Stripe | Financial Infrastructure to Grow Your Revenue

Stripe | Financial Infrastructure to Grow Your Revenue

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Stripe Glossary


Stripe Glossary

Learn about the terms we use.

Glossary termDefinition
3D Secure (3DS)3D Secure (3DS) provides an additional layer of authentication for credit card transactions that protects businesses from liability for fraudulent card payments.
3D Secure 2 (3DS2)3D Secure 2 (3DS2) removes friction from the authentication process and improves the purchase experience compared to 3D Secure 1. It's the main card authentication method used to meet Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements in Europe and is a key mechanism for businesses to request exemptions to SCA.
account configurationAccount configurations represent role-based functionality that you can enable for accounts, such as merchant, customer, or recipient.
account IDWhen you create a Stripe account, Stripe generates a unique account ID for you. Find your account ID in the Dashboard by navigating to Profile > Accounts.
AccountSession client secretThe client secret is a unique string returned from Stripe as part of an AccountSession. This string lets the client access a specific Stripe account with Connect embedded components.
ACHAutomated Clearing House (ACH) is a US financial network used for electronic payments and money transfers that doesn’t rely on paper checks, credit card networks, wire transfers, or cash.
Adaptive acceptanceA Stripe feature that uses AI to selectively optimize transactions in real-time.
advanced risk factors (Radar Session disabled)Advanced risk factors refer to device characteristics and activity indicators that are automatically captured by Stripe.js and our SDKs.
advanced risk factors (Radar Session enabled)Advanced risk factors refer to device characteristics and activity indicators that are automatically captured by Stripe.js and our SDKs. You can also capture advanced risk factors with Radar Sessions.
AES-CBCAdvanced Encryption Standard-Cipher Block Chaining (AES-CBC) mode is a block cipher technique that encrypts data blocks by chaining each block to the previous ciphertext block.
AES-ECBAdvanced Encryption Standard-Electronic Codebook (AES-ECB) mode is a simple block cipher technique where each data block is encrypted independently without chaining.
financing packageA financing package is a configuration on your Stripe account to set the Affirm payment option terms for your buyers.
AFTAccount Funding Transactions (AFT) are card-based transactions where funds are simply transferred from one account to another.
AI modelA system trained on data that learns patterns and performs tasks such as prediction and classification.
approval required accessThis payment method requires approval before you can start accepting payments.
application feeA fee that Connect platforms collect from connected accounts for each payment or payout.
asynchronousAsynchronous refers to events happening at independent times in independent systems.
asynchronous payment methodsAsynchronous payment methods can take up to several days to confirm whether the payment has been successful. During this time, the payment can't be guaranteed.
authentication rateThe percentage of card payments where 3D Secure authentication was attempted, out of all card payments.
authentication success rateThe percentage of payments where 3D Secure authentication was successful, out of all 3DS requests.
authorized personAn individual with significant management responsibility for a business entity, such as an executive officer or senior manager. The authorized person provides business information to Stripe and claims authorization to act on behalf of the business.
authorization rateThe percentage of card payments approved by card issuers, out of all attempted card payments. Excludes blocked payments and payments that didn't complete 3D Secure authentication.
Address verification system (AVS)The address verification system (AVS) is used to pass billing address information to issuers to verify the data if available.
app manifestIn a Stripe App, the app manifest is a stripe-app.json file in your app's root directory. It defines your app's ID, views, permissions, and other essential properties.
beneficial ownerIndividuals with a threshold percentage or more equity in a business entity. The threshold percentage can range from 25% to 51%, as determined by the relevant banking partner.
billing periodThe frequency at which invoices are generated and sent to customers. The billing period operates independently of the service period.
BIN sponsorA BIN sponsor is a regulated financial institution that lets another business access its payment environment using the sponsor's Bank Identification Number (BIN).
blockchain networkA network that moves cryptocurrency such as stablecoin. Stripe supports several networks, including Ethereum, Solana, and Tempo.
buy now, pay later (the related setting)Buy now, pay later (the related setting) allows customers to purchase a product immediately and pay for it over time—often interest free.
capture (a charge)Another way to say that you receive payment for a charge is to say that you "capture" the charge. Capturing the charge is often asynchronous and takes place after authorization. The capture is what transfers the money from the customer to you.
automatic captureAutomatically capture funds when a charge is authorized.
manual captureManually capture funds separately from an authorization.
partial captureCollects only part of the amount held on your customer's payment method and releases the rest.
card account updaterA Stripe feature that automatically maintains up-to-date card information for your customers.
card authenticationA bank might require the customer to authenticate a card payment before processing. Implementation varies by bank but commonly consists of a customer entering in a security code sent to their phone.
