Before you start
- A free Stripe account (activation for live payments requires your organization's details and bank account).
- Your site served over HTTPS — Stripe requires it.
Find your API keys
- Log in to the Stripe Dashboard.
- Go to Developers → API keys.
- You'll see a Publishable key (
pk_…) and a Secret key (sk_…). Each exists in test and live variants — the toggle at the top of the Stripe dashboard switches between them.
Paste them into Donor Merchant
- In WordPress, open Donor Merchant → Settings → Payments.
- Set Mode to Test.
- Paste your test publishable and secret keys into the test key fields, and save.
Run a test donation
Visit your donation page and give with Stripe's standard test card:
| Card number | 4242 4242 4242 4242 |
|---|---|
| Expiry | Any future date |
| CVC / ZIP | Anything |
Try a one-time gift and a monthly gift. Check Donor Merchant → Donations for the records and your inbox for the receipt.
Go live
- Switch the Stripe dashboard toggle to live and copy your live keys.
- In Donor Merchant, paste them into the live key fields and set Mode to Live.
- Set up the webhook — two minutes, and it keeps refunds, failures, and recurring renewals in sync automatically.
Keep your secret key secretThe
sk_… key can move money. Never paste it anywhere except the Donor Merchant settings field, and never share it in email or support tickets.