Monetizing Your Platform with Stripe Connect

Stripe Connect enables you to accept payments on behalf of your users while earning platform fees. This guide shows you how to integrate Stripe Connect with cred.diy for seamless marketplace monetization.

What is Stripe Connect?

Stripe Connect is a powerful platform that allows you to:

Accept payments on behalf of other businesses
Split payments between your platform and sellers
Handle compliance for multi-party payments
Manage payouts to connected accounts

Why Use Stripe Connect with cred.diy?

When combined with cred.diy, Stripe Connect enables:

Platform fees: Earn a percentage on every credit purchase
White-label payments: Payments appear under your brand
Automated settlements: cred.diy handles the credit issuance
Flexible splits: Configure fee percentages per project

Setting Up Stripe Connect

Step 1: Enable Stripe Connect

In your cred.diy dashboard:

Go to Payments > Stripe Connect
Click Connect with Stripe
Complete the Stripe onboarding flow
Return to cred.diy to confirm connection

Step 2: Configure Platform Fees

Set your platform fee percentage:

// Platform takes 10% of each transaction
const platformFeePercent = 10;

Step 3: Create Connect Checkout Sessions

When users purchase credits, create a checkout with your Connect account:

const createConnectCheckout = async (userId, tierId) => {
  const response = await fetch(
    'https://eutdgemlrpvnxfkkpvlu.supabase.co/functions/v1/hosted-checkout',
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        'x-api-key': process.env.CRED_API_KEY
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        user_id: userId,
        pricing_tier_id: tierId,
        success_url: 'https://yourapp.com/success',
        cancel_url: 'https://yourapp.com/cancel'
        // Platform fee is automatically applied
      })
    }
  );
  
  return response.json();
};

Step 4: Handle Payment Webhooks

Process successful payments and issue credits:

app.post('/webhooks/stripe', async (req, res) => {
  const event = req.body;
  
  if (event.type === 'checkout.session.completed') {
    // cred.diy automatically issues credits
    // Your webhook receives confirmation
    console.log('Payment completed:', event.data.object);
  }
  
  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

Payment Flow Overview

User clicks "Buy Credits"
Your app creates a checkout session via cred.diy
User is redirected to Stripe Checkout
Payment is processed with platform fee deducted
cred.diy receives webhook and issues credits
User is redirected to success URL
Your platform receives the fee

Managing Connected Accounts

Connected accounts are managed in the dashboard rather than through the API:

Account status: Dashboard → Payments shows whether the connected Stripe account can take charges and receive payouts, and links to Stripe to finish onboarding.
Platform fee: the fee Cred applies to each Stripe Connect charge is shown on the same page. Payments that run on your own Stripe keys carry no platform fee.

Best Practices

Start with reasonable fees: 5-15% is typical for platforms
Be transparent: Clearly communicate fees to users
Test thoroughly: Use Stripe test mode before going live
Monitor transactions: Review the Stripe Dashboard regularly
Handle disputes: Set up processes for chargebacks

Common Issues

Account Not Verified

If charges_enabled is false, the connected account needs to complete Stripe's verification process.

Payout Failures

Ensure connected accounts have valid bank details and sufficient balance.

Currency Mismatches

Specify the currency explicitly to avoid conversion issues.

Conclusion

Stripe Connect integration transforms cred.diy into a powerful monetization platform. By following this guide, you can start earning platform fees on every credit purchase while providing a seamless payment experience for your users.

Ready to start earning? Connect Stripe in your dashboard.