card issuerThe entity that issued a payment card to a cardholder. This could be a bank, such as with the Visa or Mastercard network, or it could be the card network itself, such as with American Express.
card network costsInterchange and scheme fees.
card networksA network that processes the transactions of a particular card brand. It might be an intermediary in front of an issuing bank as with Visa or Mastercard, or a standalone entity as with American Express.
card networks (network cost reporting)Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.
card-not-presentA card-not-present (CNP) transaction is a purchase made remotely, without processing a physical card in a card reader, or without the cardholder manually entering a PIN. Common CNP transactions include online shopping, card-on-file payments, phone or mail orders, recurring payments, and online invoices.
card tokenA card token replaces the cardholder's primary account number (PAN) with a series of randomly-generated numbers. It's purpose is to protect sensitive customer data.
the related setting (Controlled By Single Platform)A Connect property that designates a Standard connected account as being exclusively owned and controlled by one platform. It enforces platform isolation and enables platforms to have additional controls over their connected accounts.
charge cardA type of credit card that requires payment in full at the end of every credit period rather than allowing a minimum payment with a balance carryover.
chargebackThe action taken by a cardholder's bank to debit a business's account in response to a dispute from the cardholder. The debited funds are held until the dispute is resolved.
client secretA client secret is used with your publishable key to authenticate a request for a single object. Each client secret is unique to the object it's associated with.
climate productProducts represent the different types of carbon removal units that are available for purchase.
offtakeCarbon removal units represent amounts of carbon that has been removed from the atmosphere and retired on behalf of the buyer.
climate order delayedWe consider a project to be delayed if it is unable to deliver by the original expected_delivery_year but expects to deliver within two years.
climate order failedWe consider a project to have have failed if it is unable to deliver within 2 years of the original expected_delivery_year.
climate offtake agreementA contractual agreement to purchase carbon removal at a certain price if and when tons of carbon removal are delivered and verified.
climate beneficiaryThe beneficiary is the entity that can claim to have removed carbon from the atmosphere.
spot purchaseCarbon removal that has already been verified and delivered to Stripe and is retired to you within 30 days of purchase.
Stripe CheckoutA low-code payment integration that creates a customizable form for collecting payments. You can embed Checkout directly in your website, redirect customers to a Stripe-hosted payment page, or create a customized checkout page with Stripe Elements.
checkout sessionA Checkout Session represents your customer's session as they pay for one-time purchases or subscriptions through Checkout. After a successful payment, the Checkout Session contains a reference to the Customer, and either the successful PaymentIntent or an active Subscription.
commercial volumeCommercial volume includes transactions made to business, corporate, and purchasing cards.
ConnectConnect is Stripe's solution for multi-party businesses, such as marketplace or software platforms, to route payments between sellers, customers, and other recipients.
connected accountA person or business accepting payments or receiving payouts on a Connect platform.
connected account onboardingPlatforms onboard connected accounts to a Stripe account using a hosted onboarding flow, an embedded onboarding flow, or a custom onboarding flow that they build using the API.
consumer connected accountConsumers are individuals who use your platform for personal, non-commercial purposes, such as managing personal finances, holding savings, or spending.
ConfirmationTokensConfirmationTokens help capture data from your client, such as your customer's payment instruments and shipping address, and are used to confirm a PaymentIntent or SetupIntent.
conversion on-sessionA payment is described as on-session if it occurs with the direct involvement of the customer. Off-session transactions rely on previously-collected payment information.
credit based pricingPricing model where you provide credits to offer a fixed, monetary amount of usage across your usage-based products.
Cross-Origin IsolationCross-origin isolation is an opt-in security feature that helps prevent side-channel attacks by ensuring that a document loads in a unique, isolated browsing environment.
crypto walletAn external wallet that holds cryptocurrency. You can transfer stablecoin funds between your Stripe stablecoin balance and crypto wallets controlled by you or other parties.
Content Security PolicyContent Security Policy (CSP) is an added layer of security that helps to detect and mitigate certain types of attacks, including Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and data injection attacks.
CustomersCustomer objects represent customers of your business. They let you reuse payment methods and give you the ability to track multiple payments.
customer portalThe customer portal is a secure, Stripe-hosted page that lets your customers manage their subscriptions and billing details.
