You need a Stripe account before your build day if your product takes payments.

Steps

  1. Go to stripe.com and click "Start now."
  2. Sign up with your business email.
  3. Add your business details: legal name, address, EIN or ABN, tax ID, and bank account for payouts.
  4. Complete identity verification. Stripe asks for an ID document and proof of business. This usually takes a few hours to a few days.
  5. While verification is pending, you can use test mode for development. We'll wire up the integration with test keys.
  6. Once verified, switch to live mode. Stripe activates payments and payouts.

What we need from you before the build day

  • The Stripe publishable key (pk_test_... or pk_live_...).
  • A restricted API key with appropriate permissions (we'll send a list — typically products, prices, customers, subscriptions, checkout sessions).
  • Access to the account or a team invite as Developer.

After handover we remove ourselves from the account. You're the sole owner.

If verification stalls past your build day, payments wait — but the rest of the product launches on time.