How to take payments on Instagram with Stripe
Connect your own account once, and the money goes to you rather than through anybody else.
Instagram has no way to take a card payment for something you made. The way it works is that your bio link goes to a page of yours, and that page takes the payment. Stripe is the part that turns a card number into money in your bank account.
What Stripe is, briefly
Stripe is a payments company used by a very large number of businesses, from single person shops upwards. It handles the card details, the fraud checks and the bank transfer. You never see a card number, which is a good thing: handling those yourself brings obligations you do not want.
What you need to open an account
- Your name and address, or your business details if you have them.
- A bank account in the same country.
- Photo ID, for the identity check every payments company is required to do.
You do not need a registered company. Sole traders and individuals can take payments in most countries Stripe operates in.
Connecting it
You connect your own Stripe account rather than selling through somebody else's. That distinction matters more than it sounds: it means the money is paid to you directly, the customer relationship is yours, and if you ever move your product elsewhere your payment history goes with you.
What the buyer sees
A checkout page with your product on it, taking card payments and the wallet payments most people actually use on a phone. Apple Pay and Google Pay matter more than they sound: a buyer who has to type sixteen digits on a phone, in an in-app browser, on a moving bus, is a buyer who might not finish.
When the money arrives
Stripe holds the first payment for a little while when an account is new, which is normal and happens to everybody. After that, payouts run on a regular schedule you can see and adjust in your Stripe dashboard.
Test it before you tell anybody
Buy your own product, with a real card, once. Go all the way through: pay, receive the file, read the email. Then refund yourself in Stripe. It takes five minutes and it is the only way to know the whole path works.
Questions
Do I need a registered business to use Stripe?
In most countries an individual or sole trader can open an account with personal details and a bank account. Stripe will tell you during signup if your country needs anything else.
Which countries can I sell from?
Anywhere Stripe supports accounts, which is most of Europe, North America, Australia and a growing list beyond. Stripe's own signup will confirm yours.
Can buyers pay in their own currency?
You set the currency you are paid in. Buyers can pay with cards from anywhere, and their bank handles the conversion.
What happens if somebody disputes a payment?
Stripe handles disputes and tells you what it needs. Clear product descriptions and a good delivery email are the best prevention, because most disputes start with somebody not recognising a charge.
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