Card verification code check (CVC)The card verification code (CVC) or card verification value (CVV) is a three- or four-digit number printed directly on a card used to verify the entered card number.
dashboard accessPlatforms can provide connected accounts with access to the full Stripe Dashboard or the Express Dashboard. Otherwise, platforms build an interface for connected accounts using embedded components or the Stripe API.
debounceA programming technique that limits the rate at which events are processed, by ignoring all but the first (or the last) event that occurred in close succession.
decremental authorizationReduces the amount held on your customer's payment method without canceling the payment, so you can still collect a lower amount later.
define products inlineInstead of creating Products and Prices upfront, you can define them inline as part of the Order by passing the line_items.product_data and line_items.price_data parameters.
delayed notification payment methodA payment method that can't immediately return payment status when a customer attempts a transaction (for example, ACH debits). Businesses commonly hold an order in a pending state until payment is successful with these payment methods.
deprecatedTechnology that's no longer recommended and that might stop working after a specific date.
destination chargeA charge type where customers transact with your platform for products or services provided by a connected account. Your platform pays Stripe fees and immediately transfers funds to the connected account with each payment.
digital walletA digital wallet is a contactless payment method that stores payment options, such as credit and debit cards, allowing customers to use a smart device to make a purchase.
dimensional pricingPricing model where a single meter tracks usage events with attributes like model type or region, applying different rates based on each event's attribute combination.
direct chargeA charge type where customers transact directly with a connected account, which is always the merchant of record. With each payment, the connected account pays fees to Stripe and, optionally, to your platform.
direct to authorizationWhere Stripe requests an SCA exemption as part of the authorization message.
dispute inquiryA pre-dispute request from a card issuer, asking for information about a charge. Based on the response from the business, an inquiry might or might not escalate to a full chargeback. Inquiries are sometimes called "retrievals" or "requests for information."
dunning emailA dunning email helps prevent lost revenue by asking a customer to update their payment method. You can define the schedule to send these payment reminder emails in your Subscriptions and email settings.
European Economic AreaThe European Economic Area is a regional single market with free movement of labor, goods, and capital. It encompasses the European Union member states and three additional states that are part of the European Free Trade Association.
effective rateEffective rate is equal to network costs divided by total processing volume.
Stripe ElementsA set of UI components for building a web checkout flow. They adapt to your customer's locale, validate input, and use tokenization, keeping sensitive customer data from touching your server.
Electronic Commerce Indicator (ECI)An Electronic Commerce Indicator (ECI) is a code returned alongside a 3D Secure authentication result. It indicates the authentication method and result and may be used subsequently to, for example, determine eligibility for liability shift.
e-mandateAn e-mandate is a form of authorization provided by cardholders to issuing banks that grants permission for recurring payments on their card. Any recurring payment arrangements (for example, monthly subscriptions to OTT services) need an associated e-mandate to be successful. The e-mandate needs to be registered and then validated through AFA, such as 3DS.
EMVEMV refers to the standards governing acceptance of chip-enabled cards and some contactless payment methods. Today most payment cards issued around the world support EMV.
enterprise contractsPricing model where customers commit to a minimum spend or usage over a contract period in exchange for discounts or added benefits, whether or not they fully use the commitment.
entitlementAn entitlement represents a feature that a customer is "entitled" to.
event destinationA tool to send events to your application via webhook or directly to your cloud infrastructure
exclusive taxExclusive tax is tax that changes the final purchase price—the listed price the buyer sees doesn't include it, and it's added to the total. An example of exclusive tax is US sales tax.
exposure limitThe exposure limit is the maximum aggregate amount that can be spent beyond pre-funded balances.
extended authorizationHolds funds on your customer's payment method longer than the standard time period, so you can collect the payment later.
extensionA unit of custom logic that plugs into a Stripe extension point. Extensions run your code—as a script on Stripe's managed runtime or as a remote function on your infrastructure—at designated places in Stripe products. You package and distribute extensions as part of Stripe Apps.
FCAA Financial Connections Account is an API object that represents an external financial account (such as a checking or credit card account) that your customer has linked to your application using the Stripe Financial Connections product.
the related settingFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the related setting) is an independent agency created by Congress to insure deposits, regulate financial institutions, make large and complex financial institutions resolvable, and manage receiverships.
featureA feature represents a monetizable ability or functionality in your system. Features can be assigned to products, and when those products are purchased, Stripe will create an entitlement to the feature for the purchasing customer.
fiat balanceA balance in a government-issued currency, such as USD, EUR, or GBP.
financial accountYou can use a financial account to store, transfer, convert, or spend funds.
first-class fieldsFirst-class fields are prominent input fields that appear at the top level of the payment form and API, rather than being grouped within other sections such as billing or shipping details.
fiscal representationFiscal representation is a process where a local entity acts as a representative of a foreign business for VAT purposes, usually in countries where they must register for VAT but can’t do so independently.
fixed and variable portionFor example, if the interchange plan is 2.04% + $0.10, 2.04% is the variable portion, and $0.10 is the fixed portion.
flat fee and overagesPricing model where customers pay a set recurring fee for a base package, and you bill any usage beyond that limit separately.
flexible extended authorizationHolds funds for a variable amount of time depending on the payment method, rather than a fixed number of days.
