Overview
This guide shows how to accept recurring payments on a WordPress site using Stripe and the free WP Full Pay plugin. Follow these steps to create a subscription product in Stripe, connect it to WordPress, build a subscription form, and embed it on a page.
Video tutorial
If you prefer a demo, a video walkthrough is available.
Step 1: Create a Stripe account
Why use Stripe
– Free to sign up.
– Handles payments, compliance, and payouts.
– Lets you create recurring products directly so you don’t need a separate ecommerce plugin.
Note: Stripe charges processing fees that vary by country. Check Stripe pricing for details.
How to sign up
1. Go to stripe.com and click Start now.
2. Register with email and password.
3. Complete your business profile (name, type, website).
4. Finish any verification steps Stripe requests to fully activate the account.
Step 2: Create a recurring product in Stripe
1. In the Stripe dashboard go to Product catalog and click Create product.
2. Give the product a name and description.
3. Under Pricing choose Recurring and set the billing interval and amount.
4. Use More pricing options if you need tiered, usage-based, or per-unit pricing.
5. Mark the product active so it can be selected from your site.
Step 3: Install and connect WP Full Pay
What it is
WP Full Pay (also called WP Full Stripe) is a free WordPress plugin that integrates with Stripe and supports subscriptions without WooCommerce.
Install and activate
1. In WordPress admin go to Plugins → Add New and search for WP Full Pay.
2. Click Install Now and then Activate.
Notes on pricing
The plugin has free and paid plans. The free plan works but adds a 5% plugin fee on top of Stripe’s processing fees. Paid plans remove that extra fee.
Connect to Stripe
After activation an install wizard will prompt you to connect WP Full Pay to Stripe. Follow the prompts, log into Stripe to authorize access, and complete the connection. When done the plugin and Stripe will be linked.
Step 4: Create a recurring payments form
1. In WordPress admin go to Full Pay → Payment Forms → Add form.
2. Choose Subscription as the form type.
3. Enter a Display name (for your reference), leave Identifier if you don’t need to change it, and pick a layout. Checkout sends users to Stripe’s hosted checkout. Inline keeps the flow on your site.
4. Click Create & edit form.
Configure the form
– General: set titles, descriptions, and redirect URLs.
– Payment: click Add plan from Stripe and select the recurring product(s) you created. You can add multiple plans if needed.
– Subscription settings: enable trial periods, quantity options, or customer-facing choices.
– Tax: choose No tax, Stripe Auto Tax, or Stripe tax rates based on your legal needs.
– Appearance: adjust currency format, labels, decimals, and add custom CSS.
– Form fields: add billing address, consent/terms checkboxes, or custom fields. It is common to require acceptance of terms before subscribing.
– Email notifications: choose whether plugin-sent emails are enabled and whether to rely on Stripe receipts. Note the subscription-ending notice is sent by the plugin.
– Webhooks: optional advanced setup for custom integrations. Most sites can work without manual webhook changes.
Save the form once configuration is complete.
Step 5: Embed the form on a page or post
1. Edit or create a page in the block editor.
2. Type /full to find the WP Full Pay block and insert it.
3. Select the subscription form you created from the block dropdown.
4. Save or publish the page. The form is now live and ready to accept signups.
Design tips
– The default form is basic. Use WordPress blocks, block patterns, or layout plugins to create nicer pricing tables and page layouts.
– Use Checkout layout to leverage Stripe’s secure hosted checkout. Use Inline if you want the full flow without leaving your site.
What customers experience
When someone clicks Subscribe, Stripe collects payment details and handles the recurring billing according to the plan you set up in Stripe. Stripe manages card updates, receipts, and recurring charge attempts.
You’re ready to sell
You now have a working recurring payments setup using Stripe and WP Full Pay. If you need help with specific options, custom fields, or webhook integrations, ask and I’ll guide you through the next steps.
