Overview
Accepting payments on WordPress can be fast and secure. Using Stripe together with the WP Full Pay plugin lets you launch card payments, digital wallets, subscriptions, saved cards and donations with minimal setup and no upfront plugin cost.
What to prepare before you start
– Stripe account and API keys: Create a free Stripe account. Use Test Mode to simulate transactions until you’re ready to go live. Retrieve your Publishable and Secret API keys from Stripe → Developers → API keys.
– Supported payment methods: Stripe handles cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and many local options. Enable what you need from your Stripe dashboard.
– Fees and payouts: Stripe charges per successful transaction (rates depend on country). Payouts typically take 2–7 business days. See stripe.com/pricing for current rates.
– WP Full Pay pricing: WP Full Pay has a free tier (full plugin features but adds a 5% per-transaction plugin fee on top of Stripe fees). Paid plans (starting at €79.50/year) remove that extra fee. The plugin is developed by Themeisle.
Step 1 — Create and configure your Stripe account
1. Sign up at stripe.com and complete your business profile and verification steps.
2. Use Test Mode to run fake payments while building and testing.
3. Copy your Publishable and Secret API keys — you’ll paste these into WordPress when configuring the plugin.
Step 2 — Install and connect WP Full Pay in WordPress
1. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New and search for “WP Full Pay.”
2. Install and Activate the plugin. A setup wizard usually starts automatically.
3. If no wizard appears, open Full Pay → Settings → Stripe account and manually paste your Stripe API keys.
4. Follow the plugin’s Stripe authentication prompts and finish any required Stripe account setup.
Step 3 — Build your first payment form
1. In WordPress go to Full Pay → Payment Forms → Add form.
2. Pick a form type (one-time payments are a good starting point).
3. Configure the form tabs: General (title, labels), Payment (currency, amount), Tax, Appearance, Form fields, Email notifications and Webhooks.
4. Optional: create a Product inside Stripe’s Product catalog and link it to the form’s Payment tab by clicking “+” and selecting that product.
5. Save the form. It will appear in your WP Full Pay forms list with a shortcode.
Step 4 — Place the form on a page or post
1. Copy the shortcode shown beside your form in WP Full Pay.
2. Edit the page or post where you want the form to appear, add a Shortcode block (or paste into the editor), and insert the shortcode.
3. Save or publish the page. The form is now live and can accept payments.
Extra features to consider
– Recurring payments: Create subscription forms for memberships, courses or SaaS billing cycles.
– Save customer cards: Let customers store payment details securely for faster future checkouts and recurring billing.
– Donations: Build one-time or recurring donation forms with preset amounts or donor-entered amounts.
Testing, tax and compliance
– Test thoroughly in Stripe Test Mode before switching to live API keys.
– Configure tax settings and compliance for your region and product types — Stripe provides tax tools and guidance.
– Use webhooks and email notifications to keep records and trigger automated workflows after successful payments.
Tips and recommendations
– Start on the free WP Full Pay plan to validate your configuration. Upgrade to a paid plan when transaction volume makes the plugin fee worth removing.
– Keep an eye on transaction fees and your payout schedule to manage cash flow.
– Use Stripe’s dashboard and logs to troubleshoot failed transactions or webhook issues.
Support
If you run into problems, consult WP Full Pay and Stripe documentation or support channels — both offer step-by-step guides and help resources.
Conclusion
Following these steps gives you a reliable, secure way to accept one-time payments, subscriptions, saved cards and donations on WordPress using Stripe and WP Full Pay. Begin in test mode, verify the workflow, then switch to live keys when ready.