FPSFaster Payments Service (FPS) is the United Kingdom's system for real-time electronic payments between bank accounts.
frontierA release phase for APIs in fast-moving product domains, available for opt-in through the Dashboard. Interoperability and extensibility are lower than standard APIs, and breaking changes are likely.
FSA/HSAFlexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account debit cards use pre-tax funds to cover certain types of purchases, such as medical expenses. Their use is restricted only to businesses that directly provide eligible products and services.
fulfillmentFulfillment is the process of providing the goods or services purchased by a customer, typically after payment is collected.
General Data Protection Regulationthe related setting is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy in the European (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).
general availability (GA)A release phase for products or features that are fully available to all Stripe accounts. Functionality is feature-complete, and future changes are handled through standard API version releases.
gross salesGross sales refers to the total number of sales over a period of time including sales for resale, taxable and exempt sales.
GSTA goods and services tax (GST), known in some countries as a value added tax (VAT), is a type of tax levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the end consumer. GST and VAT are also generally known as "consumption" taxes. The buyer pays the tax and the seller forwards it to the government.
hard decline codeA hard decline code means the issuing bank has rejected the transaction and you can't retry it.
HSTIn many Canadian provinces the Goods and Services Tax (levied by the country) is merged with the Provincial Sales Tax (levied by the province) and is called Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).
the related settingThe International Bank Account Number (the related setting) identifies bank accounts across national borders to facilitate cross border transactions with a reduced risk of transcription errors. An the related setting uniquely identifies the account of a customer at a financial institution.
IC+A pricing plan where businesses pay the variable network cost for each transaction plus the Stripe fee rather than a flat rate for all transactions. This pricing model provides more visibility into payments costs.
iDealiDeal is a payment method in the Netherlands that uses direct, online transfers from the user's bank account.
immediate confirmation timingThis payment method immediately returns a payment status when a customer attempts a transaction. A status of "succeeded" on the PaymentIntent guarantees that you receive the funds from your customers.
inclusive taxInclusive tax is tax that doesn't change the final purchase price—the price the buyer sees already includes it. Examples of inclusive tax include VAT and GST outside of the US.
incremental authorizationIncreases the total amount held on your customer's payment method before you collect the payment - for example, when they add items to an order.
incremental onboardingIncremental onboarding is a type of onboarding where you gradually collect required verification information from your users. You collect a minimum amount of information at sign-up, and you collect more information as the connected account earns more revenue.
indirect chargeA charge type where customers transact directly with your platform instead of with a connected account. Indirect charges include destination charges and separate charges and transfers.
instant accessInstant access allows you start accepting payments with this payment method immediately.
instant provisional accessInstant provisional access allows you start accepting payments with this payment method immediately, but payment method eligibility is subject to review after the first transaction.
confirmConfirming a PaymentIntent indicates that the customer intends to pay with the current or provided payment method. Upon confirmation, the PaymentIntent attempts to initiate a payment.
confirmConfirming an intent indicates that the customer intends to use the current or provided payment method. Upon confirmation, the intent attempts to initiate the portions of the flow that have real-world side effects.
IVThe initialization vector (IV) is a cryptographically-secure generated random value that enhances encryption security and ensures that unique ciphertexts are produced for the same message.
PaymentIntent client secretThe client secret is a unique key returned from Stripe as part of a PaymentIntent. This key lets the client access important fields from the PaymentIntent (status, amount, currency) while hiding sensitive ones (metadata, customer).
interchange feeInterchange or interchange fee is a term used by the card networks to describe a fee paid between banks for the acceptance of card-based transactions. Usually it's a fee on transactions that a business's bank (the "acquiring bank") pays a customer's bank (the "issuing bank").
invoicesInvoices are statements of amounts owed by a customer. They track the status of payments from draft through paid or otherwise finalized. Subscriptions automatically generate invoices, or you can manually create a one-off invoice.
know your customerKnow your customer (KYC) regulations require that professionals and businesses make an effort to verify the identity, suitability, and risks involved with maintaining a business relationship. The procedures fall under the broader scope of anti-money laundering (AML) policy.
legacyTechnology that's no longer recommended.
