Stripe

Stripe is a payment processing platform providing APIs for accepting online payments, managing subscriptions, handling payouts, and preventing fraud. It supports credit cards, digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and local payment methods across dozens of countries. Stripe handles PCI compliance, meaning developers never need to store raw card numbers on their servers.

The API is widely regarded as a reference standard for developer experience. Integration starts with a few lines of code for basic checkout and scales to complex billing with metered usage, tiered pricing, and trials. Stripe Connect handles marketplace payments between multiple parties. Stripe Elements provides pre-built UI components for secure payment forms. For web developers building e-commerce or SaaS applications, Stripe is typically the default choice because its documentation, testing tools, and webhook system make payment integration straightforward while handling regulatory and security complexity.