Before integrating Stripe, you need to create an account and obtain your API keys. Stripe provides test mode for development and live mode for production. Start by installing the necessary packages for both client-side and server-side integration. The client package handles payment UI components, while the server package processes secure transactions.

Stripe Elements provides pre-built, PCI-compliant UI components for collecting payment information. The CardElement component handles card input with built-in validation, formatting, and security. Wrap your checkout form with the Elements provider to enable Stripe's functionality throughout your component tree.

Payment processing must happen server-side for security. Create API endpoints to generate payment intents, which represent a payment's lifecycle from creation to completion. The client secret from the payment intent is passed to the client to confirm payment securely.

Stripe makes recurring billing simple with subscription management. Create subscription products in your Stripe Dashboard, then use the API to create checkout sessions that handle recurring payments automatically. Stripe manages billing cycles, proration, and failed payment retries.