Legacy CheckoutA modal dialog to collect card details.
liability shiftWith some 3D Secure transactions, the liability for fraudulent chargebacks (stolen or counterfeit cards) shifts from you to the card issuer.
linkStripe’s digital wallet. It securely saves and autofills customer address and payment details, with support for cards, US bank accounts, BNPLs, and more.
local payment methodsPayment methods used in specific countries or regions, such as bank transfers, vouchers, and digital wallets. Examples include Pix (Brazil, bank transfers), Konbini (Japan, vouchers), and WeChat Pay (China, digital wallet).
live modeUse this mode when you’re ready to launch your app. Card networks or payment providers process payments.
mandateA written notice of authorization to debit a bank account, agreed to by the customer before the first debit.
marketplaceA Connect platform that provides a platform-branded storefront for products and services from its connected accounts.
mccA Merchant Category Code (MCC) is a four-digit number that classifies the type of goods or services a business offers.
merchant-initiated transactionA payment made off-session with a properly authenticated saved card, can qualify as merchant-initiated transaction and be exempt from SCA.
merchant of recordThe legal entity responsible for facilitating the sale of products to a customer that handles any applicable regulations and liabilities, including sales taxes. In a Connect integration, it can be the platform or a connected account.
metered billingMetered billing is a subscription billing model where you charge your customers based on their consumption of your service during the billing cycle, instead of explicitly setting quantities.
minor currency unitThe Stripe API expects currency values using the given denomination's smallest unit represented without decimals. For example, enter 1099 to charge 10.99 USD (or any other two-decimal currency). Enter 10 to charge 10 JPY (or any other zero-decimal currency).
Mobile ElementsA set of UI components for building mobile checkout flows. They adapt to your customer's locale, validate input, and use tokenization, keeping sensitive customer data from touching your server.
MRRMonthly Recurring Revenue, the total predictable monthly revenue from subscriptions.
multi-currency priceA single Price object can support multiple currencies. Each purchase uses one of the supported currencies for the Price, depending on how you use the Price in your integration.
multicaptureSplits a payment into multiple collections over time - for example, charging for each shipment in an order separately.
nachaNacha is the governing body that oversees the ACH network.
negative balance liabilityThe responsibility for managing risk and recovering negative balances on connected accounts. Stripe or the Connect platform can be liable for negative balances on connected accounts.
NIPthe related setting Instant Payment (NIP) is Nigeria's real-time electronic fund transfer system operated by the related setting.
NSFA shorthand way of referring to the Non-sufficient Funds ACH return code R01.
Offline PINOffline PIN is a card verification method for EMV chip cards. These cards store the PIN securely on the chip itself, so PIN verification can occur without a network connection.
off-session paymentA payment is described as off-session if it occurs without the direct involvement of the customer, using previously-collected payment information.
on_behalf_ofA parameter that allows a Connect platform to create an indirect payment where the connected account is the merchant of record (MoR).
on-demand paymentWhen a customer stores their payment method with a business, they can make on-demand future purchases without re-authenticating, such as ordering a ride in their ride-share app.
Online PINOnline PIN is a card verification method for EMV chip cards. These cards require the terminal to contact the issuer over a network connection to verify the PIN.
on-session paymentA payment is described as on-session if it occurs while the customer is actively in your checkout flow and able to authenticate the payment method.
open loop walletAn account with a monetary value that can be funded through payments or transfers and used to make purchases within or outside of a platform.
OrchestrationOrchestration lets you create rules in the Dashboard that configure which payment processor you select. You can base the rules on conditions such as card country, currency, amount, and so on. You can also set up retry actions and view analytics.
submitSubmitting an order indicates that the customer intends to pay. Upon submission, the order can no longer be updated and is ready for payment.
originating eventThe activity that triggers a subsequent action, such as the application of a network cost.
overcaptureCharges your customer more than the original held amount - for example, when adding a tip.
partial refundA partial refund is any refund in which less than the remaining refundable amount is refunded in a single request. The remaining refundable amount is the payment_intent.amount_received - charge.amount_refunded.
pay as you goPricing model where you track incurred usage over a determined time period, then charge the customer at the end of the period.
paydownA paydown is an automatic or manual payment toward a financing balance.
PaymentIntentAPI object that represents your intent to collect payment from a customer, tracking charge attempts and payment state changes throughout the process.
Payment Intents APIThe Payment Intents API tracks the lifecycle of a customer checkout flow and triggers additional authentication steps when required by regulatory mandates, custom Radar fraud rules, or redirect-based payment methods.
Payment LinksA link to a secure, hosted payment page that you can generate without code. Share it directly with your customers, or point them to it with a button or QR code.
PaymentMethodsPaymentMethods represent your customer's payment instruments, used with the Payment Intents or Setup Intents APIs.
Payment Method Provider (PMP)A Payment Method Provider integrates with Stripe so that businesses can support the payment method using Stripe.
payment railsA financial network that provides the technological infrastructure to electronically move money from a payer to a payee.
payoutA payout is the transfer of funds to an external account, usually a bank account, in the form of a deposit.
standard payoutFunds are paid out according to your account's configured schedule. The timing follows the normal T+X day schedule for your country. In most countries, standard payout timing is T+2 business days, meaning funds from a transaction become available for payout approximately 2 business days after the transaction is captured. However, this varies by country.
