Stripe create Checkout session only with total price

ONLINECAST

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·

05-10-2024

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Streamlining Stripe Checkout: Creating Sessions with Just the Total Price

The Challenge:

You're building an e-commerce platform and need to integrate Stripe Checkout for seamless online payments. But you only want to pass the total price to Stripe, letting the user choose their payment method and manage billing details directly within the checkout flow.

Scenario:

Imagine you're selling digital products on your website. You have a simple checkout process where users only need to enter their email address and the total price of their purchase. You don't need to individually list each product in the Stripe checkout session.

Original Code (Python with Flask):

from flask import Flask, request, jsonify
import stripe

app = Flask(__name__)
stripe.api_key = "YOUR_STRIPE_SECRET_KEY"

@app.route('/create-checkout-session', methods=['POST'])
def create_checkout_session():
    try:
        total_price = int(request.form['total_price']) * 100  # Convert to cents
        checkout_session = stripe.checkout.Session.create(
            payment_method_types=['card'],
            line_items=[
                {
                    'price_data': {
                        'currency': 'usd',
                        'product_data': {
                            'name': 'Your Digital Product'  # Placeholder - you could change this
                        },
                        'unit_amount': total_price
                    },
                    'quantity': 1
                }
            ],
            mode='payment',
            success_url='https://your-website.com/success',
            cancel_url='https://your-website.com/cancel'
        )
        return jsonify({'sessionId': checkout_session.id})
    except Exception as e:
        return jsonify({'error': str(e)}), 500

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(debug=True)

The Breakdown:

• Code Explanation: The code snippet above demonstrates how to create a Stripe checkout session using the Stripe API. It fetches the total_price from the request, converts it to cents, and creates a checkout session with a single line item. The line_item contains the price data, including the currency and the total amount.
• Simplifying the Process: Instead of individually listing each product with its price, we've streamlined the process by creating a single line item with the total price. This reduces complexity and allows the user to focus on the final amount due.

Key Points:

• Price Data Flexibility: You can customize the product_data within the line item, which can be useful for tracking and reporting. For example, you could provide a more descriptive product name or category.
• Payment Method Flexibility: Stripe automatically handles various payment methods based on the user's location and preferences.
• Success and Cancel URLs: The success_url and cancel_url redirect the user to your website after successful payment or cancellation.

Additional Considerations:

• Dynamic Total Calculations: If your total price is dynamically calculated based on multiple products or user choices, make sure to adjust the total_price variable accordingly.
• Customer Information: You might need to collect additional customer information like name and address. This can be done through your own forms or integrated directly into Stripe Checkout.

Remember:

• Ensure you have a valid Stripe API key and configure your Stripe account appropriately.
• Refer to the Stripe documentation for comprehensive details on API methods, objects, and best practices: https://stripe.com/docs

Conclusion:

By understanding how to create a Stripe checkout session with only the total price, you can significantly simplify your payment process, enhance the user experience, and streamline your e-commerce workflow.