secret key only on server",[27,36],{"description":37,"label":38},"Never commit Stripe keys to your repository","Store keys in environment variables",[27,40],{"description":41,"label":42},"Use Stripe's signature verification, never trust unverified webhooks","Verify webhook signatures",[27,44],{"description":45,"label":46},"Use test card numbers before going live","Test all flows in test mode first",[23,48,51,54,58],{"title":49,"count":50},"Never Touch Card Data","3",[27,52],{"description":53,"label":30},"Never accept card numbers directly. Let Stripe handle sensitive data. How to set up Stripe Elements",[27,55],{"description":56,"label":57},"Search for patterns like 4[0-9]{15} or card_number. Should find nothing. How to scan for card data","Verify no card numbers in your codebase",[27,59],{"description":60,"label":61},"Check application logs for any accidentally logged payment info. How to secure payment logs","Verify no card data in logs",[23,63,66,69,73,76],{"title":64,"count":65},"API Keys and Secrets","4",[27,67],{"description":68,"label":34},"sk_live_ and sk_test_ keys must never appear in frontend code. How to secure Stripe keys",[27,70],{"description":71,"label":72},"pk_live_ and pk_test_ keys are safe for browser. Understanding Stripe key types","Use publishable key for frontend",[27,74],{"description":75,"label":38},"Never commit Stripe keys to your repository. How to secure API keys",[27,77],{"description":78,"label":79},"Different environments should use different API keys. How to use Stripe test mode","Use separate keys for test and production",[23,81,83,86,90,94],{"title":82,"count":65},"Webhook Security",[27,84],{"description":85,"label":42},"Use Stripe's signature verification. Never trust unverified webhooks. How to verify Stripe webhooks",[27,87],{"description":88,"label":89},"Webhook URLs must use HTTPS, not HTTP. How to set up HTTPS","Use HTTPS for webhook endpoint",[27,91],{"description":92,"label":93},"Process payment_intent.succeeded, checkout.session.completed, etc. How to handle Stripe webhook events","Handle all relevant events",[27,95],{"description":96,"label":97},"Processing the same event twice should not cause problems. How to make webhooks idempotent","Make webhooks idempotent",[23,99,101,104,108,112],{"title":100,"count":65},"Testing and Fraud Prevention",[27,102],{"description":103,"label":46},"Use test card numbers (4242 4242 4242 4242) before going live. How to use Stripe test mode",[27,105],{"description":106,"label":107},"Use Stripe's built-in fraud prevention tools. How to set up Stripe Radar","Enable Stripe Radar for fraud detection",[27,109],{"description":110,"label":111},"Prevent card testing attacks by limiting payment attempts. How to rate limit checkout","Add rate limiting to checkout",[27,113],{"description":114,"label":115},"Set up alerts for high volumes, failed payments, or unusual patterns. How to monitor payment activity","Monitor for unusual activity",[117,118,120],"h2",{"id":119},"why-payment-security-is-different","Why Payment Security is Different",[13,122,123],{},"Payment security has higher stakes than general application security. A breach can result in financial losses, chargebacks, loss of payment processing ability, and potentially PCI compliance violations with significant fines.",[13,125,126],{},"The good news: modern payment processors like Stripe handle most of the hard work. By using Stripe Elements or Checkout, card data never touches your servers, dramatically reducing your PCI compliance scope and risk.",[128,129,130,137,143],"faq-section",{},[131,132,134],"faq-item",{"question":133},"Do I need to be PCI compliant?",[13,135,136],{},"If you use Stripe Elements, Checkout, or similar tools where card data never touches your servers, you can self-certify with PCI SAQ-A, the simplest compliance level. If you handle card data directly (which you should not), you need full PCI compliance.",[131,138,140],{"question":139},"What if my Stripe secret key is exposed?",[13,141,142],{},"Immediately roll the key in Stripe Dashboard. An attacker with your secret key can issue refunds, create charges, and access customer data. After rolling, update your environment variables and audit recent activity for unauthorized actions.",[131,144,146],{"question":145},"How do I handle refunds securely?",[13,147,148],{},"Refunds should only be triggered by authenticated admin users or verified webhook events. Never allow customers to trigger refunds directly. Log all refund actions for audit purposes.",[150,151,152,158,163],"related-articles",{},[153,154],"related-card",{"description":155,"href":156,"title":157},"Secure your webhook endpoints","/blog/checklists/webhook-security-checklist","Webhook Security Checklist",[153,159],{"description":160,"href":161,"title":162},"Financial impact of payment security failures","/blog/costs/payment-fraud","Cost of Payment Fraud",[153,164],{"description":165,"href":166,"title":167},"How to use environment variables securely","/blog/how-to/environment-variables","Environment Variables Guide",[169,170,173,177],"cta-box",{"href":171,"label":172},"/","Start Free Scan",[117,174,176],{"id":175},"payment-ready-security-scan","Payment-Ready Security Scan",[13,178,179],{},"Check for exposed API keys and payment security issues before accepting payments.",{"title":181,"searchDepth":182,"depth":182,"links":183},"",2,[184,185],{"id":119,"depth":182,"text":120},{"id":175,"depth":182,"text":176},"checklists","2026-02-04","Security checklist before integrating Stripe or other payment processors. Protect your customers' payment data and your business.",false,"md",null,"green",{},true,"Security checklist for payment integration. Protect payment data.","/blog/checklists/payment-integration-checklist","[object Object]","HowTo",{"title":5,"description":188},{"loc":196},"blog/checklists/payment-integration-checklist",[203],"Security Checklist","summary_large_image","kkrXYQJJE1i9tPL1RYWYsGhY4TAa18ovUbF2RLvt-qc",1775843930679]