T+2 payoutYour payout timing is T+2 business days, meaning funds from a transaction become available for payout approximately 2 business days after the transaction is captured.
T+3 payoutYour payout timing is T+3 business days, meaning funds from a transaction become available for payout approximately 3 business days after the transaction is captured.
T+4 payoutYour payout timing is T+4 business days, meaning funds from a transaction become available for payout approximately 4 business days after the transaction is captured.
T+5 payoutYour payout timing is T+5 business days, meaning funds from a transaction become available for payout approximately 5 business days after the transaction is captured.
PCI complianceAny party involved in processing, transmitting, or storing credit card data must comply with the rules specified in the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. PCI compliance is a shared responsibility and applies to both Stripe and your business.
Personally identifiable informationPersonally identifiable information (PII) is information that, when used alone or with other relevant data, can identify an individual. Examples include passport numbers, driver's license, mailing address, or credit card information.
PIXPIX is an instant payment platform created and managed by the Central Bank of Brazil.
post-fundPost-funding is the ability to use Stripe Credit to fund Issuing card spend after it's accrued, rather than by pre-funding.
prepaid credits and drawdownCustomers pre-purchase credits to use your service. Usage reduces a customer’s balance in real time.
presentment currencyThe presentment currency is the currency the customer uses to make a payment.
integration currencyThe currency you use to price your goods and services. It can differ from the customer's presentment currency and from your settlement currency.
PricesPrices define how much and how often to charge for products. This includes how much the product costs, what currency to use, and the interval if the price is for subscriptions.
pricing modelThe pricing model consists of the products or services you sell, how much they cost, what currency you accept for payments, and the service period to charge (for subscriptions). To build the pricing model, you use Products—what you sell—and Prices—how much and how often to charge for your products.
pricing tableA pricing table is an embeddable UI that displays different pricing levels for your subscription, and then takes your customers to a prebuilt checkout flow to complete their purchase.
private appA private app is only available to users who have access to your Stripe account. Stripe users can’t discover private apps on the Stripe App Marketplace.
private previewA release phase for products or features that are available by invitation, usually through a waitlist. Functionality might be incomplete, and breaking changes are likely.
ProductsProducts represent what your business sells—whether that's a good or a service.
Product CategoriesProduct Categories describe a hierarchy of categories of products you offer to your customers. For example, you might have a category for Clothes, and under that a category for Mens' Shirts.
Product ClassesProduct Classes describe the classes of products you offer to your customers. For example you might offer t-shirts that vary by size and color. Each specific combination of t-shirt size and color would be a Product. The grouping of all t-shirt size and color combinations would be a Product Class.
subscription productsProducts represent items your customer can subscribe to with a Subscription. An associated Price object describes the pricing and other terms of the subscription.
PSTA Provincial Sales Tax (PST) is a type of tax imposed on consumers and levied by provinces in several Canadian provinces.
public appA public app is discoverable on the Stripe App Marketplace.
public previewA release phase for products or features that are available for opt-in to all Stripe accounts. Functionality might be incomplete, and breaking changes are possible.
QSTThe province-specific sales tax in Quebec is called Quebec Sales Tax (QST).
Quick Chip EMVQuick Chip is a contact EMV transaction process, designed to expedite transaction times and allows the removal of the card before the transaction response is validated against the chip, through the second generate application cryptogram. This is only available in the US through most major card networks.
RadarStripe Radar helps detect and block fraud for any type of business using machine learning that trains on data across millions of global companies. It’s built into Stripe and requires no additional setup to get started.
Radar client risk factorsClient risk factors refer to information such as IP address, User-Agent, and checkout URL that are used to help enhance fraud prevention.
Radar customer risk factorsCustomer risk factors refer to information such as user email, name, and billing address that are passed through the customer object in the API.
Radar for Fraud TeamsRadar for Fraud Teams helps you fine-tune how Radar operates, get fraud insights on suspicious charges, and assess your fraud management performance from a unified dashboard.
Radar PlusRadar Plus helps you fine-tune how Radar operates, get fraud insights on suspicious charges, and assess your fraud management performance from a unified dashboard.
ramp schedulesPricing model where a customer's committed usage scales up incrementally over the contract period, starting at a lower commitment and increasing over time.
reauthorizationRenews a hold on your customer's payment method after it expires, so you can collect the payment without asking them to approve it again.
