builderman_best-practices

[unborn pollen]

👋 Welcome to your new thread!

⏲️ We'll be here soon! Typically we respond in a few minutes, but sometimes we might take a bit longer if the server is busy or if you have a particularly tricky question. Thank you for your patience!

⏱️ We automatically close idle threads, which makes them read-only. Make sure you stick around to chat in realtime! If this thread is closed and you have another question you'll need to start a new thread.

🔗 This thread will always be available, even after it's closed. You can find it again using Discord's search, or you can save this link: https://discord.com/channels/841573134531821608/1214344087562625136

📝 Have more to share? You can add more detail below, including code, screenshots, videos, etc.

[unique shadow]

Hi there! How are you currently integrating with Stripe? Are you using Checkout or a custom flow using the PaymentElement?

[fallow raft]

I am using stripe's hosted checkout but may move to a checkout element

[unique shadow]

And by Checkout Element, you mean "Embedded Checkout"? https://docs.stripe.com/payments/checkout/how-checkout-works?payment-ui=embedded-form

[fallow raft]

Yes

This is how a competitor does it

And they preauth for the free trial

Release funds if they cancel, capture if they proceed

I am not sure how I can do this

[fallow raft]

as in the best practices

I understand how I can preauth but I am not sure how I could handle this internally, or if I could use stripe's native subscriptions to handle it for me

[unique shadow]

Release funds if they cancel, capture if they proceed
You can only do this if you use the PaymentElement and integrate with the PaymentIntents API directly so I think there's a misundersatnding of what's actuall happening in the background: https://docs.stripe.com/payments/place-a-hold-on-a-payment-method

[fallow raft]

Oh yeah I see

But with regards to using stripe's trials would I use that

Or is this something that needs to be handled internally

Because to my knowledge there is no way to attach a preauthorization to a trial

If I start a free trial and preauth at the same time it will result in two charges

[unique shadow]

If you're using Checkout (or Embedded Checkout), you wouldn't create the Subscription yourself. Instead, you'd create a Session in subscription mode. By default, we'll always prompt a customer to provide payment method details for subscription mode, even if there's a trial. This means the PaymentMethod that the customer sets up when they complete the Checkout Session should be set up correctly for future off-session Subscription charges.

[fallow raft]

Yes I am aware of that

[unique shadow]

This doesn't really solve what you're after though. Placing a hold/doing a preauth can't be done with Subscriptions

[fallow raft]

Yes

That's the issue here

[unique shadow]

You could charge them up front for the full billing cycle but give them a credit or use a 100% off coupon for the next billing cycle

Or you could avoid collecting payment for the trial and then cancel the Subscription if the trial ends and they still haven't provided a payment method: https://docs.stripe.com/api/checkout/sessions/create#create_checkout_session-subscription_data-trial_settings-end_behavior-missing_payment_method

[fallow raft]

How would a competitor do that like I mentioned above

They use the stripe payment element

I believe they use that payment element to capture the funds for the trial, and then handle the trial logic internally?

[unique shadow]

Right, and they're likely not using Subscriptions but handling billing logic on their end and creating PaymentIntents directly instead

So they're likely using the PaymentElement to confirm a PaymentIntent with capture_method: manual, keeping track of the trial end time internally, and manually capturing the funds at the end of the trial. Then, for renewal payments, creating off-session PaymentIntents using the previously-saved PaymentMethod

[fallow raft]

Ok great, I will make sure to do that then thank you for your help

With regards to link payments and other things, does the stripe payment element contain everything the stripe hosted checkout has?

I'm not sure if my customers would deem a payment element more trustworthy compared to being redirected to an official stripe checkout

[unique shadow]

In terms of PaymentMethod support, yes: https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-methods/integration-options#product-support

[fallow raft]

Ok that works then thanks

Have a good afternoon

[unique shadow]

You too!