RecallCustomer-originated attempt to undo a previously sent EUR bank transfer payment (the related setting Credit Transfer). Recipients can freely accept or reject the recall.
referrer modelA Connect business model where the platform refers its connected accounts to process payments through Stripe and might qualify for revenue share on the Stripe fees paid by those accounts.
requires_actionThis status appears as "requires_source_action" in API versions before 2019-02-11.
requires_payment_methodThis status appears as "requires_source" in API versions before 2019-02-11.
reseller modelA Connect business model where the platform purchases Stripe products and services to resell to its connected accounts.
retail salesFor tax purposes, retail sales don't include sales of resale goods.
requirement collectionThe responsibility for collecting required information from connected accounts to keep their Stripe accounts active. Stripe or the Connect platform can be responsible for requirement collection.
reusableReusable payment methods can be saved to a customer for future payments. After the initial setup, customers don't need to re-enter their payment details for subsequent transactions.
reversalA reversal is the cancellation of a transaction. Stripe doesn't withhold any fees for payment reversals.
reverse_charge_mechanismA reverse charge is a transaction where the responsibility for calculating and remitting tax shifts from the seller to the buyer.
RSTThe Retail Sales Tax (RST) is a tax imposed by the Canadian province of Manitoba to the retail sale of goods and services.
SaaS platformA Software as a Service (SaaS) Connect platform that provides Stripe products and services to its connected accounts.
sandboxA sandbox is an isolated test environment that allows you to test Stripe functionality in your account without affecting your live integration. Use sandboxes to safely experiment with new features and changes.
Save rateSave rate is the share of cancellation attempts that resulted in a save based on the subscriptions that tried to cancel while a retention offer was configured to show them, and the percentage that accepted the offer and were still subscribed after 7 days.
Saved MRRSaved MRR is the monthly recurring revenue of the subscriptions that retention rules saved during a selected date range.
Strong Customer AuthenticationStrong Customer Authentication (SCA) is a regulatory requirement in effect as of September 14, 2019, that impacts many European online payments. It requires customers to use two-factor authentication like 3D Secure to verify their purchase.
SCA exemptionsSome transactions that are deemed low risk, based on the volume of fraud rates associated with the payment provider or bank, may be exempt from Europe's Strong Customer Authentication requirements.
scoped grantShared Payment Tokens are restricted to a single merchant with usage limits and expiration.
secret keyStripe APIs use your secret API key to authenticate requests from your server; you can use this key to make any API call on behalf of your account, such as creating a charge or performing a refund.
Single Euro Payments AreaSingle Euro Payments Area (the related setting) is a payment-integration initiative to simplify bank transfers involving euros. Several dozen countries comprise the related setting. Most of the participating countries are in the European Union and have euro-based economies, but this is not a requirement.
separate charges and transfersA charge type where customers transact with your platform for products or services provided by one or more connected accounts. With each payment, your platform pays Stripe fees and transfers funds to connected accounts as separate transactions.
service intervalThe timeframe used to measure usage and apply pricing. The service interval resets independently of the billing cadence.
service periodThe timeframe used to measure usage and apply pricing. The service period resets independently of the billing period.
settleWhen funds are available in your Stripe balance.
settlement timingThe amount of time it takes for a settlement to occur.
settlement currencyThe settlement currency is the currency your bank account uses.
Setup Intents APIThe Setup Intents API lets you build dynamic flows for collecting payment method details for future payments. It tracks the lifecycle of a payment setup flow and can trigger additional authentication steps if required by law or by the payment method.
SetupIntent client secretThe client secret is a unique key returned from Stripe as part of a SetupIntent. This key lets the client access important fields from the SetupIntent (for example, status).
simulated readerStripe Terminal SDKs and server-driven integrations come with a built-in simulated card reader, so you can develop and test your app without connecting to physical hardware. Whether your integration is complete or you're still building it, use the simulated reader to emulate all the Terminal flows in your app.
single useSingle-use payment methods can only be used once for a payment. You can't save them for future transactions. After they're used in a payment attempt, you can't reuse them or attach them to customers.
SKUSKUs (Stock Keeping Units) represent a specific Product variation, taking into account any combination of attributes and cost (for instance, size, color, currency, cost).
soft declineA soft decline occurs when an issuing bank declines an authorization request with a decline code of "authentication required."
soft decline codeA soft decline code means the issuing bank has rejected the transaction, but you can retry it.
the related settingSistema de Pagos Electrónicos Interbancarios (the related setting) is Mexico's interbank electronic payment system for domestic bank transfers.
stablecoinA cryptocurrency pegged to a fiat currency or other asset to limit volatility. Stripe supports only the related setting for stablecoin balances, although transfers on the Tempo network use the related setting.e.
stablecoin balanceA Stripe balance held in the related setting stablecoin.
Standard EMVStandard EMV, or Full EMV flow, is a contact EMV transaction process that requires the card to remain inserted throughout the online authorization, with the transaction only being captured after the EMV chip validates the authorization and provides a second application cryptogram. If this validation fails, the transaction is reversed.
stored-value accountAn account that can store funds. The funds are typically transferred in from an external bank account.
Stripe appAn app that you can build on top of Stripe to customize the functionality of the Stripe Dashboard UI, leverage Stripe user data, store data on Stripe, and more.
Stripe App MarketplaceA marketplace to browse, search, and install Stripe apps.
Stripe fee collectionIn a Connect implementation, Stripe collects Stripe fees either from the platform account or from the platform's connected accounts.
Stripe.JSUse Stripe.js’ APIs to tokenize customer information, collect sensitive card data, and accept payments with browser payment APIs.
Stripe OrchestrationStripe Orchestration lets you create rules in the Dashboard that configure which payment processor you select. You can base the rules on conditions such as card country, currency, amount, and so on. You can also set up retry actions and view analytics.
subscriptionsA Subscription represents the product details associated with the plan that your customer subscribes to. Allows you to charge the customer on a recurring basis.
tax codeA tax code is the category of your product for tax purposes.
tax behaviorTax behavior determines whether you want to include taxes in the price ("inclusive") or add them on top ("exclusive").
tax liabilityThe responsibility for collecting and reporting taxes for transactions in a Connect integration. It can belong to the platform or to connected accounts, depending on your business model, government regulations, and individual transaction details.
team memberA team member is a user with controlled access to some features of your Stripe account, like an administrator, developer, or support specialist.
test modeTest mode is another way to test changes to your integration without affecting production. A sandbox is the default and recommended way to test integrations. All Stripe features are available in test mode but you can't create live charges unless you're in live mode.
test mode sandboxEvery Stripe account includes the test mode sandbox. It shares some settings with live mode, has characteristics that differ from other sandboxes you create, but you can't delete it.
test helperTest helpers are test-only API endpoints that allow you to simulate actions that happen outside of Stripe's API, like funding balances or advancing time.
TLSTLS refers to the process of securely transmitting data between the client—the app or browser that your customer is using—and your server. This was originally performed using the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol.
TLVTLV (sometimes called BER-TLV) stands for basic encoding rules-tag length value, and is a data encoding scheme used in payment processing systems.
top upThe act of adding funds to a Stripe account, typically through a transfer from a bank external to Stripe.
TR 31 KeyBlockTR-31 key blocks are standardized data structures that securely encapsulate cryptographic keys, enabling their reliable exchange and management across diverse systems and applications. They consist of a header, key component, and optional additional information such as key usage, expiration, and other metadata.
Track 2Track 2 data is a numerical format that contains information necessary for processing in-person card transactions. The data consists of the primary account number (PAN) and the card expiration date, along with issuer specific data.
TreasuryA collection of API endpoints and cloud- and web-based features that enable platforms to offer embedded financial solutions to their users.
2FATwo-factor authentication (2FA), also known as two-step verification, is a security process that requires users to provide two different authentication factors to verify their identity.
ui extensionA set of APIs that allow you to inject user interface elements into the Stripe Dashboard using TypeScript and React.
usage-based billingA pricing model that lets you charge customers based on their usage of your product or service in a billing period.
VATA value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the end consumer. VAT and GST are also generally known as "consumption" taxes. The buyer pays the tax and the seller forwards it to the government.
viewA view is a React component that creates UI extensions in the Stripe Dashboard.
viewportA viewport specifies the page in the Dashboard where your view can appear.
virtualizationVirtualization is a technique that allows a payment method to be used outside of Stripe by generating a token that can be used to process payments.
voluntary churnVoluntary churn is any subscription that a customer cancels themselves through your customer portal. It doesn't include cancellations from failed payments or other channels.
ucc-1A publicly available notice filed by a creditor that secures the creditor's interest in certain assets of a debtor. Creditors file UCC-1 statements with the secretary of state where a business debtor is incorporated at the time a loan first originates.
universal-linksUse Universal links on iOS and macOS to link directly to in-app content. They're standard HTTPS links, so the same URL works for your website and your app.
upfront onboardingUpfront onboarding is a type of onboarding where you collect all required verification information from your users at sign-up.
upsertA combined operation that updates an existing record if it exists or inserts it if it doesn’t.
webhookA webhook is a real-time push notification sent to your application as a JSON payload through HTTPS requests.
wire transferAlso called a bank transfer or credit transfer, wire transfers are a method of electronic funds transfers that move money from a payer to a payee.
the related setting filethe related setting (XML Localization Interchange File Format) is a standardized format used to store and transfer localizable content between different translation and localization systems.
Last verified 2026-09-24

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